Assuta Tel Aviv Hospital CEO Resigns Amid Serious Failures Probe

The CEO of the private Assuta Tel Aviv Hospital, Anat Nussbaum, announced her resignation on Monday, three weeks after the Ministry of Health shut down the facility due to severe operational failures. In a letter to staff, Nussbaum stated that Dr. Eitan Hai-Am, former Director-General of the Ministry of Health, would soon take over as CEO. She described his appointment as part of a "comprehensive regulation and examination process" with the Ministry of Health, and said her decision stemmed from her "deep belief in responsibility and leadership."

Assuta Tel Aviv, located in Ramat Hachayal, was closed on September 28th by a district health official following an unannounced Ministry of Health inspection that uncovered serious deficiencies. The inspection report, which Nussbaum did not directly address in her letter, detailed instances of nurses performing procedures without legal authority, anesthesiologists not being qualified specialists, and a medical director being absent with an unqualified deputy. It also found that surgical counts, a critical safety procedure to ensure no instruments are left in patients, were falsely recorded as completed. The report further noted the improper use of cocaine solution and serious issues with anesthetic drug handling and sterile supply chains, leading the Ministry to conclude there was a systemic failure posing a danger to patients.

Following the inspection, the Ministry of Health announced that the management, owners, and board of the Assuta network would be summoned for a hearing, and personal actions would be considered against those who acted outside their professional authority. Assuta had previously stated that management took the findings seriously and would rectify any deficiencies, asserting that nurses only performed tasks within their scope and training.

Assuta Tel Aviv is part of the Assuta network, co-owned by the Meuhedet and Leumit health funds and private investors including Harel and Phoenix insurance companies. This closure follows a previous incident in July where the Ministry of Health ordered a halt to operations in the operating rooms of another Assuta facility, Assuta Rafael, due to similar issues with sterilization, supply systems, and staffing shortages. While that order was partially lifted in early August, the current closure has disrupted scheduled surgeries and appointments for patients who relied on the hospital's arrangements with supplementary insurance and public funding.