Lion Shield: Clalit opens a new protected hospital for hundreds of patients

Amid rocket fire and a shortage of protective facilities in Israel’s healthcare institutions, Clalit CEO Dr. Eytan Wirtheim ordered a rapid operation to establish a protected hospital within a few days for patients who cannot reach protected areas during an alert. The hospitals from which patients were transferred to the new center are Levinsky Rehabilitation Medical Center, Harzfeld Hospital, and Beit Rivka.

Today, the operation began to admit 216 patients for continued treatment and rehabilitation. Alongside the patients, the medical and nursing teams who care for them will also transfer, ensuring full continuity of care and providing patients with a sense of security, protection, and a familiar professional environment even after the transfer. The complex and large-scale operation includes a complete logistical system: Dozens of ambulances will transport complex and elderly patients from different cities across the country, even during alerts and rocket fire.

"The decision to establish the 'Lion Shield' hospital is a timely response and represents an additional step among the many actions Clalit has taken to provide optimal protection for our patients," said CEO Wirtheim. "Since the beginning of Operation Roaring Lion, we have carried out shielding and reinforcement measures in hospitals, creating over 90 percent optimal protection in 14 hospitals."

"Many patients in rehabilitation facilities are bedridden or have difficulty moving, and therefore require full assistance from medical staff to reach protected areas. It is our mission to ensure a safe and secure environment for complex patients and the medical teams caring for them around the clock. A society is tested by its ability to protect those who cannot protect themselves – elderly and complex patients who need us more than anyone."

"Israel and the healthcare system are currently facing unprecedented challenges. Within this reality, we took on the mission of establishing a hospital in Rishon Lezion. It is a complex operation requiring precise planning, adaptation of infrastructure, equipment, and technology, and above all, extraordinary cooperation among many teams within Clalit. Our commitment to patients and continuity of care guides us even in the most challenging moments."

Wirtheim thanked the Director-General of the Health Ministry, Moshe Bar Siman Tov, and the ministry’s teams for their partnership and full support, which made it possible to implement the initiative in such a short time.

Hundreds of Clalit employees from across the organization were mobilized for the operation, participating in the planning and rapid establishment of the new center. Medical teams, nursing staff, logistics, Clalit Engineering, IT, operations, and facility staff worked around the clock to carry out the initiative within just a few days. The teams assisted at every stage of the operation, from planning, transporting medical equipment, and setting up infrastructure to populating the facility and preparing to receive patients and medical teams.

This morning, Clalit thanked all levels of management and staff who, even during wartime and under alerts, immediately mobilized for the mission and acted with dedication, professionalism, and extraordinary cooperation to establish a new medical center in a short time and ensure patients receive care in a safe and protected environment. Clalit emphasized that the spirit of volunteering, commitment, and mission of the staff made it possible to turn a complex initiative into a life-saving operation in such a short time.

On Saturday night, Clalit signed an agreement with the Hamami family, owners of a building in Rishon Lezion originally designed to operate as assisted living. The building is divided into two sections: Assisted living and a geriatric hospitalization center. About half of the building was allocated to Clalit for operating a rehabilitative and geriatric hospital within a seven-story protected structure.

Simultaneously with discussions and negotiations, a hectic logistical operation began to populate and adapt the building into a fully functional rehabilitative medical center. In a short time, patient rooms were adapted, medical IT systems installed, a pharmacy and treatment infrastructure established, and the building converted into an active medical center capable of admitting many patients under protected conditions.

The facility will be managed by teams from the three medical centers, about 250 staff members: Doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, social workers, alongside administrative, facilities, and IT teams.

Dr. Tatiana Vander, Director of Beit Rivka Medical Center and a specialist in neurology and physical and rehabilitative medicine, will manage the Lion Shield Hospital. Preparations include extensive infrastructure adaptations, advanced medical equipment, medical IT systems with high-level information security, a complete pharmacy system, and broad medical logistics to ensure continued treatment and rehabilitation at the highest level even during emergencies.

For full operation of the new medical center, "Clalit Engineering" transported extensive medical and operational equipment to the site, including:

The direct cost of the operation is initially estimated at approximately NIS 4M, an investment intended to ensure that hundreds of complex patients receive optimal protection until they can return to their original institutions after the war.

Clalit also thanked Rishon Lezion Mayor Raz Kinstlich for his assistance, cooperation, and positive spirit, which helped implement the initiative in such a short time. The establishment of Lion Shield Hospital is part of a series of steps Clalit is taking during the emergency period, alongside expanding home hospitalization services, enhancing online medical services, and operating dedicated systems for displaced patients and patients across the country.