National Day of Appreciation: Honoring Our Heroes and Those Who Stand by Them

Sheba Medical Center has treated more than 2,000 war related casualties, while achieving an astounding survival rate of over 99% of all seriously injured soldiers evacuated from the battlefields in the South, North and Judea & Samaria (West Bank). These impressive numbers highlight the fact that Sheba Medical Center has treated 70% of wounded IDF soldiers. In response to the urgent need for comprehensive rehabilitation, we launched the “Returning to Life” Rehabilitation Center, dedicated to supporting wounded soldiers through every step of their recovery journey.

Guided by the principles of resilience, innovation, and hope, we believe that true recovery must heal both the body and the soul. This belief is strongly shared by our valued partners and supporters, Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF), who recognize the dramatic rise in veterans coping with PTSD and the urgent need for expanded mental health care.

This vision of complete healing – addressing both body and soul – has united FIDF and Sheba in a groundbreaking partnership that is transforming mental health care for our veterans.

Prof. Amitai Ziv, Director of Sheba’s Rehabilitation Hospital, adds: “The current war has exposed significant deficiencies in mental health care within our system. We are at a critical point in time where therapeutically we have a window of opportunity to effectively intervene.”  

Thanks to the support and collaboration of FIDF, we are seizing this opportunity to transform mental health care for our veterans, addressing not only their physical wounds but also the invisible scars of trauma.

FIDF and Sheba Forge the National Center for Victims of Mental Trauma

As the need for mental health support for veterans and their families continues to grow, FIDF, with the support of the IDF Disabled Veterans Organization and the Ministry of Defence, has enabled the establishment of the National Center for Victims of Mental Trauma. This initiative leverages Sheba Medical Center’s renowned expertise in trauma care and rehabilitation. Integrated into Beit HaLochem (Hebrew for “Warriors’ House”) facilities across Israel—located in Haifa and Nahariya in the north, Tel Aviv and Jerusalem in the center, and Be’er Sheva in the south—these centers provide specialized mental health support for veterans and their families.

To meet this growing demand, the effort encompasses staff training and deployment, cutting-edge equipment and technology, enhanced infrastructure, and ongoing research and innovation, according to an FIDF spokesperson. Additionally, it enables Sheba to broaden its reach, offering mental health treatment in other communities through specialized retreats and ambulatory care centers, while also expanding and renovating facilities on its campus to ensure comprehensive care for veterans and their families.

While the partnership primarily focuses on addressing PTSD and other mental health challenges among soldiers, its impact will extend far beyond. By training more psychologists and therapists in trauma care, the initiative will also strengthen Israel’s mental health care system, benefiting the wider population struggling with PTSD.

A Shared Mission for Lasting Change

To date, the National Center for Victims of Mental Trauma has provided critical mental health care to 1,290 veterans, with numbers continuing to rise. This collaborative effort has brought much-needed attention to the nationwide challenge of addressing PTSD, resulting in hundreds of new applications from individuals seeking support. The Nahariya center in Beit HaLochem is currently operational, and additional facilities are set to open in early 2024. This is the beginning of a transformative journey that is already yielding results.

We express our deepest gratitude to our wounded soldiers for their courage, and to our partners at FIDF and their supporters for their steadfast support in enhancing mental health care for Israel’s veterans and their families. Together, we continue our sacred mission of supporting the complete recovery of those who defend us.

To our wounded warriors and their families: Your resilience inspires us. To FIDF: Your dedication makes vital care possible. United, we stand committed to healing the body and soul of our heroes.