Two visitors from Pennsylvania, Governor Tom Wolf and Dr. Mark Tykocinski, Provost of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, came to Sheba Medical Center to tour the campus of the ARC Innovation Center. The ARC Innovation Center is a unique platform that connects Israeli startups with progressive healthcare solutions, leading industry players, patient data, academia, and investors.
Prior to this visit, Thomas Jefferson University had already partnered with Sheba and the ARC Center to help advance global healthcare.
“I see the connection between Sheba and Thomas Jefferson as the start of a great collaboration between Pennsylvania and Israel,” said Governor Wolf.
Prof. Yitshak Kreiss, Director General of Sheba Medical Center, hosted Governor Wolf, Dr. Tykocinski, and their delegation. They met with the founders of various startup companies located within the ARC Center, giving them a firsthand view of how the U.S. and Israel can join forces to achieve medical breakthroughs to improve the health of people around the world. The startups that participated in this meeting included Datos, MDClone, Art Medical, Irody, Valera Health and Somatix.
“Sheba is honored that the State of Israel picked us to be the official host for the governor,” said Prof. Kreiss. “At Sheba, we capture the startup mentality of Israel to create an ecosystem that will truly make an impact on the world.”
At the end of Governor Wolf’s visit, a tree was planted on the Sheba campus in his honor. It stands as a living testament to the spirit of the growing ties between Pennsylvania, Israel, and Sheba – the country’s national hospital. Additionally, Prof. Kreiss presented Governor Wolf with a glass tree sculpture hand-crafted by an Israeli soldier who suffered severe PTSD and was rehabilitated at Sheba.