Cedars-Sinai has received a $1.8 million grant from The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust to expand its IBD prehabilitation program internationally, starting with hospitals in Israel.
The program—developed at Cedars-Sinai and led by Gil Melmed, MD—uses a 10-week, multidisciplinary pre-surgical approach combining nutrition, mental health support, and physical therapy before and after surgery. It has been shown to reduce post-operative complications, 30-day readmissions, repeat surgeries, and opioid use among patients with inflammatory bowel disease.