EMA Care Blog

People with gluten-free diets often struggle with traveling and touring, as their diets can be challenging. Good news:  Israel is becoming more aware of the need for gluten free food. In this article, EMA Care gives guidance to gluten-free eating in Israel. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder in which gluten damages the small intestine.   The number of people diagnosed with the disease is 1 out of 133, or a little under 1% of the USA’s population.  HOWEVER, it is estimated that 83% of the people with celiac are misdiagnosed or undiagnosed!!  Research shows celiac disease is also on the rise in young adults...

I write to express my hakarat hatov (positive recognition) and my gratitude to the two health professionals from EMA Care that have been from the start professionally involved and continue to be interested in my care and long-term recovery.After a serious fracture, I was hospitalized in the north, and my insurance company recommended EMA Care services to help me. After a surgeon was pressuring me to sign consent for surgery, I realized that I needed to remain alert and therefore declined their offer of pain medications.In the morning, the physicians had met and decided to proceed with surgery. My leg was not more swollen than the night...

From two-week summer volunteer programs to an eight-week all-inclusive tour of Israel, this summer there will be tens of thousands of young people visiting Israel. Whether it’s digging on an archaeological site, hiking from sea to sea, or studying in a yeshiva, it’s guaranteed to be a summer your child will not forget!  EMA Care wants to help parents support their teens' trip to Israel.  May is the perfect month to begin preparing your child on how to cope in a new country. Here are the top four things you can do to prepare your child for Israel: 1. Teach your child about...

Traveling in Israel with Food Allergies is challenging! Did you know that 15 million Americans have food allergies, and 1 out of 13 children have life threatening food allergies? Whether you are allergic to nuts, sesame, chocolate, certain cooking oils or fruit, the very real fear of allergic reactions may hinder your travel plans to Israel. In fact, there were several cases of severe allergic reactions this year in Gap-Year student in Israel. A client’s child had such a reaction at a social event when a child across the room opened a package of Bamba, a favored Israeli snack with air-popped peanuts. Indeed,...

When our son was injured in a car accident during his yeshiva year in Israel, he had to start navigating the medical system on his own. But once we contacted Dr. Eliana Aaron at EMA Care (www.HealthCareIsrael.com), she immediately flew into action. Dr. Aaron accompanied our son in the ER and made sure he and we knew at every step exactly what was done and what needed to be done, especially important for someone who suffered a concussion and might not have been able to keep all the critical information straight. She coordinated the insurance logistics, and she kept tabs on...

Did you hear about the new matzoh?  It’s made with whole wheat and bran and it’s fortified with Metamucil.  It’s called "Let My People Go".  LOL!  Actually, there are many people that would love this matzoh to become a reality. A well-known but rarely talked about complication during this time of year is constipation.  Constipation is defined as having difficulty passing or infrequent bowel movements. Matzoh is very low in fiber and during Pessach we eat matzoh, we bake and cook with matzoh meal, and we tend to eat a lot of cookies and cakes with high sugar content and potato starch. ...

EMA Care hopes you have a healthy, wonderful Pessach holiday, but if you or someone you know becomes ill or injured, we are a phone call away. Medical Concierge is becoming popular for tourists all around the world.  Many travelers have experienced firsthand the worry and anxiety when you or a family member becomes ill in a foreign country.  It’s challenging to understand where to go, or whom to ask for help.  Tourists usually end up in a hospital emergency room, waiting to be seen, and waiting some more, in pain or discomfort. Then there can be language difficulties, strange medications,...

Passover will be here in 3 weeks! Calm down...  Breathe... Remember that this springtime holiday is filled with joyous family times, beautiful Jewish traditions, and lots and lots of eating!  I loved my Bubbe’s kneidlach with chicken soup, I love eating matzah brei in the morning and delicious matzoh meal pancakes.  But... not exactly low fat!  Nobody wants to put on 5-10 pounds of Pessach weight just in time for swimming weather, right?  So enjoy the Pessach holiday, limit your food portions... but  also remember to... EXERCISE!   Exercise is one of the most important things you can do to reduce the risk of medical...

Purim is a fun holiday universally celebrated by all walks of life in Israel… but there are dangers involved… especially to teens who find themselves easy access to Alcohol and frivolity. Alcohol toxicity can lead to brain damage, neurological damage, and even death. Dozens of Gap Year students in the past have been injured or even killed as a result of this phenomenon. Purim is an excuse for excesses in alcohol, but caution is needed. It is a tradition, some even say a Mitzvah, to drink alcohol on Purim. But balance is needed between student’s health and well-being and alcohol moderation.  A...

Integration of advanced practice providers into the Israeli healthcare system | Israel Journal of Health Policy Research | Full Text Many countries around the world have integrated various types of Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) into their healthcare systems. The main motivating factors for recognizing and developing APPs worldwide include phys...

What are the value-added services EMA Care adds compared to current services and medical insurance alone? See our chart below to compare current practice with the value of EMA Care service...     ITEMCurrent Practice – Foreign StudentsEMA Care PracticeAttending emergencies or appointmentsStudent goes alone or the school sends a madrich/ counselor.  Some schools send non-medical faculty members.  Neither option has health knowledge to know if optimal care is being received.Health professional attends emergency or appointment, ensures optimal, US level services are being provided.CommunicationsParents call administrators regarding their child’s health situation.  Administrators are not medical professionals and cannot answer to quality and...

[caption id="attachment_1329" align="alignright" width="300"] Sick Gap Year student...learning or health care? Students often feel that they have to choose between their yeshiva or seminary learning program and attending (even the occasional) medical appointment. The student in Israel with pre-existing health issues has an ongoing debate between uninterrupted study and taking care of their medical needs.  Inevitably,  if left ignored, the health issue dominates and may even impede a student’s ability to stay in Israel. What is the problem? 1) Many students come to Israel with pre-existing health conditions, impacting physical health, mental health, or most often, a combination of both. Some...

Navigating the Israeli healthcare system is daunting even for those who were born and raised in Israel. There are many differences between the health care system in the US, Canada, France, or the UK and the system in Israel, especially in language and medical culture.  EMA Care is the only company in Israel providing case management, research services, and health advocacy for immigrants (Olim) and residents of Israel. When a crisis occurs, it can be even more frustrating without the medical language, connections, and understanding of the system – because in crisis mode no one functions optimally. This disorientation and even...

She gets it. Nurse Practioner, Dr. Eliana Aaron, gets it. Actually, someone has to because diaspora-based parents are concerned about their children in Israel. Who wouldn't be? Many of us, have received anxious phone calls from friend's overseas thinking about yanking their child away from their gap year in Israel. "Do you think things will settle ...

As parents of kids in Israel, it is nerve-wracking enough having your child so far away, much more so when the internet, news, and even the students have continuous reports of terror and violence in Jerusalem and the rest of Israel. Here is some advice on how to help your child cope with the  stress.   Safety First. There is no health without safety. If you see something that makes you uncomfortable – LEAVE.  Trust your instincts: The best defense is not to be there. During Succot, I met a seminary student in Jerusalem who had just seen  a violent protest. Lots of...

After the holidays, students are returning to Yeshiva and Seminary.  The long stretch begins.  Over the last few weeks, parents have posed questions to us; EMA Care has answers... Q: My son called me because he isn’t feeling well.  I am 7500 miles away.  What can I do? Q: Can I send my daughter to Israel if she has a chronic health condition? Q: If there is an urgent medical issue during the year, how can I be sure my child is getting appropriate care? Q: My son called me because he isn’t feeling well.  I am 7500 miles away.  What can I do?...

Eliana Marcus Aaron writes, "I was pleased to hear about Inbar ("Cultivating medical leaders," Health & Science, September 27), a joint project of MAOZ and the Health Ministry aimed at developing a new generation of medical leadership in Israel.While I wholeheartedly agree that medical leadership here, and often in other developed countries, is...

My daughter is diabetic, what precautions will she need to take when on a school trip? My son is in the emergency room with a broken leg, can you make sure he gets good care and understands what’s going on? Can you arrange for a gastroenterologist to evaluate my son? I don’t understand what the treatment plan is for my child, could you help us?  Help for student dealing with chronic illness Our augmented health liaison services are available as an additional service for students studying in Israel.If your child is signed up for our student package, we offer more intensive management in personal evaluation...

I am not feeling well, what can I do?   I am dehydrated, what can I do to rehydrate at home/ dorm?   Where can I go to get a flu shot?” In Israel, community physicians are not “on call,” so without a medical appointment, access to your health care provider is limited. EMA Care provides “on call” services at specific times each day, in which you can get answers for your questions and receive health information and referrals.   Health care guidance for your year in Israel EMA Care provides yearly and semester-long student packages for students studying in Israel. You can relax...

Over the Counter (OTC) medications in Israel are different than in the US or other countries.  Names and availability differ from country to country, and having a basic understanding of what to expect can help you figure out what to purchase when you are sick.  Here are 5 rules about OTC medications in Israel: Not everything available OTC in the US and Europe is available OTC in Israel.   Some medications for yeast infections, heartburn, pain, allergies, and some skin conditions (like acne) are prescription only..Some OTC medications are available in Israel that aren’t available in the US, such as dipyrone pain...

Recently, the Jerusalem Post reported that the Israel Ministry of Health stated that they cannot prevent Salmonella on the retail level… and that they know that Salmonella exists in Israeli poultry. Sounds really scary, right? Q: “Does this mean I can’t have chicken in Israel?”A: Of course not! But some precautions are needed.   Israelis love a fresh Pargit or chicken skewer with salad and humus. The Mediterranean Diet (the dominant diet in Israel and the Mediterranean basic) is in fact rich in fresh fruits, vegetables, grains… and low fat poultry. The Diet has been shown in medical studies to be beneficial...

A vacation in Israel is a wonderful experience for healthy tourists, but for the millions of people with medical issues or disabilities, any travel can be daunting... UNTIL NOW. EMA Care provides medical concierge services for tourists with special health needs.  Anything from organizing health appointment or treatments to finding solutions for your physical needs, such as medical equipment or accommodating transportation and tour guides can be accomplished with ease with EMA Care professionals.  We firmly believe that everyone, no matter what their medical issues are, should be able to visit the Holy Land care-free.  Enjoy your vacation in Israel - leave the...

Eliana Aaron provides concierge health care coordination services in Israel for individual tourists, gap year programs, tour groups, and others. She is available to refer you to the doctors that you need, accompany you to the hospital, and supervise your ongoing medical care.   Health care coordination for you in Israel As the first practicing nurse practitioner in Israel, Eliana is connected to the best English speaking medical specialists in Israel. As your care coordinator, she will match you with the best medical treatment for your needs. Click here to learn more about Eliana. Eliana can help you over the phone from any location in...

Are you a tour group coordinator for foreign groups visiting Israel? Do any of your participants have pre-existing conditions which may need treatment? Do you need to be prepared to support your travelers during a medical emergency? If you answered yes to any of the above questions, then EMA Care is for you!   Give your tour participants peace of mind What happens when a participant has a medical emergency during your trip? Who accompanies them to the hospital? Who advocates with the doctors on their behalf? Who liasons with family back home? When a tour group participant falls ill, the...

 Don't let a medical event destroy your vacation. We can help! Did you or a family member have a medical emergency while visiting Israel? Do you need help with your medical emergency in Israel? Are you alone in the hospital and struggling to communicate with doctors and make medical decisions?  Emergency Health Care Coordination in Israel is stressful, especially for those who are not native Hebrew speakers or are unfamiliar with the medical culture in Israel. Contact EMA Care, and one of our representatives will provide you with complete health support - right now.   We are your medical advocates for emergency health care in Israel...

Delivering and coordinating medical care for Israel Gap Year Programs create challenges for Yeshiva, Seminary, and other Gap Year programs and for the parents of Gap Year students. Gap Year program administrators struggle to get the best health care for their students while communicating with worried parents at home.  Some programs are more involved, some less – but any administrator will name health problems as a major issue they encounter throughout the year. Frequently, concerned parents ask gap year administrators, teachers, Rabbis, counselors and even dorm mothers if their student-child is getting the best care, seeing the best specialist, following the instructions, and getting...

The forgotten wounded? - The Jerusalem Post Rehabilitation is not “sexy” medicine like its sister specialty, geriatrics – one unfortunate reason why it remains unpopular among medical and nursing students. https://www.jpost.com/Opinion/The-forgotten-wounded-408273