2. Contact: Neonatal Care Center
Dr. Michael Sherf, MD
Director General
at Soroka Medical Center
Tel: 972-8-640-3408, Fax: 972-8-627-7364
E-mail: michaelsh@clalit.org.il Construction planned for new
Neonatal Care Center
Soroka Medical Center
Irit Bibi
External Affairs The new Neonatal Care Center will serve all newborns in the Negev.
Tel: 972-8-640-3963, Fax: 972-8-640-3901 More than 1,000 babies are born every month at Soroka Medical Center,
E-mail: iritbibi@clalit.org.il more than at any other hospital in Israel.
The new Neonatal Care Center will be fully protected against missiles in
Dr. Gerry Showstack line with lessons learned during the recent war in Gaza.
Resource Development
Tel: 972-8-646-7435 Mobile: 972-54-220-2608
E-mail: shows1@netvision.net.il Background
The Neonatal Department at Soroka Medical Center serves the one million
residents of the Negev and is the busiest and most professional in Israel. With
more than 13,000 births per year Soroka Medical Center has the busiest delivery
room in the country. At any given moment, there are more than 150 newborn
infants being treated by Soroka’s neonatal services. The department operates
according to ISO 9002 and is the first neonatal unit in the world complying with
these demanding international standards, ensuring the most advanced medical
treatment including care for premature births.
Due in part to the recent
increase in treatments
for infertility, there is a
high rate of premature
births. More than 5% of
newborn infants have
serious medical problems
requiring intensive or
special care. As the sole
medical center serving
the entire southern region
of Israel, the Neonatal
Department cares for
more than 500 Very Low
Birth Weight (VLBW) preemies annually, as well as more than 1,500 infants
who require other special neonatal medical treatment each year.
The neonatal medical team at Soroka has pioneered a unique model of care for
its patients. Involving members of the infant’s family in family-centered care,
the medical team has developed methods that allow premature and other babies
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3. needing special care to start life in a normal caring atmosphere and increase transferred to this unit after
both the probability and the quality of survival. their condition has stabilized.
They are cared for by their
The existing Neonatal Department was built in the 1980's. The physical parents under the careful
conditions of the facility have become outmoded and are no longer sufficient eye and guidance of
or appropriate. the medical staff. At
In addition, during the war in Gaza which began in December 2008, we were the end of the stay in
forced to swiftly evacuate all the new mothers and infants from the Neonatal the Recovery Unit the
Department to protected quarters within barely an hour after the first missile infants are discharged
fell nearby. While there was some risk in moving the premature babies, the risk home with their parents
of injury or worse from missiles was intolerable, and the decision became clear who are now confident in
as soon as Beer Sheva came under direct fire. their knowledge and ability to
care for them.
Working under direct threat in a complex operation that enlisted the human
and technological prowess of our doctors and nursing staff, and assisted by the At present the Neonatal Department occupies two separate areas, far from
Israel Defense Forces Home Front Command, the infants and mothers were each other. The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit is located on the ground floor
transferred to a suitably protected building. All of the preemies survived the of an old building that is unprotected against missile fire. The upper floor of
move to the improvised site without any injuries. The infants and their families another building houses the Special Care and Recovery Units which are also not
were forced to remain in the facility to which they were transferred during the protected from missiles attacks. Due to the physical distance separating the two
entire period of the war. buildings, the staffs are forced to function as two separate professional teams
in two separate spaces, a situation which creates hardship for both the families
Neonatal Care Today and the staff. To make matters worse, each of the units is much smaller than
needed and dictated by today's criteria for treating infants and caring for their
The Neonatal Department staff includes eight families.
senior neonatalogists, five pediatricians and
80 nursing and administrative personnel.
The guiding principles for treating the Need
hospitalized newborns are to place The aim of the proposed Neonatal Care Center is to expand and improve the
emphasis on the infant's health and safety, facilities of the Neonatal Department, and to protect the department's infants,
engage the parents' maximum involvement families, and staff. The addition of a second and a protected third floor to the
toward the infant's discharge to their home existing Neonatal Intensive Care Unit will make it possible to upgrade medical
following an extended and often dramatic care and treatment offered by the NICU, SCU, and RU at their respective levels
hospital stay, and ensure proper preparation of care. The additional space will make it possible to fully implement family-
of the family to acquire confidence and assume centered neonatal care at all levels and for all infants born in the Negev.
responsibility for the care of their infant.
The high birthrate in the Negev and the increase in population through
The neonatal department is divided into three sections: immigration have rendered the existing neonatal care facilities inadequate.
intensive care for premature births; special care for babies treated in intensive The space available does not allow for medical care involving mothers and
care who require additional time before being discharged and for babies born other members of the family in the baby’s first stages of development. The
with chronic diseases, addictions, or congenital anomalies; and the section for physical space and the number of incubators and medical equipment cannot
recovery care. These three main units comprise the Neonatal Department: accommodate all of the expectant mothers who arrive at the delivery room
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), which provides level-three lifesaving to give birth to babies who are premature or likely to need special care for
care for preterm infants. other reasons. Some expectant mothers are sent, despite their sensitive medical
condition, to hospitals in the center of the country.
Special Care Unit (SCU), which treats infants that need level-two treatment
and those convalescing from the NICU Involvement of mothers is critical for all of the infants, and the present physical
set up cannot accommodate that need. Additional space is needed for coaching
Recovery Unit (RU), for preemies and other infants with special needs families in infant care, including resuscitation of babies in cases where it
2 3

4. might be needed, and normal activities such as feeding, as well as for medical Family Rooms will be welcoming areas for siblings and other family members
personnel and support professionals. accompanying the parents. The facility will also contain a Resource Room that
will offers books, pamphlets, and instructional films on infant care and common
As mentioned, during the recent war in Gaza, Soroka Medical Center, including problems encountered, links to information on the internet, as well as activities
its Neonatal Department, was under direct threat of missile attack. Three Grad for siblings (videos, children's books, games, etc.).
missiles landed within less than 200 meters of the hospital. As soon as the first
missile landed nearby, it was absolutely clear and imperative that all of our Dining Area for Parents will be conveniently located adjacent to the neonatal
newborns and mothers had to be moved to protected areas within the medical treatment rooms.
center. Not only was a portion of the Neonatal Department located in buildings
that were not protected, but the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit itself was (and
today remains) in a building whose roof is constructed in part of glass bricks!
Floor Plan of the future Second Floor
Goal
To expand the neonatal care facilities to serve and protect all infants born
to the population of southern Israel, providing them with family-centered
intensive, special and recovery care as pioneered at Soroka Medical Center,
in a safe and secure setting. The expanded facility will allow medical staff
and families to provide the care needed to nurture these newest Israelis.
Neonatal Care in the Future
The highly improved physical conditions will allow the principles of Family-
Centered Care to be implemented to the fullest. Emphasis will be placed on
integrating the parents into the unit's work plan, ensuring that they are involved
in the infants' care and in assuming ever-increasing responsibility for that care.
Neonatal Treatment Rooms will be the heart of the new unit, sufficiently
spacious areas for each infant to allow at least one of the parents to comfortably
care for their infant throughout the day.
Care Areas will be created that allow the entry of natural lighting. Each area will
be partially separated by dividers and will include equipment and furnishings
that will allow the parents to take care of their infant and relax comfortably
between treatments.
Lodging Facilities will be included for parents and their infants for several
nights ahead of the infant's discharge or for situations when it is not possible for
the parent to return home (such as the beginning of fulltime nursing, a distant
place of residence, transportation difficulties). These overnight rooms will
be outfitted with monitoring equipment to observe the infant's condition and
enable the parents to call for assistance from the attending staff.
Training Rooms for Parents will be areas designed for group and individual
instruction.
Breast Milk Pumping Facilities will provide convenient arrangements for the
mothers to express and store milk.
4 5

5. rendering of proposed
Neonatal Care Center - NCC
NCC Elevations
6 7

6. Costs
The estimated total construction cost of the project is $9,250,000
First Floor: 860 sq. meters, involving the full renovation of the existing Neonatal
Intensive Care Unit, $1,000,000
Technical Floor: 860 sq. meters, housing technical equipment and infrastructure,
$750,000
Second Floor: 1,005 sq. meters, construction and protected infrastructures
for additional Neonatal Intensive Care, Special Care, and Recovery Unit,
$3,000,000
Third Floor: 1,005 sq. meters, reinforced to protect this floor and the entire
building against the threat of missile attack, to house examinations rooms,
physicians offices, parent training areas, family space, $3,000,000
Medical equipment and furnishings: $1,500,000
Total project cost - $9,250,000
Donation and Donor Recognition
The new Neonatal Care Center can be named by the donors for a gift of
$4,500,000. Additional funding for the project will be provided by Soroka
Medical Center.
Full and very prominent donor recognition will be provided on and inside the
Neonatal Care Center and at the Donors' Wall of Honor of Soroka Medical
Center. The facility will be dedicated at a major dignified public dedication
ceremony. The donor will be recognized in all publicity and publications of the
Neonatal Care Center.
Thank you for your consideration
of this proposal and request
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7. Soroka Medical Center ‫המרכז הרפואי האוניברסיטאי סורוקה‬
POB 151, Beer-Sheva, 84101 ‫ת.ד. 151 באר-שבע‬
84101 Israel 08-640-3963 :‫טל‬
Tel: 972-8-640-3963 08-640-3901 :‫פקס‬
Fax: 972-8-640-3901 email: iritbibi@clalit.org.il
email: iritbibi@clalit.org.il www.soroka.co.il :‫אינטרנט‬
website: www.soroka.co.il
American Friends of Soroka Medical Center
P.O Box 184-H Scarsdale, NY 10583
Tel: 914-725-9070
Fax: 914-725-9073
email: americanfriends@soroka.org
website: www.soroka.org