The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at the Ruth Rappaport Children’s Hospital at Rambam Health Care Campus (Rambam) has been ranked first among Israel’s largest referral hospitals in the Ministry of Health’s 2024 quality indicators.
Healthcare providers from NICUs around Northern Israel attend training at Rambam. Photography: Rambam HCC.
Published annually by Israel’s Ministry of Health, the National Quality Indices measure how well hospitals and clinics across the country adhere to evidence-based clinical practices in key areas of patient care. These benchmarks, developed in collaboration with medical associations and international bodies like the OECD, promote accountability, transparency, and continuous improvement in Israel’s healthcare system. The 2024 report assessed performance across 82 quality indicators in hospitals, community clinics, and other health institutions.
Rambam’s NICU again earned top scores in critical areas such as infection prevention and neonatal temperature regulation, both essential for improving survival and long-term health in newborns and premature infants. These results underscore Rambam’s leadership in providing exceptional care under the most demanding clinical circumstances.
“This achievement reflects the unwavering dedication and expertise of our entire team,” says Professor Amir Kugelman, director of Rambam’s NICU. “We are deeply committed to providing the highest standard of care to the most vulnerable patients.”
Rambam’s NICU treats over 500 infants annually, such as extremely low birth weight babies under 750 grams. As a regional referral center for complex neonatal cases in Northern Israel, the unit integrates unrivaled technology, with ongoing professional education, and research leadership.
Demonstrating its commitment to sharing expertise beyond its own walls, Rambam recently hosted its second annual Emergency Neonatal Care Training Day, bringing together doctors and nurses from across the region. Led by Rambam clinicians in partnership with Carmel Medical Center and Bnai Zion Medical Center, the event featured hands-on, simulation-based learning. This event was spearheaded by Nurse Lubna Khatib and Dr. Liron Borenstein, an attending physician in Rambam’s NICU, with support from the Israeli Neonatology Academy and Teva Pharmaceuticals.
“Our collaborations help ensure that high-quality care reaches every corner of Northern Israel,” added Professor Kugelman. “Knowledge is power—and we are stronger when we share it.”
Watch highlights from the training day
here.
