Gabi (Yitzhak Gabriel) Barbash (born September 13, 1949) is an Israeli physician and professor of medicine. He served as the director of the Sourasky Medical Center (Ichilov) from 1993 to 1996 and again from 1999 to 2015. Between 1996 and 1999, he served as the Director-General of the Israeli Ministry of Health.
Biography
Barbash was born in Tel Aviv to Chaya (née Radziner), the granddaughter of Eliezer Klonsky, and Shneur Zalman Barbash, a water engineer. He is a descendant of Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, the founder of the Chabad Hasidic movement.
During his military service as a physician, Barbash served as a flight surgeon in the Israeli Air Force, was responsible for emergency medical services at Ben-Gurion Airport, and was the physician of the cooperation unit. He was discharged after serving as the deputy chief medical officer of the Israeli Air Force.
From 1980 to 1984, Barbash completed his residency in internal medicine at the Tel Aviv Medical Center, graduating with distinction.[1] In 1984–1985, he specialized at Harvard University’s School of Public Health, earning a Master’s degree in Public Health with a focus on medical policy and management.[1]
In 1985–1986, he specialized in management and in the cardiology department at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, USA.[1]
Since 1987, Barbash has been a certified specialist in medical management,[1] and in 1991, he was certified as a specialist in occupational medicine.[1]
After returning from his studies in the United States, Barbash was appointed deputy director of the Sheba Medical Center at Tel HaShomer in 1986. In 1993, he was appointed director of Ichilov Hospital.
On November 4, 1995, while Barbash was serving as the director of Ichilov Hospital, Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was shot in Rabin Square, Tel Aviv, and was taken to Ichilov. As a result, Barbash’s character was portrayed in the film "Rabin: The Last Day" by director Amos Gitai, played by Tomer Russo.[2]
In 1996, Barbash was appointed Director-General of the Ministry of Health. He resigned from this position in 1999 and returned to his previous role as director of Ichilov. From 1998 to 2000, he served as the chairman of the National Transplant Center.[1]
On June 25, 2015, Barbash retired from managing Ichilov and, together with Professors Shlomo Berliner, Jacob Nefrostek, and Anat Gefter-Gvili, founded the company "Consilium".[3]
Barbash is a professor emeritus of medical administration and epidemiology at the Tel Aviv University School of Medicine.
From 2015 to 2016, he served as the CEO of the Rashi Foundation.
In July 2020, he was appointed a member of the professional team of Professor Ronni Gamzu, the coordinator for the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in Israel.[4][5]
Personal Life
Barbash wears a kippah and leads a religious lifestyle.[6]
Barbash is married for the second time to Dr. Nurit Erlich, an ophthalmologist. He has three children from his first marriage. His son, Professor Israel Barbash, is a senior cardiologist at Sheba Medical Center in the invasive cardiology unit and heads the catheterization service. His daughter, Dr. Shiri Barbash-Hazan, is an obstetrician specializing in high-risk pregnancies and is married to Colonel Nissim Hazan.
