Prof. Gili Regev-Yochay, Director of the Infectious Diseases Unit at Sheba Medical Center, has just been awarded the Paul Harris Fellowship by reason of her “contribution to the fight against COVID-19 and role in educating the public about the disease.”
The Paul Harris Fellowship is the highest honor awarded by Rotary International, a global service organization that aims at bringing together business and professional leaders for taking action to advance goodwill and peace around the world.
Elaborating on the reasons behind the decision, the announcement reads as follows: “Prof. Regev-Yochay was awarded the Paul Harris Fellowship for being a leader in the field of infectious diseases, being a voice of calm for the Israeli public, and also due to her contagiously optimistic demeanor in media appearances, that helped lift public morale during this difficult time of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Shortly after learning of the decision, Prof. Regev-Yochay issued the following statement: “I would like to express my gratitude for being chosen to receive the Paul Harris Fellowship. Over a year has passed since COVID-19 stormed into our lives and shook our world. Since then, we have studied the virus and worked on developing treatments that will help us return to normalcy, and eventually defeat COVID-19. As an infectious diseases expert, I’m proud to be a part of the clinical team that became the face of the fight against the pandemic, and a reliable and responsible source of information for the public.”
For his part, Prof. Yitshak Kreiss, Director General of Sheba Medical Center, had this to add: “Prof. Regev-Yochay counts among the leaders of the fight with COVID-19 and is one of the premier infectious diseases experts Sheba Medical Center has been blessed to have. In both research and public discourse, Prof. Regev-Yochay assumed a central role concerning the virus from her position as a national and international expert. This warrants every accolade and honor conferred on her.”
