User:Nikishvarts

Shifra Shvarts., Ph.D. is Professor ( emerita) of the History of Medicine in the Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University Beer Sheva Israel and a member in the board of directors and board of trustees in the Israel National Instituter for Health Policy Research.

Born in Tel Aviv on June 1949 and grew up in Beer Sheva, Israel. Educated at the Ben Gurion University in the Negev graduated with BA in 1973 in History and Geography; MA in 1986 in Jewish History and a PhD in 1993, in Health Sciences at the Faculty of Health Sciences Ben Gurion University (History of Medicine, Public Health and Health Services), her PhD thesis studied the development of Kupat Holim Israel largest HMO as the major HMO in Israel. Prof. Shvarts did her post doc in the Department of Community and Preventive Medicine in the School of Medicine at the University of Rochester NY and joined the Faculty of Health Sciences at the Ben Gurion University in 1994.

Prof. Shvarts is the author, co-author, or co-editor of nine books including the award winning Kupat Holim, Histadruth, Memshala (Ben Gurion University Press & Beith Berl Press 2000, Hebrew,); Health and Zionism (The University of Rochester NY and Boydell& Brewer Press ,UK, 2008);The General Sick Fund, 1911-1937 (Ben Gurion Research Center& Ben Gurion University Press, 1997, Heb.); the Hadassah for the Health of the People,( co-author Shory-Rubin, Samuel Watchman's Sons Inc. & Dekel Academic Press, Tel Aviv, 2012,); Medicine in the Community, (co-author Haim Doron, Ben Gurion University Press, 2004, Heb.); Alexandra Belkind: A Story of a Pioneering Jewish Woman Doctor", (co-author Shory-Rubin, Bahur Pub. 2012 ,Heb.); Family Medicine in Israel, (co-authors: H. Doron S.Vinker, Ben Gurion University Publication and the Bialik Institute, 2014 , Heb.); Autonomy, Altruism and Authority in Medical Ethics: Essays in Honor of Professor Shimon Glick,( co-editor A. Jotkowitz , Nova Science Publishers Inc. NY, 2015). In 1993 Prof. Shvarts was leading the initiative to bring Dr. Isaac Rubinow's Archives (1st director of Hadassah in Palestine) from the Labor Management Documentation Center in Cornell University NY to the Zionist Archives in Jerusalem. In 1999 She was the Chair of the 1st. National Conference on Health Policy and Health Services Research, Israel National Institute for Health Policy and Health Services Research, Tel Aviv. Since 1997, along with her research she supervised 60 students with an MA; MHA, MSc. MD and PhD in the Ben Gurion University. Between 2001 to 2005 prof. Shvarts served as the Chair of the Department of Health Systems Management, Faculty of Health Sciences & School of Management; and from 2004 to 2007 served as the Chair of the Center of Health Policy in the Negev, at the Ben Gurion University of the Negev. Between 1998-2007 she was a member of the Goldman Committee- The Faculty of Health Sciences Strategic Planning Committee, Ben Gurion University of the Negev. Between 2004 to 2008 she elected as Vice President of the International Society for the History of Medicine-ISHM and since and since 2008 she is serving as Assistant Director General of the society. Since 2009 to the present Professor Shvarts serves as an historical advisor to the Israel National Ringworm Center, Israel Ministry of Health and as an expert witness in court on the history X-ray treatment and ringworm in Israel and abroad. Prof. Shvarts has contributed over 161 articles, reviews, essays and book chapters to a wide range of scholarly publications and popular periodicals, from the American Journal of Public Health, The Lancet Infectious Diseases, The Journal of the American Medical Association, The Journal of the History of Medicine and the Medical History in which her article on the "The Government of Israel and the Health Care of the Negev Bedouin Under Military Government, 1948-1966.( Medical History,47: 47-66, 2003.) was selected as "one of the highlights of the decade and made it available freely through Cambridge University Press platforms". Professor Shvarts’s work has been recognized with numerous grants, honors and awards. In 1996, she received the Einhorn Prize for "Achievements in Hebrew Medical Literature". In 2005 she awarded the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels – The Governor of Kentucky and the Commonwealth of Kentucky Honor Award for the "contribution to the community, state of nation and for special achievements of all kinds" . In her University she awarded as Best Lecturer in the Faculty of Health Sciences (1996,1997,1998, 2000) and the University Best Lecturer at 2007. Since 2003 Prof. Shvarts has served in the editorial board of Vesalius, The journal of the International Society for the History of Medicine ISHM and since 2009 as its Business Editor. She is presently at work on a book about "Pioneers and Founders"- Preserving the historical memory of Israel health system leaders during the National Health Insurance Law era , with Prof. Gabi Bin-Nun from the Ben Gurion University and Aya Bar-Oz from the University of Toronto, Canada.