make up nearly a third of the population and large groups of immigrants from Ethiopia and the former Soviet Union. Standards of safety and quality The Joint Commission International (JCI) Quality and Safety Certificate - Soroka Medical Center was one of three Clalit hospitals which were the first in Israel to receive the certificate of accreditation of the JCI in 2008. Standards for Environmental Management Systems (ISO 14001) - Soroka is a green hospital. In 2014 the medical center was awarded the Environmental Quality Award. Health Information Security Standard (ISO 27799). Systems and structures maintenance Standard (ISO 9001). Quality Management Standard (ISO 9000) was granted to the Neonatal Intensive Care unit and the logistics department. A University Medical Center Soroka Medical Center is a university medical center that maintains close ties with Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU). In this framework, the hospital staff partners in training the future generation of clinicians and managers in the health system in various fields: medicine, nursing, physiotherapy, emergency medicine, pharmacy, medical laboratory, public health, and health systems management. Approximately 1,000 students study at the hospital annually. The campus of BGU's Faculty of Health Sciences is located in the hospital compound. Research Many clinical trials approved by the Helsinki Committee are conducted at Soroka. As of 2023, the committee is chaired by Prof. Eitan Lunenfeld. A center for clinical research operates at Soroka, leading and promoting research with hospital staff and colleagues outside of the hospital in Israel and abroad, sometimes in cooperation with BGU. Every year, approximately 300 new studies are approved at the hospital, and some 600 articles on research of clinical and managerial significance have been published in the scientific literature. Soroka in times of emergency Soroka Medical Center has accumulated extensive experience over the years in managing various emergency situations. Mass-casualty incidents – road accidents, earthquakes, terrorist incidents, and so on. Situations of regional or comprehensive fighting – during times of combat in the South (such as Operation Protective Edge), Soroka Medical Center, is also subject to rocket fire and remains fully operational while ensuring protection for patients and professional teams and providing continuous service to the hospitalized and injured. The emergency events are managed by a dedicated staff at the hospital in cooperation with many bodies in accordance with the nature of the event: the IDF, the Israel Police, Magen David Adom, the Home Front Command, other hospitals, and