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Israeli Doctors Visit Fox Chase Cancer Center To Plan For King Hussein Middle East Cancer Center
PHILADELPHIA (August 13, 1999) -- Three top doctors from Tel-Aviv recently visited Fox Chase Cancer Center to consult as they plan for the new King Hussein Middle East Cancer Center. The center, named after the late King of Jordan, is slated to open in 2000. King Hussein died in February from cancer.
The visiting doctors hail as leaders at the Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center in Israel, site of the new Cancer Center. Gabriel Barbash, M.D., M.P.H., Director General, Moses Inbar, M.D., Director of Oncology, and Joseph Klausner, M.D., Chief of Surgery met with Fox Chase doctors and administrators to discuss the latest treatment technologies, radiation oncology, out- and in-patient services, and business operations of the Center in Northeast Philadelphia.
Administrators of The King Hussein Middle East Cancer Center received the approval of His Majesty King Abdullah of Jordan to commence building. King Hussein was revered by many Israelis as a kind and caring, humane person committed to peace and the well being of the people in the Middle East. Keeping with his legacy, the new Cancer Center will offer sophisticated medical care to Israeli patients, as well as Arab patients from neighboring countries.
"We see our mission as part of the peace process," explains Barbash. "We have often treated victims of violence, from bombing victims to the late Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. Now, we can bring Israelis and Arabs together and offer them the best cancer treatment our region has to offer. We know King Hussein would respect this."
Barbash adds that, in addition to offering cancer care to their neighbors, the Sourasky Medical Center currently teaches Palestinian doctors from Gaza, and sends its own physicians to Gaza for other training. With generous donations to the King Hussein Cancer Center, Barbash hopes to continue facilitating medical collaborations between Israeli and Arab physicians to provide the best comprehensive cancer care.
Dr. Michael Unger, a pulmonologist at Fox Chase knows what it takes to offer the best in cancer care. "Multidisciplinary teamwork will be one of the most important aspects of the King Hussein Middle East Cancer Center. Modern cancer care means providing doctors from different specialties who work as a team in deciding the best treatment option for each individual patient. These doctors are committed to bringing their plan to fruition."
The Cancer Center is being established at the Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center. Traditionally known as a surgical hospital, its reputation draws patients from all over the region. The purpose of the new King Hussein Middle East Cancer Center is to create a setting which will amalgamate existing services and provide optimal facilities for both patients and staff.
Fox Chase Cancer Center is one of 36 National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers in the nation. The Center's activities include basic and clinical research, prevention, detection and treatment of cancer and community outreach programs.
Fox Chase Cancer Center, part of Temple University Health System, is one of the leading cancer research and treatment centers in the United States. Founded in 1904 in Philadelphia as one of the nation’s first cancer hospitals, Fox Chase also was among the first institutions to receive the National Cancer Institute’s prestigious comprehensive cancer center designation in 1974. Fox Chase researchers have won the highest awards in their fields, including two Nobel Prizes. Fox Chase physicians are routinely recognized in national rankings, and the Center’s nursing program has achieved Magnet status for excellence three consecutive times. Fox Chase conducts a broad array of nationally competitive basic, translational, and clinical research and oversees programs in cancer prevention, detection, survivorship, and community outreach. For more information, call 1-888-FOX-CHASE (1-888-369-2427).
