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Medtronic Chairman and CEO Visits Rambam

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Chairman and CEO of Medtronic, the world's leading medical device company, Mr William Hawkins, commented on Rambam’s “long-term commitment to human health care”, during his intensive visit to the health center last month. There, Mr Hawkins observed cutting-edge research and large-scale construction of new hospitals and laboratories at Rambam

Mr. William Hawkins, chairman and CEO of Medtronic, the world's leading medical device company, paid a day-long visit to Rambam Health Care Campus last month. Accompanied by senior company representatives from Europe and Israel, Mr. Hawkins met with senior administration, toured construction sites at Rambam and was briefed on cutting edge research at the hospital.

The Meditronic visit kicked off with a meeting attended by Rambam’s top management. There, Rambam Director Prof. Rafi Beyar described the hospital’s development plans, the ongoing construction of a tower devoted to advanced medical research and the wide scope of research projects taking place at the hospital, particularly in the fields of imaging, stroke treatment, trauma and embryonic stem cell research.

Mr. Hawkins expressed great interest in these projects, and in the hospital's ability to conduct its own research. He was particularly impressed by the extent to which the Israel government allows the development of independent research at the hospital.

Following this meeting, the visitors toured the stem cell research laboratory, where Prof. Lior Gebstein of Rambam and the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology is doing applied research using stem cells to repair damaged heart muscles.

Mr. Hawkins concluded the tour with a view of the five-acre construction project taking place at the hospital. This huge-scale undertaking includes construction of an underground emergency hospital and parking lot, a new children's hospital, oncology hospital, and cardiovascular disease hospital. It will also house the new Legacy Heritage Clinical Research Tower, in which scientists – all medical doctors – will seek underlying mechanisms of and treatments for ailments including diabetes, heart disease, cancer, infection and anti-immune diseases, neuro-degenerative illness.

Looking out at the work underway, Mr Hawkins commented, “The investment you are making in new infrastructure to support advanced research demonstrates your long-term commitment to advancing human health care. This is not just for the community, but for Israel and for health care worldwide."