Neeman is the only organization acting to reduce the incidence of strokes in Israel and improve treatment, rehabilitation and welfare for stroke survivors and their families.

Our Vision

Our goal is to reduce the incidence of strokes and relieve its burden on patients, their families and the general public through prevention, treatment, continued rehabilitation and long-term care.

Neeman was founded in 1996 as an organization for stroke survivors to support other survivors. The organization was founded by stroke survivors who were lacking a supportive community during their personal struggles with the consequences of stroke and decided to change the status quo. Neeman is run by a small team of staff and relies on volunteers who largely hail from the ranks of survivors and their family members.

Our Goals

• Preventing stroke, a disease that causes physical and cognitive disabilities and behavioral changes.
• Improving the quality of life of stroke patients and their families.
• Raising awareness about strokes among allied health professionals, welfare workers and the general public.
• Influencing decision-makers and advocating for stroke prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation policies, and improving health and welfare services.
• Cultivating and developing services and tools for long-term support and rehabilitation for survivors and their families.
• Cultivating high standards of medical practice for treating stroke patients.
• Promoting the allocation of resources for stroke research.

Expanding the system for preventing strokes, adapting the process for diagnosing acute strokes, updating needs for rehabilitation in the community and expanding community services will lead to significant financial savings, saving lives and reducing disability rates. These steps will significantly improve the quality of life of many patients and their families, allowing them to rebuild a meaningful community life.

Main Activities

Developing a national program

Working with all bodies and systems that address strokes — from the prevention stage to establishing stroke units, providing optimized treatment and rehabilitation, and working in the community to reduce the incidence of strokes and rehabilitate stroke patients and their families.

Raising awareness and making information more accessible

Raising public awareness about risk factors, early warning signs and the importance of quickly reaching the hospital by running awareness and training campaigns in different languages, targeting a range of demographics.

Promoting health

Running training programs about maintaining a healthy lifestyle for stroke prevention (primary and secondary); developing and providing tools and practical knowledge in areas such as modifying physical activity for special needs, proper nutrition and more.

Social rehabilitation in the community

Operating a nationwide network of social clubs to serve stroke survivors. These clubs offer rehabilitative and social activities as a basis for restoring the emotional wellbeing and social life that was lost due to strokes. The clubs also host modified physical activity, cultural activities, support groups and more. Neeman’s social clubs help stroke patients reintegrate into the community and offer support for spouses and family members, giving those affected a new lease of life and providing coping tools for their new and complex situation.

Counseling and support for patients upon their return home

Managing a system that provides information, guidance and support to the families of stroke patients to assist in the initial stages of facing the consequences of stroke on their lives and guiding them through the complex process of accessing their medical and financial rights.

Collaborations

Neeman is a member of the Health Coalition of Patients’ Organizations and the Israel Healthy Cities Network. It is also member of the Stroke Alliance for Europe (SAFE). The organization works with the Society for Patients’ Rights in Israel, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs and Social Services, the National Insurance Institute of Israel, hospitals, HMOs, rehabilitation centers and local authorities.

Our Achievements

The National Plan for the Treatment and Prevention of Stroke Damage

This is one of Neeman’s most significant accomplishments, which directly contributes to realizing the organization’s goals and improving public welfare:

Our years-long collaboration with the Ministry of Health produced a national stroke prevention plan, which is budgeted by the Ministry of Health and has been implemented.

The plan contains many sections, the main being:

• Including a medical record for patients that enables a National Stroke Registry report to be issued each year and monitors the improvement of the system for treating acute strokes in hospitals.
• Establishing quality metrics in hospitals to promote optimal treatment for stroke patients.
• Having all hospitals in Israel administer medication for dissolving blood clots (tPA) to patients who reach the hospital within the relevant time frame. This treatment can save lives and reduces the chances of severe disability.
• Doubling the number of catheterization specialists in Israel.
• Training stroke experts in all emergency rooms in Israel, and more.
• Neeman has been chosen as a strategic partner by the Ministry of Health in a broad awareness campaign to teach the warning signs of stroke and highlight the importance of calling an ambulance and reaching the hospital quickly. The campaign increased the percentage of patients who reached the hospital in an ambulance within 3.5 hours, allowing them to receive vital lifesaving treatment.

• Neeman established and runs a network of social clubs for stroke patients in collaboration with local authorities. These clubs offer rehabilitative activities and social activities for survivors as part of restoring the emotional wellbeing and social life they lost due to the stroke. The clubs also host modified physical activity, cultural activities, support groups and more.

• Neeman operates an education system for stroke patients, their families and the general public to raise awareness about preventing strokes, reducing risk factors and maintaining a healthy lifestyle and to help patients become familiar with their medical and financial rights when going back home and into the community. The system offers both webinars and in-person sessions. Neeman’s telephone hotline provides counseling and support to over 300 families a year.

• We are also on social media:

Neeman has several vibrant groups and communities on Facebook. We established a special Facebook community for young people who have experienced strokes, “Shavatzair” (young stroke survivors). This community offers young stroke patients opportunities to meet peers and is a space where they can express themselves freely and share their fears and struggles in dealing with the impact of strokes on their lives. Here they can give and receive advice, cry, express frustration and, above all, draw strength and inspiration from others who have been there and who have managed to rehabilitate their lives. Another group, “Stroke Survivors Speak Out”, is a community of survivors of all ages and their families.

• Neeman’s CEO represents patients’ organizations at the National Rehabilitation Council and is a member of the National Health Council and chair of the council’s Reforms Committee.