October 21 - 29, 2004 - ERG 4

The Western Galilee Hospital (WGH) in Nahariya, together with the Jewish Agency for Israel, sponsors the Medical Emergency Response Group, a program that enables U.S. physicians to volunteer at WGH in the event of a national emergency. In an actual situation, volunteers would be asked to arrive in Israel within 72 hours for a two-week stay.

For years it has been standard practice at WGH to conduct drills, often with the Israel Defense Forces, to hone techniques for receiving and treating patients in a mass casualty event. The ERG Dry Run is a weeklong exercise designed to familiarize American physicians with the hospital’s emergency preparedness procedures. In addition to conferences, workshops and drills, each participant is paired with an Israeli colleague in his specialty, which is his professional host for the week. CME credits will be made available.

Includes: principles of treatment in major trauma; terror events in Israel; medical support in the war on terrorism; psychological aspects of mass casualty; principles of activating the hospital in a chemical attack situation; a mass casualty exercise; a chemical warfare drill and a tour with the IDF.

Registration***: Deadline - July 1, 2004

Course, room and board (excluding airfare and Option A hotel): $850 for physicians per person in a double room and $1,150 per person in a single room, $1,500 for accompanying persons

Flights:

*Thursday, October 21, 2004-- El Al flight# LY2 - Leaves JFK 7:30 p.m. October 21 and arrives in Israel (TLV) 11:45 a.m. October 22. Ground transportation to Jerusalem.

*Friday, October 29, 2004--- El Al flight# LY1 to New York departs Israel (TLV) 1:00 a.m. October 29 and arrives at New York JFK 6:30 a.m. October 29. Ground transportation to the airport.

In Israel:

Option A: Ground transportation October 22 from the airport to the Jerusalem hotel** one night, full board, plus walking tours on Shabbat, October 22-23, 2004; ground transportation to Nahariya the evening of October 23rd; the course plus three meals a day (dinners will be pre-arranged home hospitality, except for one free evening) and hotel accommodations; ground transportation October 28 to the return flight.

Option B: Same as Option A without the Jerusalem hotel and tour for those who wish to visit friends or family in Israel independently.

*Participants book their own domestic and international flights at their own expense.

**Jerusalem hotel is booked with registration, and paid individually by participants at checkout.

***Contacts:

Central Area Consortium: David Abrams, dabrams@jfgd.org , phone: (214) 615-5232 (Akron, OH; Canton, OH; Dallas, TX; Dayton, OH; Des Moines, IA; Ft. Worth, TX; Indianapolis, IN; Louisville, KY; Northwest Indiana; Omaha, NE; San Antonio, TX; Toledo, OH; Youngstown, OH)

Bergen County, NJ: Devra Karger, DevraK@ujabergen.org , phone: (201) 488-6800 x317

Belgium: Patrick Wajdenbaum, Wajdenbaum@orgsion.be , phone: 32 2 5385629

Judith Jochnowitz, International Liaison
Western Galilee Hospital
P.O.B. 21
22100 Nahariya, ISRAEL
Phone: 972-(0)4-910-7501
Mobile: 051-887-446
Fax: 972-(0)4-910-7611
Email: jochnj@naharia.health.gov.il , Judith Jochnowitz, International Liaison

Visit the Western Galilee Hospital Web Site

Related Article: