Aliyah

Ask Aviva #23: Why is the allergist referring me to a pulmonologist?

Dear Aviva, I’m allergic to mold and pollen and dogs. I get asthma and sometimes it’s hard to breathe so my allergist back in the U.S. just prescribed me an inhaler. But when I went to the allergist here, she told me I needed to go to a “rofe rayot”. What’s that and why do …

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Navigating Mental Health in the Elderly [Mental Health Awareness Series #3]

Apparently, doctoring octogenarians is pretty unpopular in the medical community. That means that there are very few medical experts in the field who specialize in the unique healthcare of those over 70. How do I know this? In addition to spending my free time reading medical literature, I happen to be coordinating a study for …

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Why the Concept of “Returning Israeli Citizens” isn’t Sexy

One of the interesting phenomena of being a healthcare advocate is the unique position of being yelled at, a lot, by many types of people. The other day was no different. The director of a bituach leumi branch, in response to my persistence in trying to help a client who had been rejected by bituach …

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The Jello-Like Nature of Healthcare Navigation in Israel

The other day I reached the front of the line of my kupah’s pharmacy and met with a huge shock.  Apparently, my new, digitally signed, prescriptions had been automatically forwarded to the pharmacy computer and I could pick up the next two months’ worth of my medication, without even bringing in the prescription! (The little …

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The Israeli Healthcare System: How to Manage the Differences That Will Surprise Your Senior Parent

Thanks to Sharon Beth-Halachmy of B’lev Shalem, for this week’s important blog post for all those who’ve brought or are thinking of bringing their parents over to live in Israel. Remember the first months of your Aliyah? The culture shock as you navigated everything from the grocery store to Kupat Holim, from surviving on the …

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The 5 Most Frequently Asked Questions People ask Me about Healthcare Insurance in Israel

In the past few months, I’ve been the speaker on the road for the Shira Pransky Project Health Navigation Lecture series around the country.  Many people have been asking me questions that echo the types of questions that I have received over the years. 1. How do I choose a family doctor? It’s true that …

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Five things I have Learned From Being a Health Advocate

1. Everyone needs a support system. If you have young children, make sure that you have one family member at least, a sibling, parent, parent in-law who you trust, who knows your wishes (and where all your important papers are). If you have adult children, choose one of them to be in charge if there were …

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