Ongoing Activities
- During 2017, a total of 149 patients were treated by HUG
- 124 of them were admitted during the year
- For several weeks, over 42 patients were treated simultaneously (the optimal average being 35)
- The percentage of non-oncologic patients increased
- More activities took place in the Jordan Valley area
- New patients were treated in the Druze villages on the Golan Heights, after a 3 year break
- A bereavement support group guided by a social worker held 10 sessions
- About 40 people attended the annual “Family Evening” for mourning families
- Five families have attended personal consultation meetings led by a nurse and a doctor
- HUG’s website was upgraded and updated
- After reviewing the 2016 work-plan a new one for 2017 has been drawn up
External Training
- Two third-year social work students from the Tel Hai College joined HUG as part of a field experience project
- Eight nurses (male & female) from the Oncology Course in the Rambam hospital attended a training program + 8 days of home visits together with HUG staff.
- Nine medical students from the Ziv hospital spent a full day at HUG. They received basic concepts in Palliative Care and joined home visits.
- Two experienced Oncologic nurses who attended a national program for training Clinical Experts in Palliative Care were referred by the Ministry of Health to HUG. They accompanied HUG activities during 7 months, 2 days per week receiving personal guidance from HUG’s chief nurse (herself one of the exclusive group of experts recognized by the Ministry of Health)
- An extensive training day was given to Matav (a home nursing company) northern staff.
- Lectures on Palliative Care were given to several professional groups, e.g. the Clalit HMO, Haemek hospital and others.
Staff Training & Events
- Following a research conducted by the Social Work faculty at the Tel Hai college HUG staff converted the conventional psychological supervision into Reverberation & Support Circles – a monthly meeting intended to assist and support staff members to cope with exhaustion related with the daily treatment situations they partake in (also known as “compassion fatigue”)
- All Jewish Holidays were celebrated. Some of them, together with patient’s families.
- In a monthly Journal Club staff members conducted study meetings addressing professional issues related to the field experience of HUG.
- Hug was invited, together with the Amakim Hospice by Teva, the Israeli pharmaceutical giant, to visit their new logistic center at Shoham. We were impressed by the size (the biggest one in the Middle East) and the most advanced technology supplying products all over Israel within 24 hours.
- The annual staff day included a series of outdoor activities led by intern students. Like every year, this day serves as an energy booster for the overworked staff.
- A new member has joined our team: Eitan Arditi, a medical psychologist. During his four years of internship at the Ziv hospital, Eitan took an active part in working with HUG patients. Eitan will share his time between HUG and the Poria hospital.
In the Professional Community
- Being a member of the professional community includes taking part in regional gatherings (e.g. The Shula Forum of Haemek hospital) as well as national ones. HUG staff members attended a few, sometimes as lecturers.
- The Ministry of Health has initiated a national survey to check the operation of ministry-related associations. The survey team spent a full day with the staff, browsing through documents in the office and accompanying field visits of patients in their homes. HUG staff members have participated same procedure at other associations.
Professional Collaborations
- In 2016 the ALS association invited HUG to work together at a newly opened ALS clinic in the Ziv hospital. This year a new pilot was conducted in Arabic villages around Nazareth. The pilot proved very successful. A full scale project is being planned for next year.
Fundraising in the Local Community
- Being in permanent need of external funding, HUG invests continuously to raise funds in Israel, as well as abroad. In the past few years an increasing emphasis is focused on the communities of the Galilee and Golan Heights whose populace is served by HUG.
- In January an Inspirational Event was performed in Katzrin, for the Golan people. Another event based on a full day radio show took place in Kiriat Shmona incorporating interviews with HUG staff and volunteers, local personalities and a cabinet Minister.
- About 40,000 shekels were raised through these events. Local high school and college students were active in both operations.
- In February a brand new emergency vehicle was donated to HUG by the The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. The vehicle will improve HUG’s ability to reach patients’ homes in the remote communities of the Galilee and the Golan.
- Tom Peled rode his bicycle from LA to New York and throughout Europe. He rode in the memory of his father who succumbed to cancer. He has raised over $1M for the Cancer Research Association. After a TV report on the health situation in the North, Tom offered to ride for HUG. Which he did during 4 days in March riding from The Hermon summit through the Golan Heights and the Galilee valleys joined by local bikers. On the 4th day an additional group of riders arrived from the Tel Aviv area to show solidarity. The ride was followed by many web surfers who donated over 30K NIS.
- In November, the bi-annual Gala event hosted Kobbi Aflalo, a well-known Israeli singer and standup artist. All tickets were sold out and donated to HUG. The audience enjoyed a rich reception of Galilean food and wine, all donated by local producers.
Visits
- Rabbi Litzman, the minister of health, received a delegation of HUG executives and heard about the difficulties involved in running the complicated operation with no governmental support. Tom Peled joined the meeting, riding all the way to Jerusalem on his bike.
- Members of the Kadoori Foundation from Hong Kong, who are supporters of HUG visited our premises during their Israeli tour. They met with the HUG management as well as a widow of a late patient.
- Mrs. Gaie Scouller, trustee of the British Sobell Foundation who is a long time supporter of HUG was joined by her son Julian Lee. This was not Mrs. Scouller’s first visit to HUG. The Sobell Foundation established and operates a large hospice facility in Cambridge, England
Goals for next year
- Continuously serving the population in the Galilee/Golan/Jordan Valley areas
- Maintaining high standards of service and motivation as well as the team spirit of the staff.
- Developing new collaborations with peer organizations
- Expansion of activities in the communities
- Strengthening the fund-raising campaign and securing HUG’s financial security.
- Advancing plans for a permanent HUG center
