[Reorganization of the Department of Medicine--how we should respond to the changes in internal medicine].

: The dramatic increase in data burden has created a need for sub-specialization in medicine. This process has brought about the disappearance of the all-knowledgeable general internist and a situation in which sub-specialties have become the integral building blocks of internal medicine. The consolidation of internal medicine departments into a single division that includes all the requisite subspecialties, has provided an answer to many of the current changes in medicine in Israel and elsewhere. Under the division format, each department of medicine has at least one senior physician from each subspecialty, enabling both patients and residents to be exposed to the expertise of all these fields of medicine. The division format also facilitates the creation of centers of excellence, such as intensive care units and an ambulatory care center.