While the distance has created some obstacles, Pomerantz, 31, said it has also yielded some benefits. Many parents are enthralled with the technology, and he has become more efficient because there are fewer distractions here.
"So far so good. I foresee this going really well," he said.
SACRIFICE
Some of the arrangements require creativity and sacrifice. Shye Wortman, an internist who moved to Beit Shemesh last year, still flies to New York every two weeks to treat patients.
When in Israel, he reviews charts and test results and speaks to patients by phone. Using Internet phone service, he even maintains a New York phone number.
"Some patients don't know I'm in Israel," he said.
Despite the travel, he says he now has more time with his family than he had in the US.
In other cases, the seven-hour time difference with the eastern US can be an asset.
Wimpfheimer, the radiologist, works from 6am to 3pm, teaming with two partners to cover the overnight shift at 18 hospitals in the northeastern US.
She reviews CT scans, MRIs and ultrasounds and exchanges information instantaneously over secure Internet connections.
The arrangement benefits the hospitals, which don't need to hire an overnight crew or force doctors to be on call during the bleary-eyed graveyard shift.
"It works much better," said John Breckenridge, chairman of the radiology department at Abington Memorial Hospital in Abington, Pennsylvania. "They're awake and alert."
And thanks to real-time technology, the distance isn't an issue.
"She could be in the next room. It really doesn't matter," he said.
Wimpfheimer, 36, a mother of six, can spend the afternoons with her children. With her US salary, she can live comfortably in a three-level suburban house with a swimming pool.
"The business is growing. We're having fun doing it," said Wimpfheimer, who immigrated from New York four years ago. "I wouldn't even consider moving back."
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