First in Israel to Offer Fellowship in Electrophysiology

"Until about 10 years ago, there were no options for fellowships in the various cardiology subspecialties in Israel, and residency graduates in this field who wanted to continue specializing in areas such as electrophysiology, catheterizations or medical imaging had to travel abroad," said Prof. Eran Leshem, director of Hillel Yaffe Medical Center’s Electrophysiology and Pacemaker Unit. "In recent years, the trend has reversed and there are more cardiology subspecialties young physicians can specialize in here in Israel. I'm delighted that the Israel Heart Society’s Section for Cardiac Arrhythmias and Pacemakers decided to explore the possibility of establishing fellowship training in Israel, and this was recently approved. Hillel Yaffe Medical Center is proud to be the first in Israel to receive this approval," he concluded.

As part of the approval process, a structured fellowship training program was developed, including criteria for institutional recognition to actually deliver it. The entire process was approved by the Scientific Council of the Israeli Medical Association. This month, the Cardiology Division at Hillel Yaffe became the first to officially receive certification, enabling it to begin accepting fellows into this program.

Physicians of the Electrophysiology and Pacemaker Unit in the Cardiology Division at Hillel Yaffe, from right to left: Dr. Mark Kazatsker, Dr. Eran Leshem and Dr. Gilad Margolis

Prof. Ariel Roguin, Hillel Yaffe’s Cardiology Division Director, said, "Recognition of our Electrophysiology and Pacemaker Unit at Hillel Yaffe as an accredited institution for fellowships is a testament to the unit's leading professional standards and our commitment to medical education for the next generation of physicians. This is an achievement that adds an entirely different level of prestige to our organization, as well as to cardiology in Israel as a whole."

It should be noted that Hillel Yaffe Medical Center has been recognized for years in the field of fellowship training in cardiac catheterization as well. Prof. Roguin said, "In the past, physicians from Israel traveled with their families for extended periods for fellowship training at leading centers around the world. The move involved major upheaval for the family, a significant expense, distance from their supportive nuclear family and major personal adjustments. In recent years, academic and economic changes abroad have made it more difficult to complete a fellowship outside of Israel. At the same time, opportunities have opened up to complete fellowship training within Israel. This has huge benefits, and we are pleased to have been able to educate and teach catheterizations for several years already and now we can do so for cardiac arrhythmias and pacemakers as well. At Hillel Yaffe, we have the world's most advanced equipment for treating arrhythmias, use cutting-edge technology and the number of procedures is growing steadily. The unit at Hillel Yaffe is led by Unit Director Prof. Eran Leshem, Director of the Cardiac Pacemaker Service Dr. Mark Kazatsker, and Dr. Gilad Margolis."