Israeli Ministry of Health Awards Jerusalem College of Technology Nursing Instructor for Outstanding Contributions During Pandemic

Dr. Chedva Levin, who is slated to head JCT’s new Internal Medicine track, moved to Sheba Medical Center’s intensive care unit to treat dozens of urgent COVID-19 cases on a daily basis

Jerusalem, April, 2021 — Dr. Chedva Levin, a leading instructor in Internal Medicine at the Jerusalem College of Technology’s (JCT) Department of Nursing and an intensive care nurse at Sheba Medical Center, is among the recipients of a newly announced award from Israel’s Ministry of Health that recognizes health professionals’ outstanding contributions during the COVID-19 pandemic. The award ceremony will take place on May 12, which coincides with International Nurses Day.

Levin, a mother of six who lives in Talmon, was temporarily moved to the intensive care unit (ICU) from her usual position in Sheba’s vascular surgery department due to the surge in urgent COVID-19 cases. On a daily basis in the ICU, she treated dozens of patients, including many who needed to be placed on ventilators and ECMO machines.

At JCT, Levin is slated to head the nursing program’s new master’s track in Internal Medicine, which is designed for nurses with a bachelor’s degree who work in hospital departments of neurology, respiratory medicine, intensive care, infectious diseases, and others. Internal medicine has taken on unprecedented importance during the pandemic, as rising demand for specialist care to treat patients with complex illness has caused the overcrowding of internal medicine wards. Further, many coronavirus patients who arrive at the hospital who are in moderate or mild condition already have other illnesses, which can cause their condition to rapidly deteriorate. Accordingly, hospitals have substantial need for nurses who possess the varied knowledge and skill set of an internal medicine background, which equips them to assess and care for those with complicated illness.

“Dr. Chedva Levin has displayed the utmost professionalism and dedication to her patients at Sheba Medical Center as well as her students at JCT, who represent an important part of the future generation of Israel’s health care system,” said Prof. Freda Ganz, Dean of JCT’s Faculty of Life and Health Sciences. “We take tremendous pride in Dr. Levin and in the various other JCT students, alumni, and faculty who have mobilized to fight COVID-19, day and night.”

When the Israeli Health Ministry asked nursing schools across the country to train their students in care of COVID-19 patients in March 2020, JCT swiftly answered the call by training 600 third- and fourth-year nursing students within a week. The following month, more than 30 JCT nursing students started training in nursing homes nationwide.

About JCT

Established in 1969, the Jerusalem College of Technology (JCT) is one of Israel’s most prestigious and unique academic institutions with a focus on science and technology. JCT supplies highly skilled, professional graduates to Israel’s and the world’s high-tech industry. In addition, we are the only institution of higher learning committed to providing the highest quality academic education to diverse segments of Israeli society who would not otherwise have had the opportunity to enter these fields. JCT offers exclusive programs developed specifically for Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) men and women and for other demographic groups.