Ronald Chod, CEO of Aeterna Medical Spa — which offers non-invasive cosmetic services and has four locations in St. Louis — chose Syneron Medical Ltd. for Aeterna’s main technology partner “as the provider of the very best equipment for what we are offering.”

Chod said he used the counsel of Aeterna’s chief medical officer, Dr. George Hruza, in making the decision, plus the fact that “their technique is unique.”

“They are the only company that puts two technologies together to provide more effective treatments and safer treatments,” Chod said.

When Chod learned that Syneron is based in Yokneam, St. Louis’ sister-city in Israel, he was pleasantly surprised.

“I was very excited to learn that, because I did know it was our sister-city,” he said.

Chod attended a mission to Israel with the Maimonides Society of the Jewish Federation in 2000 and visited Yokneam on that mission.

Batya Abramson-Goldstein of the Jewish Community Relations Council said the development of business ties between St. Louis and Yokneam is “very valuable, and it is particularly heartening at this time, when the northern part of Israel has absorbed such difficult days, to hear good news like this.”

Rob Bohm, co-chair with his brother, David Bohm, of the JCRC Israel Business and Technology Committee, said they are “delighted to hear of the local utilization by Aeterna of the VelaSmooth device, developed in Yokneam, St. Louis’ sister community in Israel.” The committee is a new JCRC initiative to promote awareness of business opportunities in Israel and of the scientific advances Israel is making. Syneron is based in Yokneam, with a sales office in Toronto that services the U.S. Its stock symbol is ELOS.

To date, Aeterna has purchased 12 devices from Syneron for approximately $1.1 million. Aeterna uses the devices for a variety of procedures, including wrinkle reduction, skin tightening, and VelaSmooth for cellulite reduction and body contouring.

For more information visit www.aeternamedspa.com or www.syneron.com.

Keren Douek is an assistant editor and can be reached at [email protected]