Danny Ben-Zvi

Danny Ben-Zvi
Danny Ben-Zvi
Spreading Knowledge
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

School of Health Professions in the Western Negev: A Blueprint for Regional Health and Recovery

A School of Health Professions at Sapir College, in partnership with The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI), is planned to open on the Sapir campus in the Western Negev, just 2 miles from the Gaza border. The new initiative hopes to ease the critical shortage of healthcare professionals in the Western Negev, contributing to the region’s recovery and revitalization with an influx of excellent faculty, staff, and health professionals who will offer prestigious research opportunities to top students from the region and beyond.

“I am so very excited to be involved in this initiative,” said Prof. Danny Ben-Zvi, a Zuckerman STEM Faculty Scholar (2018), and Associate Professor at the Hebrew University’s Faculty of Medicine.  “There is no other project like this in the region, and I am proud to have the opportunity to make a positive and lasting impact on the south, which has been so heavily affected by the war.”

The school will train a new generation of health professionals, combining innovative education methods with an emphasis on academic excellence and interpersonal communication skills. Graduates will be prepared to thrive in a data-driven healthcare environment, while also applying trauma-sensitive approaches tailored to the region’s unique needs. Through world-class academic standards and a commitment to community engagement, the school aims to become a national model for health education and community resilience.

The Hebrew University’s Faculty of Medicine, world-renowned for its high standards and excellence in medical education, teaching, and research, will be the model, but its curriculum will be supplemented by new digital teaching tools and an emphasis on community care. Initially, students will receive degrees from the Hebrew University, with their studies taking place at Sapir College.

Ultimately, the plan is for the school to have its own new home on the Sapir campus, where top faculty from both institutions will teach and engage in cutting-edge research.

Anyone interested in partnering in this important project should contact danny.ben-zvi@mail.huji.ac.il.