Arnon Afek

Arnon Afek (born 18 May 1963) is an Israeli physician, who serves as a professor of medicine and founding dean of the Dina Recanati School of Medicine at Reichman University. He serves as the head of the Cecil Teitz Chair of Anatomy at Reichman University and is currently the Director of the Gertner Institute for Epidemiology and Health Policy Research at Sheba Medical Center. Afek is a specialist in pathology and medical administration and is considered a leading figure in Israeli health policy, hospital management, and medical education. He is the Founding Chairman of the National Advisory Committee to the Ministry of Health on pathology and forensic medicine. Afek received the "Yakir Sherut HaMedina" (Distinguished Public Servant) national award.

He serves as Acting Chief Medical Advisor of the Israeli Medical Cannabis Unit at the Ministry of Health (Israel). Formerly, he was Chairman of The Association of Hospitals' Directors and was Chair of the Israel Medical Association World Fellowship. He was also a member of the Bureau of the OECD Health Committee.

Afek previously served as the 23rd Director-General of the Israeli Ministry of Health (2014–2015). He has held senior leadership positions at Sheba Medical Center, including Deputy Director-General and Director of Sheba General Hospital (2017–2025). He has chaired and served on numerous national councils and professional committees, including Chair of the National Council of Forensic Medicine and Pathology. From 2011 to 2022 he served for as the Director of the NY State/American MD Program, Professor of Public Health and the Michlin Chair in the field of philosophy and history of medicine at the School of Medicine and the Coller School of Management at Tel Aviv University.

He is a Visiting Professor at the University of Nicosia Medical School, Cyprus.

Early life and education Arnon Afek was born in Haifa, Israel, to Shoshana (an educator) and Yigal Afek (an engineer), and grew up in Tel Aviv. He attended Alliance High School and studied medicine at the Hebrew University-Hadassah Faculty of Medicine between 1981 and 1987, graduating with distinction. He completed his internship at Beilinson Hospital in 1988.

Between 1993 and 2000, Afek completed his residency in anatomical pathology at Sheba Medical Center.

He earned a Master of Health Administration (MHA) from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev between 2000 and 2002, graduating with distinction. Between 2002 and 2004 he completed a residency in medical administration at Sheba Medical Center and the Israeli Ministry of Health. Afek is also a graduate of the Wexner Senior Leadership Program at the Harvard Kennedy School (WSLP16).

Medical and administrative career In 2008, after his military service, Afek was appointed Deputy Director of Sheba Medical Center.

In June 2014 he was appointed Director-General of the Ministry of Health by Minister of Health Yael German, replacing Professor Ronni Gamzu. He served in the role until July 2015. During his tenure, Afek led major national reforms, including the mental health reform; the publication of national quality and transparency indicators; the development of the national NICU assessment model; and national plans for the prevention and treatment of diabetes and stroke.

He headed the inter-ministerial committee whose recommendations led to the government decision to establish the Shimon Peres Medical Center in Be'er Sheva. He also promoted the reform of medical professions in Israel (introducing physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and surgical assistants), streamlined licensing procedures for Israeli and immigrant physicians, and advanced Israel's medical cannabis reform.

Under his leadership, the Medical Administration received the Israel Civil Service Commission's Efficiency Excellence Award and the State of Israel Civil Service Improvement Team Certificate for advancing quality and service in neonatal departments. The mental health reform he led was praised by the Supreme Court of Israel as "professional and thorough."

Following the end of his tenure at the Ministry of Health, Afek returned to Sheba Medical Center and resumed his role as Deputy Director-General and acting Director of Sheba General Hospital. In addition, he has been responsible for medical staff and academic affairs at the hospital.

In 2018 he chaired the Council for Higher Education committee tasked with evaluating the medical school program at Ariel University, which led to the establishment of the Adelson School of Medicine.

In July 2019 he was appointed Acting Chief Medical Advisor of the Medical Cannabis Unit at the Ministry of Health.

Between 2011 and 2013 he taught in the Department of Management at Bar-Ilan University and coordinated the graduate-level course in Hospital Management within the Master's Program in Health Systems Administration. Between 2013 and 2014 he also taught in the undergraduate Health Systems Administration program at the College of Law and Business in Ramat Gan.

Since 2015 he has taught Health Systems Management at the Leon Recanati Graduate School of Business Administration at Tel Aviv University, as well as medical ethics within the disaster medicine track and the multidisciplinary program for emergency and disaster management at the School of Public Health.

Since 2018 he has lectured in the International MBA Program in Healthcare Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the Arison School of Business at Reichman University.

Afek is a full professor at Reichman University and serves as the Founding Dean of the Dina Recanati School of Medicine, where he also holds the Cecil Teitz Chair of Anatomy.

He is also an adjunct professor at the University of Nicosia Medical School in Cyprus.

Afek has delivered lectures at major medical conferences worldwide, including the John M. Eisenberg International Lecture at the 18th Annual International Symposium on Health Policy of The Commonwealth Fund.

Research Afek has co-authored more than 200 peer-reviewed articles in international medical journals. His research has focused on the relationship between obesity and additional risk factors and morbidity from cardiovascular disease, vascular disease, diabetes, and cancer in adolescents. He has also studied the immunopathogenesis of atherosclerosis. His h-index is 66.

In 2017 he was part of the core editorial team of The Lancet special issue "Health in Israel" and contributed to two articles in the volume.

As a researcher, he has received the Goldenberg Prize, the Kellerman Prize, and the Israeli Atherosclerosis Society Prize.

Committees and Public Activities Year Position / Activity 2010 Chair, Committee on Medical Tourism;Member, IDF Medical Corps Helsinki Committee 2011 Member, Clinical Teaching Committee, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University 2012 Member, National Health Council; Chair, Council Organization Committee;Chair, Inter-Ministerial Committee for the National Child Safety Program;Chair, National Committee for Hospital Quality Indicators;Member, Inter-Ministerial Price Committee; Chair, Subcommittee on Price Determination 2013 Chair, Committee Evaluating the Introduction of the Physician Assistant Role 2014 Chair, Committee for Planning the Medical Response in the Negev;Member, German Health Reform Committee; Member, Subcommittees on Medical Tourism and “Multiple Hats”;Chair, Committee Reviewing the Dying Patient Act;Chair, National Committee for Rare Diseases 2015 Member, Bureau of the OECD Health Committee 2018 Chair, Council for Higher Education Committee reviewing the Ariel University medical school program;Chair, Israel Medical Association World Fellowship 2019 Chair, Monitoring Committee for the establishment of the Ariel University medical school;Co-Chair, Association of Israeli Hospital Management 2020 Member, National Coronavirus Professional Taskforce led by Prof. Ronni Gamzu 2021 Chair, Subcommittees for Medical Services and Disability Assessments for IDF Veterans;Member, Steering Committee of the “Nefesh Achat” reform 2022 Chair, National Committee for the Development of Intensive Care;Chair, Steering Committee for the Geriatric Hospitalization Reform

Awards and recognition 1988 – Goldenberg Prize 1997 – Kellerman Prize 1998 – Israeli Atherosclerosis Society Research Prize 2005 – IDF Technology & Logistics Directorate Award 2006 – Team Improvement Award for promoting voluntary military service and improving dental care for combat soldiers 2007 – Israeli Society for Quality Award 2008 – Outstanding Lecturer Award, Sackler Faculty of Medicine 2009 – Rector's Teaching Excellence Award, Tel Aviv University 2017 – Certificate of Appreciation from the Israeli Patients' Rights Association 2019 – "Yakir Sherut HaMedina" (Distinguished Public Servant) Award 2019 – Israeli Atherosclerosis Society Prize (second time)

Personal life Afek is married to Dr. Limor Afek, a pediatric dentist, and they have two children and two grandchildren. He lives in Netanya, Israel.