The Organization of Clalit Health Services Physicians is the official representative of the physicians working in institutions owned or managed by Clalit Health Services and of the physicians who have retired from this institution, comprising c.11,000 active and retired members.
The Organization focuses on three topics:
- Preserving, advancing and improving prerogatives of Clalit's institutes' practitioners, along with protecting individual physicians.
- Encouraging professional training.
- Welfare and mutual assistance activities.
The Organization was founded in 1921 alongside Clalit Health Services, and consists of two divisions: The Community Physicians Division and the Hospital Physicians Division. The Organization is headed by the chairman of the largest division (the division whose number exceeds 50% of members) and deputy who is the chairman of the minority division. The Organization forms an integral part of the Israeli Medical Association (IMA) and both its chairmen serve as IMA's deputies.
The Organizations' bylaw stipulates and defines the rules of membership, prerogatives and obligations of its members, the right to elect and be elected to its institutions, the Organization's functionaries and their duties and terms of office, its structure and mode of operation.
The Organization's structure is as follows:
- The national conference
- The Division of Community Physicians, which includes representatives of the district committees in Clalit, representatives of dentists and retired community physicians.
- The Division of Hospital Physicians, which includes hospital representatives and retired hospital physicians.
- A coordinating (parity) committee of the two divisions.
- The tribunal of the Organization's members.
- An internal auditor.
- Treasurer, the physician acting as treasurer of the minority division.
Division of Community Physicians
The Community Division is one of two divisions that make up the Organization of Clalit Health Services Physicians. The Division is independent and autonomous in its actions and decisions. The Division secretariat includes the chairmen of committees of 15 Clalit Health Services districts (according to past distribution), the representatives of the Dentists Committee and two representatives of retired physicians who represent the retirees' interests in the secretariat. The Division secretariat meets every fortnight and determines the working procedures of its divisional institutions. The chairman of the Division is elected at the Organization's national conference by the delegations of the Division secretariat and their his/her duties are defined by the Organization's bylaw. The secretariat elects the Division's treasurer.
Hospital Division
The Hospital Division is one of the two divisions that make up the Organization of Clalit Health Services Physicians. The Division is independent and autonomous in its actions and decisions. The Division secretariat includes the chairman of the committee or one representative of each of the major general hospitals, one representative each of psychiatric, geriatric and rehabilitation hospitals, along with two representatives of retired hospital physicians. The chairman of the Division is elected at the Organization's national conference by the delegations of the Division secretariat and his/her duties defined by the Organization's bylaw. The secretariat elects the Division's treasurer.
Dentists
All dentists of Shila, a subsidiary of Clalit Health Services that runs dental clinics throughout the country, are represented by the Organization of Clalit Health Services Physicians and IMA. The group of dentists on loan from Clalit Health Services works according to collective agreements applicable to all general practitioners while all other dentists (who are not on loan) work in accordance with special collective agreements applicable to them only.
Retired physicians
Organization members who have retired and pay organizational taxes continue to be members of the Organization even after retiring from their positions as employees of Clalit Health Services and form an integral part of the Organization. The retired members of the Organization and IMA are entitled to participate in welfare and mutual assistance activities. The retirees' representatives in each district and in each hospital are elected at a retiree meeting of the district or hospital (respectively). Activities and duties of retirees' representatives are defined by the Organization's bylaw.
Local Committees
Prior to the national conference, each district or hospital numbering at least 15 physicians will elect a local committee from among its members. The local committee in each district will consist of a chairman and four to eight committee members: primary care physicians and consulting physicians. The local committee in each hospital will consist of a chairman and at least three members. Each local committee can elect up to two interns who will serve as interns' representatives, and one retiree.
The local committees represent physicians in issues involving district or hospital administration and handle all other professional and non-professional matters within the jurisdiction of each district or hospital administration. The activities of the committee, its structure and duties are defined by the Organization's bylaw.
