Professor Arnon Afek
ארנון אפק‎
Afek in 2014
Born	(1963-05-18) May 18, 1963 (age 62) Haifa, Israel
Citizenship	Israeli
Education	MD, MHA
Alma mater	Hebrew University-Hadassah Faculty of Medicine Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Occupations	Physician Pathologist Health administrator Academic administrator
Years active	1988–present
Employers	Reichman University Sheba Medical Center
Organization	Ministry of Health (Israel)
Known for	Israeli health policy reforms Hospital management Medical education leadership
Title	Founding Dean, Dina Recanati School of Medicine Director, Gertner Institute for Epidemiology and Health Policy Research Former Director-General, Israeli Ministry of Health
Board member of	Association of Israeli Hospital Directors Jerusalem Medical Research Fund
Spouse	Dr. Limor Afek
Children	2
Awards	Yakir Sherut HaMedina (2019) Goldenberg Prize Kellerman Prize Israeli Atherosclerosis Society Prize

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 recipient of 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), Acting Chairman, The Association of Hospitals' Directors and was formerly 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.^[1][2]

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).^[2]

Between 1989 and 1991, after completing his medical training, Afek completed his compulsory military service in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Medical Corps, serving as a battalion and brigade medical officer in the "Bnei Or" formation.

In 1992 he was appointed Commander of the Medical Officers Course at Bahad 10, the IDF Medical Training Base.

In 2000 he began serving in the Northern Command as Deputy Command Surgeon, a role he held until 2002.

From 2004 to 2007 he served as Head of the Medical Classification and Occupational Medicine Branch and as Director of the Department of Medical Administration at the headquarters of the IDF Medical Corps.

After retiring from regular service, Afek continued serving as Head of the Medical Division of the "Givon" military medical directorate and as a medical adviser to the IDF Medical Corps.

In the reserves he serves as a member of the IDF Medical Corps Helsinki Committee, with the rank of Colonel (Res.).^[3]

In 2008, after his military service, Afek was appointed Deputy Director of Sheba Medical Center.^[1] In parallel, he also served as Sheba's Emergency Preparedness Officer, Chair of the Internship and Residency Committee, and Head of the Management Support Unit.

In 2011 he won a public tender conducted by the Israel Civil Service Commission and was appointed Head of the Medical Administration (Director of the Medical Directorate) at the Ministry of Health. He assumed office on 1 January 2012, replacing Dr. Hezi Levi.^[4]

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.^[1][5]

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.^[6]

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."^[7][8]

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.^[9][10][11]

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.^[5]

In June 2020 the Tel Aviv District Labor Court recognized his diabetes as an occupational injury caused by work-related stress during his tenure as Director-General of the Ministry of Health.

Afek chaired the committees on medical services and disability assessments for Israel Defense Forces veterans as part of the national "Nefesh Achat" ("One Soul") reform.

Between 2014 and 2017 Afek also served as Chair of the Board of the Jerusalem Medical Research Fund, a medical research foundation that receives donations from ten pharmaceutical companies.

He has served as a full professor of public health and a member of the Faculty Council at the Sackler Faculty of Medicine of Tel Aviv University, and since 1994, as an associate professor in its Department of pathology. Between 2011 and 2022 he headed the American medical program (New York State/American MD Program) at Tel Aviv University and was a member of the faculty's academic leadership board.^[12]

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.^[12]

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.

• 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)

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