The organization Lemaanchem announced the appointment of Prof. Hezi Levy, former Director-General of the Ministry of Health and Director of the Barzilai Medical Center, to the role of special project director for the establishment of a national center for combating anorexia and eating disorders among children and adolescents. This is a strategic move aimed at strengthening the medical and managerial infrastructure of the initiative, in light of the alarming increase in the scope of the phenomenon in Israel.
The professional vision for establishing the center is led by the organization’s president, Prof. Yosef Press, former Director of the Schneider Children’s Medical Center. For Prof. Press, one of the country’s leading pediatricians, this represents the fulfillment of a long-standing vision and a response to an urgent need he has identified over decades of medical management. According to him, the lack of a systemic and comprehensive response for adolescents struggling with eating disorders is clearly felt on the ground.
The new center is intended to offer an advanced, professional, and accessible model, providing services to all sectors of Israeli society. In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the number of adolescents diagnosed with anorexia, bulimia, and other eating disorders, with many families reporting difficulty in finding a suitable treatment framework and long waiting times.
To establish the operational infrastructure and develop a logistical and medical system at the highest level, Prof. Hezi Levy was recruited to serve as the project director of the initiative. Levy brings extensive managerial experience in the public health system, both as a hospital director and as Director-General of the Ministry of Health during a particularly challenging period. His role will be to lead the establishment stages, develop workflows, and ensure that the center operates under strict medical standards.
Yossi Erblich, Chairman and founder of Lemaanchem, emphasized that the organization meets parents and children in the midst of complex struggles and sometimes feeling helpless in dealing with the system. According to him, eating disorders pose a real life threat, and the establishment of the center is intended to provide a high-quality treatment framework that offers rapid and professional response and saves lives.
Prof. Yosef Press added that, as someone who managed a children’s hospital for years, he sees the establishment of a dedicated center for eating disorders as a personal and professional mission. According to him, the distress on the ground necessitates the creation of a quality therapeutic continuum, combining medical, psychological, and family treatment under one roof. He welcomed the joining of Prof. Hezi Levy and expressed confidence that his experience will contribute significantly to the success of the initiative.
Levy’s joining is alongside a series of senior figures in the organization, including Vice President Dr. Gadi Neuman and the doctors of Lemaanchem, and marks another significant step toward establishing a dedicated center that will provide a comprehensive response to one of the most sensitive and complex issues in the mental health of children and adolescents in Israel.