Dozens of doctors may have skipped stages of their training at Kaplan Medical Center in Rehovot, according to a special review committee of the Scientific Council of the Israeli Medical Association, Channel 13 reported Wednesday.
According to the report, the committee was formed after a resident doctor at the center alleged that residency logs had been falsified so cardiology residents could skip the internal medicine residency stage while still meeting the requirement on paper.
The committee found that Professor Kobi George, head of the cardiology department, had guided and supervised the falsifications, allegedly to address a manpower shortage.
Concerns were raised about patient safety and the quality of medical care because doctors may have received specialist certification in cardiology without the full required training, according to Channel 13.
Council reportedly recommended barring George from managing residency program permanently
Following the findings, the Scientific Council's presidency recommended barring George from managing a residency training department and removing recognition of Kaplan's cardiology department as an approved residency training site while George remains part of its staff, Channel 13 reported.
Additionally, Channel 13 said the council recommended the internal medicine department receive "conditional recognition" for six months and that Dr. Hefziba Green, head of the department, be barred from independently signing residency documents for the next three years. All signatures provided will require an accompanying signature from the hospital's deputy director.
An individual assessment requirement was also recommended for every doctor who completed residency training at Kaplan Medical Center to examine the length of their training, their focus areas, and whether there are gaps they need to complete, according to the report.
Cardiology head rejects allegations
George rejected the allegations, claiming that the recommendations of the council were incorrect and reached through an improper process, according to Channel 13.
"All residents and specialists in cardiology underwent the required clinical, theoretical, and research training and gained the necessary experience to fully meet all residency requirements. A significant portion of graduates of the training program successfully passed certification exams, and the doctors currently serve as full-fledged specialists," the outlet cited George as saying.
George emphasized that the Health Ministry, the only organization with the authority to implement any of the recommendations, had not made a binding decision on the matter.
The Ministry of Health announced on Wednesday that it would conduct an independent review into the residency training program in the Cardiology Department at Kaplan Medical Center, in addition to an internal review by Clalit Health Services.
“Following the report regarding the residency training in the Cardiology Department at Kaplan and in light of the severity of the findings and the managerial and systemic implications arising from them, it should be clarified that the Ministry of Health is conducting an independent examination of the incident, in addition to the internal review being conducted, which Clalit Health Services intends to conduct,” the ministry said.
The ministry said it will hold a meeting next week with senior health officials, including the CEO of Clalit, the director of Clalit’s hospital division, Kaplan’s director, relevant department heads, and the chairperson of Kaplan’s Residency Committee.
“Based on the findings of the review, the necessary steps will be decided,” including any changes to residency recognition, the statement said.
Clalit Health Services released a statement that the CEO of Clalit had ordered the establishment of a committee to address the findings and recommendations of the report at Kaplan Medical Center in light of the findings of the Israel Medical Association's Scientific Council review, and added that the Health Ministry had been updated on steps already taken, Channel 13 reported.
"Clalit regrets the incident and is acting decisively to correct and regulate the deficiencies identified in this exceptional report," Channel 13 cited the statement as saying.