After serving as CEO of United Hatzalah for the past five years, Eli Pollak announced today (Wednesday) to the organization's employees and volunteers that he is retiring from the position.
Pollak will remain with the organization as Deputy CEO.
Pollak will be replaced in his position by Prof. Ehud Dodson, married and a father of three children, with a rich and proven background in the world of medicine in Israel.
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Prof. Dodson is a specialist in internal medicine, former CEO of a health insurance company, CEO of Meir and Soroka hospitals, and has also previously held various positions in the field of medical management in Israel.
The move comes as part of the development and growth of United Hatzalah as the central emergency medical organization in Israel, based entirely on volunteers, who are trained as doctors, paramedics, and medics.
Pollak, who was one of the founders of the organization since its inception in 2006, has successfully led Ihud Hatzalah for the past 18 years in a variety of roles. Under his leadership, the organization reached the highest levels, and grew under his hands with professional and dedicated work, with devotion to the goal of saving human lives, and with a lot of heart and love.
His tenure as CEO was challenging in every way: the coronavirus, the Palestinian Authority events, the Meron disaster, the earthquakes in Turkey and Morocco, the Ukraine-Russia war, the terrible massacre of October 7, the Iron Sword War, and more.
In his letter this morning to volunteers, Pollak wrote: "I am proud to have completed 5 years in which I led the organization in times of routine and emergency, alongside some of the greatest crises and challenges the State of Israel has ever known. I thank the organization's president and founder, Eli Beer, for the great trust he has placed in me over the years and congratulate the new CEO on his assumption of office. I intend to serve as Deputy CEO and assist in further strengthening and establishing United Hatzalah as the leading emergency medical organization in Israel, with dedication and love."
President and founder of United Hatzalah, Eli Bir, thanked the outgoing CEO and congratulated the incoming CEO: "My dear friend, outgoing CEO Eli Pollak served as the leader of the organization for the past five years and served in his position during the most difficult times for the people of Israel and for me personally. I thank him from the bottom of my heart for his great dedication to the organization and his inspiring investment.
""On this occasion, I would like to congratulate the incoming CEO, Professor Ehud Dodson, who brings with him great professionalism in the field of medical management in the State of Israel. Under the leadership of Professor Dodson, we will continue to promote the second largest emergency organization in the State of Israel and will continue to lead the field of immediate emergency medicine in Israel and assist all who need us with greater professionalism and in the shortest possible time."
United Hatzalah was established in 2006 as a volunteer-based organization, and its goal is to provide primary and professional medical care to save human lives. The United Hatzalah organization currently has approximately 7,000 volunteers active from Dan to Eilat.
The volunteers are scattered throughout the Israeli population, in every city, neighborhood and street, and come from all strata of the population in Israel: Jews, Muslims, Christians, secular, Haredi, men and women.
Volunteers handle approximately 2,200 medical emergencies every day with the help of: over 1,000 Opanolens (ambulance motorcycles), 350 fast electric ambulance bikes, 80 ambulances, 8 intensive care units, over 100 emergency vehicles, SUVs, helicopters, jet skis, rescue boats, fire trucks, and more.
Additionally, United Hatzalah has 5,000 defibrillators scattered throughout the country at emergency medical stations.
