[Medical research improves quality of care]

The Barzilai Medical Center has recently been designated as an Academic Medical Center. The challenge to become an academic center arose from the realization that the level and quality of care provided to patients are necessarily improved when clinical medicine is practiced in a teaching and research environment. Indeed, after years of close working ties between the Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon and the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, the center officially became an Academic Medical Center and was recognized as one of the two leading clinical campuses of the Faculty of Health Sciences. The academic status of a medical center incorporates the necessity for the medical staff to become actively involved and excel in medical service, educational activities and research. In this issue of Harefuah, we publish original research and review articles that reflect, in part, the clinical and research interests and activities of the medical staff of the Barzilai University Medical Center during the past few years.