Israeli Gov’t Approves JCT Master’s Program Health Informatics

“Although Israel is a world leader in health technology and health informatics, there was not previously an academic program that brought health and technology together to prepare individuals who can work in collaboration with experts in both of those areas to benefit the health care system and all of Israel,” Shamian said.

“Thanks to the inspiration provided by the University of Toronto, the dedicated support of the Canadian Friends of JCT, and the generosity of the Samson Charity Foundation, we are able to create Israel’s first high-level health informatics program and cultivate a new generation of professionals who will enhance the Jewish state’s healthcare system.”

As health care technology and innovation emphasize improving and advancing quality, safety, and service, it is incumbent upon health workers as well as entrepreneurs to get acquainted with new and innovative theoretical and practical tools — beyond what has been studied at the undergraduate level. Accordingly, Western countries such as the U.S. and Canada have developed health informatics graduate programs which rest on the understanding that professionals operating in this space require interdisciplinary academic training.

“In recent years, we have witnessed the entry of technology giants such as Google, Apple, Facebook, IBM, and others into the field of health. There is no doubt that the health industry has a pressing need for the graduates of our program, whose skill set is well-adapted to the current and future world of health technology,” said Dr. Sigal Shafran Tikva, who developed the curriculum and built the program and now is Head of the Samson Health Informatics Master’s Program.