At the 2026 Jerusalem Post New York Conference, Eli Sprecher, CEO of Tel Aviv Sourasky University Medical Center (Ichilov), detailed how Israel’s leading medical center redefined emergency resilience by relocating most hospital operations to underground facilities in under five hours during wartime conditions while maintaining uninterrupted patient care.
Sprecher, in an interview with Walla News White House & Diplomatic Correspondent Idan Kweller, highlighted that the achievement was built on ongoing training and preparedness. “We relied on readiness - we train continuously, and when the moment arrived, we were ready.” He emphasized the vital role of the human factor: “Within an hour, once the all-clear was given, everyone was on site. Nobody needed to be called; they were all there - a dream team of dedication.”
He detailed how Ichilov successfully carried out full underground relocations twice during missile threats, each time moving around 1,500 hospitalized patients within hours. The operation represented a historic first in global medicine, enabled by rehearsed emergency procedures and strong organizational cohesion.
Regarding digital transformation, Sprecher noted that Ichilov has built a sophisticated data unit over the past five years and migrated all medical records to the cloud. “Today, we are the only hospital in Israel with all our medical records stored in the cloud,” he said, noting that this enabled the rapid deployment of AI tools during wartime. Developed within 48 hours, these tools helped detect early signs of infection and delirium among patients in underground settings, enabling earlier intervention.
Sprecher noted that the war’s impact has been profound not only on physical health but also on mental health across Israel. Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center is leading a groundbreaking initiative to merge with Abarbanel Mental Health Center, Israel’s largest psychiatric hospital.
The move is based on the belief that mental and physical health must be treated together rather than as separate disciplines. Sprecher described the initiative as part of a broader transformation being led with Israel’s Ministry of Health to reshape mental healthcare and create a more integrated model of care.
This article was written in collaboration with Tel Aviv Sourasky University Medical Center