O pinion
Local-Israeli Partnership Exemplifies the Importance of
International Medical Cooperation
BY MAAYAN AVIV AND SHIREL DANIEL
WHEN THE STARS ALIGN
in philanthropy matchmaking,
some of the most fruitful
partnerships are born.

This month, ALYN Hospital,
Israel’s only pediatric rehabili-
tation center, and Philadelphia
International Medicine, a
hub for 10 medical centers
in the Philadelphia region,
announced a trans-Atlantic
partnership. Though the partnership is
still young, there are already
many promising ideas to
improve pediatric care. Our
biggest goal, first and foremost,
is to create connectivity
between our two organizations
and enhance medical collabo-
ration across the globe.

The synergy between ALYN
and PIM was brought to our
attention by Philadelphia
resident and American Friends
of ALYN board member David
Meron. He knew connecting
our institutions would result in
a revolutionary international
step for pediatric medicine
worldwide. Our combined strengths
will further a holistic approach
to children’s health.

ALYN uses state-of-the-art
technology and rehabilita-
tion to help patients have lives
that are as normal as possible
outside of the hospital during
their treatment. ALYN’s facil-
ities include spaces dedicated
to physical and speech therapy,
hydrotherapy and virtual
reality. ALYNnovation, the
JEWISHEXPONENT.COM hospital’s dedicated innovation
space, brings together special-
ists, entrepreneurs, volunteers
and research teams to develop
assistive technology that is used
by children across the world.

PIM serves as the interna-
tional office for 10 renowned
medical centers in Philadelphia
and connects patients and
physicians from around the
world to the best specialists
in PIM’s network. Nemours
Children’s Health, a key
hospital in PIM’s network, will
be working closely with ALYN.

Nemours Children’s Health
is one of the largest integrated
pediatric health systems in
research and collaboration will
include novel treatments for
neuromuscular diseases, spina
bifida, PANS, bone health,
brain activity and transition
planning for adults with child-
hood-onset disabilities.

Our first interorganiza-
tional meeting between experts,
called a grand round, will allow
specialists to confer on the best
course of action for a compli-
cated pediatric case. In these
grand rounds, a physician will
present a difficult case, and other
physicians can help to create a
treatment agenda, decide which
facility is best suited for treat-
ment and formulate a plan that
processes and thought.

Our two organizations
discovered in each other
kindred spirits who find joy and
passion in making the world a
better place for children facing
challenges. By combining ALYN’s
innovation with PIM’s exten-
sive scope, the ALYN-PIM
Health Gateway Initiative
provides opportunities for
both organizations to advance
their work while impacting
pediatric care worldwide.

Through this partnership,
our combined knowledge will
thrive, further driving innova-
tion, research and education
Though the partnership is still young, there are already many promising
ideas to improve pediatric care. Our biggest goal, first and foremost, is to
create connectivity between our two organizations and enhance medical
collaboration across the globe.

the United States, with more
than 1,650,000 annual patient
encounters, and families from
more than 50 countries seek
the expertise of their physician
experts each year. Nemours
Children’s Health has a
family-focused approach that
looks at improving children’s
health where it starts — at home,
at school and in communities.

Together, these approaches
ensure that treatment plans for
children go beyond technology
and medicine and consider
how the treatment will play a
role in their everyday lives.

To achieve these goals,
we are already working
on exchanging research,
technology and strategies
between physicians that we
hope will elevate patient care
at both ALYN and Nemours.

Some of our main focuses of
would be most beneficial for
the patient. The initial grand
round will establish how we
work together and create a space
where our two organizations
can continue to flourish as this
partnership moves forward,
fostering opportunities for new
that will benefit children
around the globe. We hope that
by creating a bigger pool of
knowledge and experience, the
ecosystem of pediatric special
care will expand.

Less than one year after
Meron introduced our institu-
tions, we are proud to announce
our partnership — PIM’s first
official collaboration in Israel.

While ALYN and PIM both
advance medicine individu-
ally, together, our inventive
technological and educational
strengths can create a significant
impact far beyond the scope of
what we can do on our own.

At a time when medical
innovation is needed more than
ever, we are glad that we can be
providing a guide for interna-
tional pediatric cooperation. l
Maayan Aviv is the executive
director of American Friends of
ALYN, the branch of ALYN Hospital
dedicated to raising awareness of
their work throughout the United
States. Shirel Daniel is the manager
of global outreach at Philadelphia
International Medicine.

STATEMENT FROM THE PUBLISHER
We are a diverse community. The views expressed in the signed opinion columns and let-
ters to the editor published in the Jewish Exponent are those of the authors. They do
not necessarily reflect the views of the officers and boards of the Jewish Publishing
Group, the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia or the Jewish Exponent. Send
letters to letters@jewishexponent.com or fax to 215-569-3389. Letters should be a
maximum of 200 words and may be edited for clarity and brevity. Unsigned letters will not be
published. Join the
conversation! Tell us what you’re thinking and interact with the community
at jewishexponent.com
Connect with us on
JEWISH EXPONENT
DECEMBER 9, 2021
15