Established as a voluntary (not for profit) association in 1993, the Israeli Association of Palliative Care (Tmicha) (IAPC) is an organisation for all health professionals and trained volunteers actively involved in palliative care in Israel. IAPC membership includes leading figures in palliative care, who encourage professional and public education about the concepts of palliative care and promote the development of services. Membership, which is currently around 1200, is open to all health professionals, volunteers and interested lay people that identify with its philosophy.

Initially chaired by Dr Ilene Ora Cibulski the IAPC produced a bi annual Hebrew/English newsletter ‘Support’ until her retirement in 2000. Since 2001, the IAPC has been chaired by Mali Szlaifer, who is dedicated to continuing to develop training and networking for its members and for palliative care services around the country. IAPC has an elected Board of Directors that aims to represent all the professions involved in palliative care and from a range of different services. The work of IAPC includes:

• Convening annual conferences, regular meetings and study days, seminars, and training programmes for health professionals; including physicians, nurses, social workers and also for trained volunteers, all of whom are actively working in the palliative care services.
• Involving members in teaching on the professional palliative care programmes in Israel. Promoting clinical and academic research by its members and the dissemination of findings within the association.
• Campaigning via conferences, publications and the media to have palliative care included in the NHI legislation; and to advocate for the rights of terminally ill patients with palliative care included in the NHI.
• Supporting local projects that are developing and expanding services throughout the public sector.
• To seek to define palliative care and develop standards of quality and adequate service provision.
• Collating data on existing services, with the aim of publishing a guide to services for use by health professionals and the public.

The association puts an emphasis on the importance of collaboration between health professionals from different disciplines with the aim of encouraging maximum support for patients and families. IAPC is a collective member of the European Association for Palliative Care (EAPC).

Read more about Palliative Care Services in Israel here

For any additional information, feel free to contact us: aoberman@lavi.co.il