Sixty delegates attending the JNS International Policy Summit visited the Sheba Medical Center in Tel Aviv between June 21 and June 23 to observe the intersection of frontline clinical practice and medical technology development. The tour highlighted how the facility, ranked seventh globally by Newsweek, translates the immediate requirements of wounded soldiers and civilians into specialized rehabilitation infrastructure and digital health solutions.
Dr. Caroline Barmatz, head of the Hydrotherapy Department, detailed the facility’s adaptation to an increased volume of patients since October 7, 2023. The department currently manages three hydrotherapy pools and an ice bath system, providing care for more than 30,000 patients annually, including trauma survivors and wounded military personnel.
Clinical protocols at the center have shifted to accommodate patients with high physical baseline fitness levels, leading to the integration of specialized equipment. This includes adjustable therapy pools featuring integrated treadmills and overhead obstacle courses designed to facilitate rapid recovery for individuals with severe physical injuries.
The facility also employs virtual reality systems within its aquatic therapy sessions to assist with cognitive and motor skill rehabilitation. These systems allow clinicians to simulate complex environments, enabling patients to perform tasks such as driving or object manipulation while submerged in a controlled, weight-reduced environment.
Maya Ehrlich, an innovation coordinator at the Integrated Rehabilitation Hospital, demonstrated the Immersive Rehabilitation Room, which utilizes projection technology to simulate real-world scenarios. This environment allows patients to practice daily tasks—such as navigating grocery stores or banking—to improve cognitive function, balance, and coordination.
Implementation of these immersive technologies accelerated following the onset of the current conflict, as the hospital sought to address the specific needs of a younger, war-injured demographic. The software architecture allows staff to customize scenarios, providing a scalable framework for diverse rehabilitation requirements.
The delegation concluded their visit at the ARC Center for Digital Innovation, where clinicians discussed the transition from bedside observation to technology development. Dr. Karny Ilan, a surgical resident and CEO of the startup Feminai, presented a wearable breast cancer screening patch currently moving toward clinical trials.
The device utilizes integrated sensors and artificial intelligence to monitor physiological markers, specifically targeting changes in breast tissue density and blood flow patterns. This development reflects a broader institutional focus at Sheba on leveraging clinical data to drive health-tech innovation.
Dr. Caroline Barmatz observed that the immediate transition of wounded soldiers into high-intensity aquatic therapy has resulted in faster physical stabilization compared to traditional rehabilitation methods. She noted that the ability to adjust water resistance and temperature allows for a precise titration of physical stress, which directly correlates to improved patient mobility outcomes in the weeks following surgery.
Maya Ehrlich explained that the shift toward immersive, projection-based environments has fundamentally altered the cognitive recovery trajectory for younger patients. By gamifying real-world tasks, the hospital has observed higher patient engagement levels, which she credits for the measurable improvements in spatial awareness and executive function among those recovering from traumatic brain injuries.
The administration at the ARC Center for Digital Innovation maintains that the proximity between the patient’s immediate recovery needs and the technical expertise of the medical staff creates a unique feedback loop. According to the center’s leadership, this structural alignment significantly shortens the development cycle for assistive medical devices by allowing engineers to iterate on prototypes based on real-time clinical performance data.
Future milestones for the center include the expansion of clinical trials for wearable diagnostic tools and the continued refinement of immersive rehabilitation software. Observers will monitor how these technologies scale to broader patient populations outside of the immediate trauma care context as the facility continues to integrate new data-driven methodologies into its standard operating procedures.
