Southwest Center for the Study of Hospital and Health Care Systems

In the wake of recent atrocities in our homeland, Israel's trauma care system faces an unprecedented challenge. Israel's trauma centers require immediate reinforcement in the form of staffing, logistics support, training, and equipment. It is with this pressing need in mind that we embark on a mission to raise $180,000, a lifeline of support that can be deployed swiftly where it's needed most.

This fundraiser is being organized by Dr. Gerald Sussman with support from several Congregation Kol Tikvah congregants. Dr. Sussman, founded the Southwest Center for the Study of Hospital and Health Care Systems (SWC), a 501(c)3 in 1983. The SWC helped establish Israel’s first peace-time trauma care system, in close coordination with the Surgeon General of the IDF Medical Corps. In a nation so often plagued by adversity, these units have become sanctuaries of healing, now totaling seven Level 1 trauma units spread across the country.

Dr. Sussman has forged crucial connections with the likes of Dr. Enrique Ginzburg of Ryder Trauma Hospital, Dr. Alon Schwartz, Director of the Level 1 Trauma Unit at Sha’are Tzedek in Jerusalem, and Dr. Mickey Stein, Director of the Level 1 Trauma Unit at the Rabin Medical Center in Petach Tikvah. In collaboration with these counterparts, he is working to devise a strategy that ensures these funds reach their intended destinations. The goal is clear - to amplify the capacity of trauma care, addressing both physical and psychological wounds, from blunt to penetrating injuries.

In these challenging times, we acknowledge that countless organizations vie for your support in Israel's hour of need. However, what sets this opportunity apart is Dr. Sussman's deep experience, direct connections to change agents in Israel, and his affiliation with the Rotary Club, which has supported past SWC efforts in building up Israel’s trauma care system.

One generous donor has already committed to a matching grant of $20,000. The urgency is palpable, and the impact immeasurable. The more we raise, the more lives we can touch, the more healing we can offer to a nation in turmoil. Please support us in this important initiative.