Aaron Valero
Encyclopedia
Aaron Valero was an Israel
i physician
and educator who helped establish hospitals and medical schools, authored medical publications and contributed greatly to the advancement of medical education in Israel in the latter half of the 20th century.
family which had settled in Palestine
in the early 19th century and on his mother's side, in the late 15th century.Jacob Saul Elyashar
was the father of his great-great-grandmother. His great-grandfather, Jacob Valero
established the first bank in Palestine.
Valero was the first to recognize and describe the outbreak of Bubonic Plague
in Palestine ("Streptomycin in Bubonic Plague", British Medical Journal
, May 29, 1948, pp. 1026–1027). A year later, he observed the outbreak of Rocky Mountain spotted fever
in Palestine (Harefuah
, Vol. XXXVI, No 9,36, pp. 1–3, May 1, 1949). In his 1953 publication he presented the first reported case of human Ornithosis in the Middle East
("Human Ornithosis in Israel", Harefuah
, Vol XLV, No. 5, September 1, 1953).
In the 1960s, Valero recognized the potential for synergy between the clinical medical staff at Rambam Hospital
and engineers at the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology
. Valero organized teams from the two institutions, which he headed up. This unique cooperation led to the first product of the soon to be established Biomedical Engineering Department of The Technion - Israel Institute of Technology. It was an electronic device capable of recording arterial pulsations and the mechanical events of the heart without actually making contact with the chest wall. This device was first described in the American Journal of Cardiology
, February 19, 1967, Vol. 19, pp. 224–230 and in subsequent publications (list below).
His first medical book Clinical E.C.G. was published in 1973 by the Technion Michlol publishing house, and his second book, Bedside Detection, was published in 1980.
Valero attended Gymnasia Ivrit in Jerusalem and received an M.B. Ch.B degree from Birmingham University in England in 1938. Upon returning to Jerusalem in 1939, he volunteered to work at the Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem. In 1941-1946, during WWII, he volunteered to join the British Army
's Royal Army Medical Corps
as a physician, where he reached the rank of Major. In 1946, he joined the staff of the British Government Hospital, Haifa
which later became Rambam Hospital, of which he was a founder. In 1948-1949, during the Israeli War of Independence he served as a regiment physician on Israel's Northern Front. In 1950, he became Head of the Department of Internal Medicine at Rambam Hospital. In 1956, he became Director of the Israeli Government's Poriya Hospital. In 1972, he was elected a tenured Professor of the Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine of the Technion in Haifa. In 1980, he became the Dean of Medical Education of the Faculty of Medicine at the Technion. In 1980-1986, he also served as Head of the Department of Internal Medicine at Nahariya Hospital in Nahariya. In 2002, The Professor Aaron Valero Fund for the Advancement of Medical Education was established and endowed by the Valero Family in memory of Dr. Valero. The Fund enables guest speakers from Israel and abroad to give workshops, training sessions and to participate in the Professor Aaron Valero Patient – Physician Relationship Day at the Technion.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
and educator who helped establish hospitals and medical schools, authored medical publications and contributed greatly to the advancement of medical education in Israel in the latter half of the 20th century.
Biography
Aaron Valero was born in Jerusalem to a distinguished SephardiSephardi Jews
Sephardi Jews is a general term referring to the descendants of the Jews who lived in the Iberian Peninsula before their expulsion in the Spanish Inquisition. It can also refer to those who use a Sephardic style of liturgy or would otherwise define themselves in terms of the Jewish customs and...
family which had settled in Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
in the early 19th century and on his mother's side, in the late 15th century.Jacob Saul Elyashar
Jacob Saul Elyashar
Jacob Saul Elyashar, , was a 19th-century Sephardi rabbi who became Chief Rabbi of Palestine in 1893.He was born in Safed to Eliezer Jeroham Elyashar. In 1853 he was appointed dayan in Jerusalem and became head of the beth din in 1869. In 1893 he became the Rishon LeZion or Sephardi chief rabbi of...
was the father of his great-great-grandmother. His great-grandfather, Jacob Valero
Jacob Valero
Jacob Valero was the founder of the first private bank in Palestine, Jacob Valero & Company.In 1839, Jacob Valero appeared in Jewish communal records as a ritual slaughterer of the Sephardi community in Jerusalem. In 1849, he was described as a "talmid hakham"...
established the first bank in Palestine.
Valero was the first to recognize and describe the outbreak of Bubonic Plague
Bubonic plague
Plague is a deadly infectious disease that is caused by the enterobacteria Yersinia pestis, named after the French-Swiss bacteriologist Alexandre Yersin. Primarily carried by rodents and spread to humans via fleas, the disease is notorious throughout history, due to the unrivaled scale of death...
in Palestine ("Streptomycin in Bubonic Plague", British Medical Journal
British Medical Journal
BMJ is a partially open-access peer-reviewed medical journal. Originally called the British Medical Journal, the title was officially shortened to BMJ in 1988. The journal is published by the BMJ Group, a wholly owned subsidiary of the British Medical Association...
, May 29, 1948, pp. 1026–1027). A year later, he observed the outbreak of Rocky Mountain spotted fever
Rocky Mountain spotted fever
Rocky Mountain spotted fever is the most lethal and most frequently reported rickettsial illness in the United States. It has been diagnosed throughout the Americas. Some synonyms for Rocky Mountain spotted fever in other countries include “tick typhus,” “Tobia fever” , “São Paulo fever” or “febre...
in Palestine (Harefuah
Harefuah
Harefuah is a medical journal published by the Israel Medical Association. Articles are in Hebrew with abstracts in English. It has been published monthly since 1920. Its editor is Yehuda Shoenfeld.- References :* Retrieved May 20, 2006....
, Vol. XXXVI, No 9,36, pp. 1–3, May 1, 1949). In his 1953 publication he presented the first reported case of human Ornithosis in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
("Human Ornithosis in Israel", Harefuah
Harefuah
Harefuah is a medical journal published by the Israel Medical Association. Articles are in Hebrew with abstracts in English. It has been published monthly since 1920. Its editor is Yehuda Shoenfeld.- References :* Retrieved May 20, 2006....
, Vol XLV, No. 5, September 1, 1953).
In the 1960s, Valero recognized the potential for synergy between the clinical medical staff at Rambam Hospital
Rambam Hospital
Rambam Health Care Campus , or Rambam Hospital, is a hospital in the Bat Galim neighborhood of Haifa, Israel. The largest medical center in northern Israel and fifth largest in Israel, it is named for the 12th century physician-philosopher Rabbi Moshe Ben-Maimon , known as the...
and engineers at the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology
Technion - Israel Institute of Technology
The Technion – Israel Institute of Technology is a research-intensive institute of technology in Haifa, Israel. Originally called the Technikum, it was founded in 1912...
. Valero organized teams from the two institutions, which he headed up. This unique cooperation led to the first product of the soon to be established Biomedical Engineering Department of The Technion - Israel Institute of Technology. It was an electronic device capable of recording arterial pulsations and the mechanical events of the heart without actually making contact with the chest wall. This device was first described in the American Journal of Cardiology
American Journal of Cardiology
The American Journal of Cardiology is a peer-reviewed scientific journal in the field of cardiology and general cardiovascular disease. It is independent from the American College of Cardiology....
, February 19, 1967, Vol. 19, pp. 224–230 and in subsequent publications (list below).
His first medical book Clinical E.C.G. was published in 1973 by the Technion Michlol publishing house, and his second book, Bedside Detection, was published in 1980.
Valero attended Gymnasia Ivrit in Jerusalem and received an M.B. Ch.B degree from Birmingham University in England in 1938. Upon returning to Jerusalem in 1939, he volunteered to work at the Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem. In 1941-1946, during WWII, he volunteered to join the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
's Royal Army Medical Corps
Royal Army Medical Corps
The Royal Army Medical Corps is a specialist corps in the British Army which provides medical services to all British Army personnel and their families in war and in peace...
as a physician, where he reached the rank of Major. In 1946, he joined the staff of the British Government Hospital, Haifa
Haifa
Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
which later became Rambam Hospital, of which he was a founder. In 1948-1949, during the Israeli War of Independence he served as a regiment physician on Israel's Northern Front. In 1950, he became Head of the Department of Internal Medicine at Rambam Hospital. In 1956, he became Director of the Israeli Government's Poriya Hospital. In 1972, he was elected a tenured Professor of the Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine of the Technion in Haifa. In 1980, he became the Dean of Medical Education of the Faculty of Medicine at the Technion. In 1980-1986, he also served as Head of the Department of Internal Medicine at Nahariya Hospital in Nahariya. In 2002, The Professor Aaron Valero Fund for the Advancement of Medical Education was established and endowed by the Valero Family in memory of Dr. Valero. The Fund enables guest speakers from Israel and abroad to give workshops, training sessions and to participate in the Professor Aaron Valero Patient – Physician Relationship Day at the Technion.
Published works (partial list)
- Valero et al., "Focal Cardiography - An experimental Study in Dogs", Israel Journal of Medical Sciences, Jan-Feb 1969, Vol. 5, No. 1, pp. 13–22
- Valero, "Focal Displacement Cardiography for Bedside Detection of Myocardial Dyskinesis", The American Journal of Cardiology, April 1970, Vol 25. pp. 443–449
- Valero et al., "Effect of Exercise and Acclimatization on displacement apex Cardiogram In Normal Young Subjects", British Heart Journal January 1971, Vol. 33, No. 1, pp. 37–45
- Valero,"Atrial transport dysfunction in acute myocardial infarction", The American Journal of Cardiology, Volume 16, Issue 1, pp. 22–30