The Hebrew University-Hadassah School of Dental Medicine will establish the Robert I. Schattner Oral Health Center for People with Disabilities, a state-of-the-art facility that will provide accessible, optimal care for this underserved population and specialized training for dental professionals.
More than 1.5 million children and adult Israelis live with physical, cognitive, and developmental disabilities. Accessible dental facilities with adaptive equipment and specially trained dental care providers in one location does not currently exist anywhere in the country.
The center is being established with a generous multi-million-dollar pledge from the Robert I. Schattner Foundation. The foundation was established by Dr. Robert I. Schattner, a local dentist, inventor, businessman, and philanthropist and is dedicated to making education and dental care affordable and accessible to everyone.
"The planned Robert I. Schattner Oral Health Center for People with Disabilities will be vital to ensuring the health and well-being of drastically underserved patients who require specialized care," says Prof. Avi Zini, Dean of the Faculty of Dental Medicine. "We're grateful for the generous gift from the Schattner Foundation to develop a comprehensive approach that can be replicated across Israel and the Middle East."
American Friends of the Hebrew University is leading the $4.5 million fundraising campaign to create the fully equipped treatment and training center which is planning to open in 2025.
The Robert I. Schattner Oral Health Center for People with Disabilities is part of an overall planned five floor renovation, construction, and equipment upgrade for the Hebrew University-Hadassah School of Dental Medicine.
Situated on the ground floor to ensure accessibility, the multi-disciplinary, holistic care Center will provide customized treatment to meet a wide variety of disabilities and will serve as a center of teaching excellence, with a facility to conduct groundbreaking research by the School’s seven clinical departments comprised of all specialties in dental medicine.
The center will include the following patient- and family-centric facilities:
Six operation rooms designed to accommodate wheelchairs and gurneys that can function as operating room-style sedation suites, an advanced dental simulator room, a recovery room, and a spacious, accessible family reception area.
The Hebrew University-Hadassah School of Dental Medicine provides dental treatment to hundreds of patients daily with expertise in addressing unique and complex dental health challenges. The School is committed to core values related to diversity and compassion, providing its services to a diverse range of patients including Arabs, Ultra-Orthodox Jews, Holocaust survivors, and new immigrants.
About the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem is Israel's leading academic and research institution. Serving some 24,000 students from 80 countries, it produces a third of Israel’s civilian research and is ranked 12th worldwide in biotechnology patent filings and commercial development. Faculty and alumni of the Hebrew University have won eight Nobel Prizes and a Fields Medal. For more information about the Hebrew University, visit http://new.huji.ac.il/en.
About American Friends of the Hebrew University
American Friends of the Hebrew University (AFHU) is a national, not-for-profit organization based in the United States. AFHU is headquartered in New York and has seven regional offices working in close partnership with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. AFHU provides supporters, Hebrew University alumni, and the public with stimulating programs and events, and organizes missions to Israel. The organization’s activities support scholarly and scientific achievement at HU, create scholarships, fund new facilities, and assist the university’s efforts to recruit outstanding new faculty.
For more information, visit http://www.afhu.org.
