Photos by Avi Hirschfield

A group of fifteen physicians, spouses and children from Canton, Ohio; Des Moines, Iowa; Indianapolis and Louisville, went for a week-long stay at Israel's Western Galilee Hospital. The doctors are participants in the Emergency Response Group, which trains American doctors to fill-in for Israeli doctors should their services be needed during a national emergency. In the event that Israeli physicians should be called to serve their army, Emergency Response Group volunteers will be asked to arrive in Israel within 72 hours for a two-week stay.

Canton, Des Moines, Indianapolis and Louisville are part of the Central Area Consortium who is partnered through Partnership 2000 with the. Western Galilee.

During their training at Western Galilee Hospital - the only hospital in the region - the doctors stayed with Israeli host families, participated in daily conferences, and run-through disaster plans in response to bio-terrorism and other catastrophic events. The exercise also provided the American physicians with an opportunity to learn from their Israeli compatriots' expertise in emergency preparedness, particularly regarding chemical, biological and trauma drills, and to bring that knowledge back to local hospitals in the United States.

"I am pleased to be part of such an exciting and mutually beneficial program," said Alan Koslow, "not only will I be doing my part to show support for Israel; I will learn important skills that will be very useful to share with my colleagues in the United States."

This is the third Emergency Response Group trip since its inception in October 2002. ERG #4 is planned for October 21-29, 2005 and registration has begun.

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