In an historic event, Rabbi Yaakov Litzman, Israel’s Health Minister and his delegation met with Hatzalah’s Executive Board this evening at Hatzalah’s citywide headquarters in Brooklyn.

Minister Litzman is on a short official visit to the US which included meetings in Washington with the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services, and in New York, with executives of several leading medical centers, and the leadership of Hatzalah.

Topics of discussion included Hatzalah’s pivotal role as a leader in providing emergency medical services throughout New York City and the positive, cooperative relationship that Hatzalah has with city and state agencies including NYPD and FDNY as well as major metro area hospitals. The parties also discussed the sharing of strategic initiatives in emergency preparedness both in Israel and the US.

Minister Litzman commended Hatzalah and stated that Hatzalah in New York is a role model for emergency services throughout the world. He invited the members of Hatzalah’s Executive Board to visit him at the Health Ministry in Israel and offered his assistance with anything that Hatzalah may need.

In the post 9/11 era, Hatzalah established a relationship with Magen David Adom to engage in joint training and for Hatzalah to send personnel to Israel to supplement MDA shortages in the event of an extensive reserve call up. Minister Litzman and Hatzalah agreed to seek ways to enhance communication and partnership strategies between Hatzalah and Israel’s Health Ministry.

Hatzalah is the largest volunteer EMS provider in the United States and it’s 1,200 all volunteer EMTs and paramedics respond to over 70,000 emergency calls annually.

Health Minister Litzman’s delegation included numerous advisors from the Health Ministry in Israel.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)