Dr. Louay Zaknoun Wins Israeli Ministry of Health Award for Medical Quality

Dr. Louay Zaknoun, director of the unit for medical treatment safety, patient care, risk management, and public relations at Ziv Medical Center in Safed, has been awarded the 2025 prize by the head of the Government Medical Centers Division of the Ministry of Health. The award recognizes his leadership in advancing medical quality and safety.

Dr. Zaknoun was honored for spearheading significant changes at Ziv Medical Center, focusing on enhancing the quality of medical services, patient safety, and organizational learning. He has been instrumental in developing reporting and learning systems based on incident analysis and has improved digitalization processes. His contributions were also highlighted as crucial to the center's success in achieving international accreditation from the Joint Commission International (JCI), a stringent global standard for medical quality and safety.

The award committee emphasized Dr. Zaknoun's professional and research contributions, his national-level work, leadership, and excellent interpersonal skills. A resident of Jish, Dr. Zaknoun has been with Ziv Medical Center for over 24 years, progressing from a nurse in the internal medicine department to his current administrative role. He also engages in academic research on medical treatment quality and safety.

Upon receiving the award, Dr. Zaknoun expressed his deep emotion, stating, "The quality of treatment and medical care, patient safety, and the service experience are interconnected fields. For me, the question that always accompanies our work is how we can provide the best for patients, their families, and the medical staff." He added that transitioning from clinical care to safety and risk management provided him with a holistic view of the system, enabling learning from incidents and continuous improvement.

Professor Salman Zarka, Director of Ziv Medical Center, congratulated Dr. Zaknoun, calling him the most deserving recipient. He expressed pride in the center's focus on medical treatment and patient safety, which has become a cornerstone across all departments. Professor Zarka attributed these achievements to a strong organizational culture and the dedication of the center's 2,300 employees, noting the center's first-place ranking in patient experience surveys and its JCI accreditation as testaments to their commitment. He pledged to continue working for the health of the northern region.