Neonatal Department Accorded First Place

The Neonatology Department at Schneider Children’s was accorded first place among 29 Neonatal Units in Israel according to a report by the Ministry of Health published on November 13, 2017. Issues such as treatment of premature infants and advances in the care of the newborn are high on the Ministry’s list of priorities. Based on this approach, neonatal departments and infants are defined as one of the Ministry’s flagship programs.

The Ministry of Health graded the various neonatal departments according to a variety of parameters among which were the reduction in the incidence of acquired infections; improvement in professional staffing; additional job positions for nurses and for those who have qualified specifically in neonatal intensive care; new beds; medications rooms, isolation rooms, and more. This year, the Ministry added several new parameters including continuation of care; community (meetings between parents and pediatrician); existence of resuscitation courses for staff and parents of premature infants; reduction of radiation to which the infant is exposed; breastfeeding and follow-up of hypothermia.

The Department of Neonatology at Schneider Children’s, headed by Prof. Gil Klinger, is a tertiary care center for premature and newborn infants from all over Israel, and treats about 1,000 babies every year.