Livingston Doctor Gains ‘Critical Insights' At Event In Israel

LIVINGSTON, NJ — The following letter to the editor comes courtesy of Livingston resident Andrew Hutter. Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site here.

In today’s interconnected world, developments overseas can have a tremendous impact close to home. As a physician, I’m deeply rooted in my community of Livingston, N.J. Being that I grew up here, I’ve had the opportunity to care for former teachers, classmates, friends and neighbors as patients. But the medical developments and treatments provided to these individuals don’t always start here. Quite often they start 6,000 miles away – in Israel, as I saw firsthand during a recent delegation organized under the auspices of Israel Bonds.

This medical delegation, entitled the Maimonides Medical Delegation – the sixth I’ve led since 2009 with my friend and colleague Dr. Burt Herbstman - brought together physicians from across the U.S. to visit Israel, tour its state-of-the-art medical facilities, and meet with the minds driving some of the world’s leading medical research and advancements. What we came away with were critical insights into how the country’s cutting-edge medical technology is helping drive innovation and patient care the world over.

On a previous delegation, we visited Schneider Hospital just outside of Tel Aviv, a medical center that has treated children for everything from the flu to cancer. There, the political and cultural lines that divide those in the region melted away. We saw doctors and nurses treating Israelis and Palestinians side by side, equitable and undiscriminating in their care. There, it was unimportant whether someone was Arab or Israeli, Jewish or Muslim; it only mattered if they needed care. This was an eye-opening and sobering experience. On our most recent delegation we visited the Alyn Specialized Children’s Hospital in Jerusalem. We had a similar experience seeing how rehabilitation is done for all children regardless of their background. For patients who continue to need care into adulthood, Alyn continues to treat them.

Next, we visited Tel Aviv University to meet with a team renowned for its medical marijuana work. The cannabis industry is one of the fastest growing sectors in the United States – but few Americans know that it was an Israeli chemist, Dr. Raphael Mechoulam, who pioneered the field of cannabinoid research. We learned about promising new developments for medical marijuana’s use in treating everything from osteoarthritic pain to lower back problems and fibromyalgia. The hard work of unlocking cannabis’ medicinal potential was being done right here in Israel and, as the university researchers shared with us, there is so much they have yet to uncover.

A highlight of one of our prior delegations was a visit to Poriya Hospital in northern Israel. This is a very unique hospital in the northern part of the country that is not far from the Syrian border. There, I had the opportunity to spend time with the Chairman of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, an Israeli Arab. He introduced me to a young man from Syria who was being treated at the hospital for severe lower leg injuries after he was wounded in an attack by the Syrian army. One leg had to be amputated and the other had severe open fractures.

Israel took him in and treated him as any other patient. The Druze community in Israel rasied funds to purchase an artificial limb for the young man. It was a story every medical professional knows well: a long, hard road ahead, with much surgery, physical therapy, and support needed. But thanks to the doctors and staff at the hospital and the locals’ kindness and generosity, the patient was well on his way. As a doctor ingrained strongly in my community, it was heartwarming to see.

On one of our last days in Israel, we met with doctors from Shayetet 13 – Israel’s Navy SEALs – to learn about the life-saving work they do on a daily basis. We heard testimonies from medics who were dispatched to Thailand last year to help rescue the group of boys trapped in a cave. To them, it didn’t matter how far away the destination; they had to be there to help those in need. And they did.

Now back home in New Jersey, I have a newfound sense of purpose and resolve, and am sharing my experiences with colleagues, friends and even strangers. Stepping into a cab recently, I told the driver about the time we spent in Tel Aviv when he suddenly turned around to thank me. “For what?” I asked. He explained that, when Brazil – his home country – had dealt with a disastrous dam collapse earlier this year, Israel was one of the first countries to immediately send medical personnel and resources to aid in the crisis. He felt he needed to thank someone, he said. The Israeli mission had saved lives.

Saving lives, helping others, dropping everything to travel halfway across the world to treat patients, not because it is easy but because it is right: these are the stories that inspire me every time I visit Israel, both as a physician and as an Israel bonds investor. It’s why I’ve continued to lead this medical delegation along with Dr. Herbstman, and why I plan to for years to come: because it shows that groundbreaking discoveries are being made every day in Israel, with unparalleled dedication, and I want to be a part of that effort, which brings leading-edge knowledge home to local communities everywhere for the benefit of all mankind.

Andrew M. Hutter, M.D., is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon based in West Orange, N.J. He is the secretary of Development Corporation for Israel/Israel Bonds National Board of Directors.

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