Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42169068›Full record

ReviewIsrael journal of health policy research2026

The implementation of a national registry for international medical volunteers during armed conflict: the Israeli experience.

Joseph Mendlovic, Tamar Keynan, Adam Cutler, Yoel Collick, Dorit Nitzan

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Israel journal of health policy research, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Joseph MendlovicMinistry of Health, Jerusalem, Israel. sefi.mendlovic@moh.gov.il.
Tamar KeynanMinistry of Health, Jerusalem, Israel.
Adam CutlerMinistry of Health, Jerusalem, Israel.
Yoel CollickMinistry of Health, Jerusalem, Israel.
Dorit NitzanSchool of Public Health, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIsrael established the Medical Volunteers for Israel (MVFI) registry to rapidly recruit, license, and integrate international physicians into its health system during emergencies. This study evaluates the registry's design, implementation, and operational outcomes.

methodsA narrative synthesis of registry data was conducted using the MFVI dataset from October 2023 to August 2025. Quantitative analysis characterized physician demographics, specialty distribution, licensing status, and deployment outcomes. A standardized review of hospital needs assessment and licensing protocols was performed to detail the system's replicability.

resultsThe registry enrolled 7,032 international physicians from over 50 countries, with 59% originating from the United States. High-demand specialties included anesthesiology (23% of deployed), emergency medicine (23%), and trauma surgery (12%). Of those registered, 453 physicians were successfully deployed to fill acute staffing gaps. Deployment occurred through a novel, hospital-specific temporary licensing mechanism that bypassed the traditional multi-month observation requirements for senior physicians entering the Israeli workforce. The process, designed to be efficient and similar to that for temporary licenses for visiting specialists, was intended to accelerate approvals and reduce bureaucracy. Although it was finalized before Oct 7, 2023, for earthquake preparedness, recruitment, and final approval occurred only after that date.

conclusionsThe MFVI registry demonstrates that a government-led, need-based integration of international medical personnel is an effective strategy for sustaining healthcare operations during emergencies. While successful in bridging staffing gaps, the model requires robust pre-deployment orientation to overcome language and system barriers. By embedding expertise directly into national infrastructure, this approach offers a scalable alternative to traditional parallel aid models such as emergency medical teams and field hospitals.

Indexed as

Armed ConflictsPhysiciansRegistriesVolunteersHumansIsraelEmergency licensingInternational physician mobilizationMedical volunteeringSurge capacity

Identifiers

PMID42169068
PMCPMC13195850

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.