Hospitals cited for improvement to esthetics and environments

Hospitals cited for impr

By JUDY SIEGEL-ITZKOVICH
Assaf Harofeh Medical Center, a state-owned general hospital in Tzrifin, and the Tirat Hacarmel Mental Health Center, a psychiatric hospital near Haifa, on Sunday won the Council for a Beautiful Israel's top awards for esthetics. The Beersheba Mental Health Center was cited for its "special contribution to the community." The winners were announced at the non-profit organization's Tel Aviv headquarters in a ceremony attended by its president, Gideon Pat, and Deputy Health Minister Ya'acov Litzman. The Tzrifin and Tirat Hacarmel hospitals received a "flag of beauty" for participating in the competition four years in a row, as well as garnering the maximum number of points this year. A "gold star" was awarded to the Bayit Balev geriatric hospital in Bat Yam, and a "shield of a decade of excellence" to the Geha Mental Health Center. Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center received a prize for participating for 15 years in a row and winning five "beauty stars" each time. It was the 15th year that the council, established by former first lady Aura Herzog in 1968, held its competition. Thirty institutions competed on the basis of increasing the awareness of the importance of physical conditions inside and outside the hospitals, with employees participating in improvements. Council officials said the level of excellence has improved every year, as a growing number of medical institutions appreciate the importance of improving their environments and the esthetics of facilities to attract patients.