HOSPITALS Magazine issue 68

ARAB HEALTH

A healthy world with pioneering health sectors

The countdown is on to the Arab Health Exhibition & Congress that will be held at the Dubai World Trade Center from 30 Jan - 2 Feb 2023. We are days away from this major international health event that brings together key stakeholders to collaborate and make healthcare an industry with a positive impact through sustainable and innovative solutions that will revolutionize healthcare for generations to come.

Arab Health provides an unparalleled platform for the world's leading manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors to meet with the medical and scientific community. More than 4,000 companies will participate in the exhibition, showcasing their latest innovations to more than 130,000 healthcare professionals from 163 countries. Fully committed to delivering the best possible event to the healthcare community, Arab Health is all set to unite the global healthcare industry with a wide range of CME-accredited conferences bringing the healthcare industry together to learn, network and trade.

Arab Health 2023 exhibitors can showcase innovative products and solutions and have more time to meet potential buyers from all over the world. The health sectors can expect achieving further success in the future.

Everyone is looking forward to the upcoming Quality Management Conference. “Hospitals” magazine will be there, as usual, to keep abreast of the latest news and updates and spread health information, in pursuit of achieving the goal of the Arab Health Exhibition & Congress, which is a healthy world with pioneering health sectors!

Publisher

Publisher Arab Health Media Communication

President Simon Chammas schammas@tahmag.com

Executive Vice President Mirna Khairallah mirna@tahmag.com

Senior Editor Elham Najem editorial@tahmag.com

Content Executive Jessica Achkar editorial@tahmag.com

Editors

Aline Debes, Mark Steven, Don Karn, Andrew Weichert, Colette Semaan, Abbas Moussa

Content Marketing Manager Jessie Chlela jessie@tahmag.com

Creative Director Rania Khalil rania@tahmag.com

Business Development Manager Wadih Chammas wadih@tahmag.com

IT Manager Elie Yammine elie@tahmag.com

Photographer Hanna Nehme Advertising advertising@thearabhospital.com

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Advancing Patient Safety and Quality of Care, Together

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Amana Healthcare wins two sustainability awards from the Arab Hospitals Federation’s Arab Healthcare Climate Change Challenge

enhance the residents’ and community’s well-being and become a regional leader in the promotion of environmental sustainability initiatives.”

Amana Healthcare, a Mubadala Health partner and one of the Middle East’s leading providers of long-term care, inpatient rehabilitation and home care services, has won two Gold Initiative Certificates from Arab Hospitals Federation’s Arab Healthcare Climate Change Challenge Champion, in two categories: Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency; and Water, Waste & Resource Management.

The ceremony took place on 11th January 2023, in Cairo, Egypt, where awards were given to healthcare authorities, organizations, or institutions that made significant contributions to sustainability in various ways and have gone above and beyond to optimize their practices to reduce the impact of climate change.

Dr. Jason Gray, Senior Director of Clinical Operations, Amana Healthcare said: “We are proud to have won two Gold Initiative Certificates. With operations spanning across eight specialized facilities in the UAE, we aim for a more conscious and efficient way of caring, where the patients and the community are seen as a whole, and the associated climate change challenges are kept in mind as part of our vision when providing unmatched, high-quality integrated continuum-of-care services to the community". “These distinguished awards affirm the milestones we continue to reach with the work we are doing in our Go Green initiative. Our aim is to reduce Amana Healthcare’s carbon footprint by 15 percent within the next two years to

AMANA HEALTHCARE WINS GOLDEN INITIATIVE CERTIFICATE IN TWO CATEGORIES: RENEWABLE ENERGY & ENERGY EFFICIENCY; AND WATER, WASTE & RESOURCE MANAGEMENT.

Amana Healthcare has supported the development of a sustainable healthcare sector in line with the Environment Vision 2030 through rapid microprojects across its network. These microprojects ensure climate change is part of its wider vision and central to its unique approach to its conscious and efficient way of caring for patients and the community.

The first microproject received the “Gold Champion” recognition for the Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Certificate category by reducing CO2 emissions and decreasing electricity consumption at Amana Healthcare Village, a specialized residential care facility comprising of 35 villas in Khalifa City A. By doing so, it transformed into an environmentally friendly residential community, whereby patients are part of a cutting-edge, modern hospital that considers both their well-being and the health of the broader public. The second project, which received the “Gold Champion” in the Water, Waste & Resource Management Certificate category, involved reducing paper consumption in Amana Healthcare’s Weaning Unit at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. The project prevented wasteful paper consumption and saw the adoption of paperless tools for specific quality, education and reception departmental tasks.

The Department of Health – Abu Dhabi launches its “Drug and Poison Information Service”

als in the field of toxicology and overdose management through the 800424 hotline, which is available to community members on weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. The RIC will further explore cooperation between partners in the field to further develop the necessary regulations and policies to ensure the highest levels of chemical safety in Abu Dhabi.

In the presence of HE Dr. Jamal Mohammed Al Kaabi, Undersecretary of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH), the regulator of the healthcare sector in the Emirate, the Department launched the “Poison and Drug Information Service” aimed at preventing and treating poison incidents of all kinds. The service was announced during DoH’s Research and Innovation Centre’s participation in the Middle East and North Africa Clinical Toxicology Conference (MENATOX), held in Abu Dhabi from 11 to 14 January 2023.

Through the launch of this service, the Department’s Research and Innovation Centre (RIC) aims to raise awareness on the safe use of drugs and the necessary procedures to prevent poisoning. As well as outline ways to deal with poisoning cases to limit complication and thus preserve the health and safety of community members. Through this service, the RIC at DoH seeks to strengthen research efforts in the Emirate to further develop the clinical toxicology field and improve healthcare outcomes. In addition to reducing and eliminating poisoning and overdoses among residents through building clinical, technological, educational and research capabilities in toxicology to provide the highest quality of services related to poisoning.

In the first phase, the RIC will provide guidance services from specially trained profession-

THE SERVICE AIMS TO ENHANCE THE CLINICAL, TECHNOLOGICAL, EDUCATIONAL AND RESEARCH CAPABILITIES IN TOXICOLOGY TO PROVIDE THE HIGHEST STANDARDS AND PRACTICES IN POISONING PREVENTION AND TREATMENT.

During MENATOX, Dr. Asma Al Mannaei, Executive Director of the Research and Innovation Centre at the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH), said: “The Drug and Poison Information Service will offer guidance to our community at large and the healthcare sector in specific on the management of patients with poisonings and drugs overdoses, in accordance with international best practices and standards. Through this service, we aim to expand poison prevention and treatment and reduce the incident of accidental poisoning. Reiterating Abu Dhabi’s position as a leading destination for healthcare, day in and day out we work towards ensuring that the Emirate is equipped with a world-class healthcare ecosystem in accordance with international standards and best practices for the benefit of all members of our community.”

Al Mannaei added: "At DoH, we are committed to continuously providing comprehensive services that meet all the needs of our community. We call on the community members to leverage the services provided and to not hesitate in contacting the hotline if any relevant assistance is needed.”

Dr. Badria Alhatali, President of the Middle East and North Africa Clinical Toxicology Conference, said: “Poison centres around the world have proven their ability to improve the health and safety of members of society by preventing poisoning, promoting the health of the infected, and raising the efficiency of healthcare and public health systems. We are delighted that DoH is launching the drug and poison information service at the conference.”

Lexicomp® drug reference and interactive tools

Lexicomp® connects you to relevant drug information that supports you with drug dispensing, interactions, patient safety screening, medication therapy management, and more. Lexicomp helps pharmacists and other healthcare professionals ensure that patients receive the appropriate medication while making it easy to monitor and adjust treatment plans as needed.

With a subscription to Lexicomp, you will benefit from access to:

Continuously updated information on drugs, dosing, new medication uses, and more.

Several interactive medication safety tools, such as our drug interactions and drug ID tools.

Answers to medication-related questions that arise when dispensing drugs, monitoring patients’ drug therapies, advising interventions, and informing of any potential side effects.

2Hospital in the USA No.

Cedars-Sinai is proud to be named the No. 2 hospital in the USA and among the very best in 11 specialties in U.S. News & World Report ’s “Best Hospitals 2022–23” rankings. As a global leader in healthcare, we offer a full range of services to patients around the world. Whether we’re providing clinical care in your area, via video visits or at our main campus in Los Angeles, our goal at Cedars-Sinai is to bring world-class care to patients wherever they may be.

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Learn more at cedars-sinai.org/international

Cedars-Sinai International has a dedicated Patient S ervices team that speaks multiple languages and provides a range of concierge services to support international patients. Our G lobal S ervices team leverages the clinical and nonclinical excellence at Cedars-Sinai to provide a full spectrum of advisory and consulting services that help our partners around the world.

NMC Specialty Hospital in Abu Dhabi surgeons remove tumor from Indian patient’s stomach

Balaji Balasubramanian, a surgical oncologist at the same hospital.

Dr. Balaji Balasubramanian said: “After a clinical examination, Ustad was found to have a large mass occupying the whole right side of his abdomen. He had a CT scan which confirmed the presence and location of the large tumor. It extended from the undersurface of the liver to the right side of his pelvis".

A4.65kg tumor, the size of a football, was successfully removed from a 60-year-old Indian male patient by doctors at NMC Specialty Hospital in Abu Dhabi.

Surgeons removed the tumor that was over 12 inches in width (when spread on the table) in a six-hour marathon surgery late last year, making it one of the hospital’s biggest surgical feats of 2022. Doctors said “the 4.65kg tumor was resected en-bloc (removed intact) without leaving any residue and spared the patient’s vital four structures, including his colon, duodenum (first part of the small intestine), right kidney, and a major blood vessel called inferior vena cava. The patient had minimal blood loss and did not require any transfusion.”

‘Vague abdominal pain’

The patient, Yusuf Miya Ismail Ustad, who works as a carpenter and a physically active married man with two grown-up children, initially described his condition as “a vague abdominal pain.” He had no lifestyle-related diseases such as diabetes or obesity, but he had been suffering from abdominal pains for over half a year before he decided to visit his doctor in late October last year. Ustad went to Dr. Nishanth, a General Practitioner at NMC Specialty Hospital, Abu Dhabi. Dr. Nishanth referred Ustad to Dr.

SURGEONS REMOVED THE TUMOR THAT WAS OVER 12 INCHES IN WIDTH (WHEN SPREAD ON THE TABLE) IN A SIXHOUR MARATHON SURGERY LATE LAST YEAR, MAKING IT ONE OF THE HOSPITAL’S BIGGEST SURGICAL FEATS OF 2022.

“It was encasing the right kidney, pushing the duodenum (part of the intestine connected to the stomach) and right-side colon (the longest part of the intestine) to the left of the midline. The possibility of liposarcoma, a subtype of soft tissue cancer, was considered by radiological impression as a diagnosis,” he added.

Multidisciplinary team

Dr. Balasubramanian continued:“Fortunately, the further evaluation did not show any distant metastases (spread of cancer). A multidisciplinary team composed of a surgical gastroenterologist, aurologist and tumor surgeons discussed his case and accordingly, Ustad was counseled for surgery to remove the cancerous tumor.” The day of the operation was set after Ustad’s wife and their children arrived to Abu Dhabi from India. The‘waiting time’ was also used by the medical team to chart a pre-operative plan.

GE HealthCare Completes Spin-Off and Begins Trading on Nasdaq

GE HealthCare (Nasdaq: GEHC) announced that its previously announced spin-off from GE (NYSE: GE) is complete and GE HealthCare will begin trading as an independent company on the Nasdaq exchange under the ticker symbol “GEHC” effective at the market opening.

GE HealthCare will be the first company in the state of Wisconsin to remotely ring Nasdaq’s opening bell. Its leadership team will be joined by employees in person and virtually from around the world at the Company’s manufacturing facility in Waukesha, Wis.

“Today is an incredibly exciting day for GE HealthCare as we become an independent company and start a new chapter advancing our position as a global leader in precision care,” said Peter Arduini, President and CEO of GE HealthCare. “We are on the verge of true industry transformation as digital innovation reshapes the experience of patients and providers with an increased need for more precise, connected, and efficient care. GE HealthCare colleagues worldwide are united in our purpose to create a world where healthcare has no limits, and we

THE SPIN-OFF OF GE HEALTHCARE WAS ACHIEVED BY GE’S PRO RATA DISTRIBUTION OF APPROXIMATELY 80.1% OF THE OUTSTANDING SHARES OF GE HEALTHCARE TO GE SHAREHOLDERS. GE RETAINED APPROXIMATELY 19.9% OF THE OUTSTANDING SHARES OF GE HEALTHCARE COMMON STOCK.

look forward to delivering for providers, patients, and shareholders in the years ahead.”

GE HealthCare launches with a presence in more than 160 countries and approximately 51,000 employees worldwide serving more than one billion patients a year. The company invests more than $1 billion in R&D annually and generates approximately $18 billion in revenue, with an installed base including more than 4 million pieces of equipment across its four business segments – Imaging, Ultrasound, Patient Care Solutions, and Pharmaceutical Diagnostics.

The Company expects its addressable markets will expand from $84 billion in 2021 to $102 billion by 2025. That expansion provides significant opportunities for growth and execution of the Company’s precision care strategy to safely and securely integrate patient data from imaging, lab, pathology, genomics, and other sources. Precision care then layers those data with artificial intelligence, using the Company’s Edison platform and digital apps. This precision care strategy enables insights that help clinicians diagnose diseases and determine the most appropriate treatment – delivering the best possible outcome for the patient.

The Higher Organising Committee of the Pink Caravan Ride (PCR), the annual breast cancer awareness initiative, is calling on all horse riders interested in joining their 11th yearly nationwide ride, in registering for participation.

The ride, which starts on February 4th, coinciding with World Cancer Day, will travel across all seven emirates, and concludes on 10th February, as they raise awareness for breast cancer.

The committee noted that the yearly gathering of the public and communities across the

country, alongside the participation of horse-riders all over the nation, made the pan-UAE campaign organised by Sharjah-based civil society organisation Friends Of Cancer Patients (FOCP) a massive success over the past years, and an enjoyable and important event that was a highlight on the calendar. The committee also commented on how the yearly ride was a true example of how all segments of society, including government bodies and institutions, can come together to raise awareness on the importance of early detection, and help to combat cancer and promote a healthy lifestyle for all.

'Pink Caravan' calls on riders to join the 11th pan-UAE breast cancer awareness ride

ALL RIDERS WHO WISH TO VOLUNTEER SHOULD BE OVER 16 YEARS OF AGE AND POSSESS SUFFICIENT EQUESTRIAN SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE.

Kallman Worldwide Invests in U.S. Presence at Arab Health

2023 To Offer Most Expansive Pavilion to Date

Marking the Company's 60-year Anniversary and Highlighting Commitment to U.A.E. Business Opportunity

will represent a wide scope of America’s smartest science, technology, and innovation.

As one of the largest national groups at this year’s show, the United States of America plans to showcase groundbreaking healthcare and medical technology at Arab Health Exhibition 2023, taking place at Dubai World Trade Centre from 30 January to 2 February.

Arab Health is the largest event of its kind in the Middle East. This year’s edition is projected to attract 51,090 trade show attendees across the four-day exhibition, housing 3,000 exhibiting healthcare companies from 70 countries – the United States of America being one of the largest national contingents.

As the world leader in health and medical innovation, Americans play a unique, multifaceted role in the development of the U.A.E.’s vision and plans. The centerpiece of the national effort at Arab Health is the USA Partnership Pavilion, organized since 1996 by Kallman Worldwide, Inc., in coordination with numerous government agencies, including the departments of Commerce and State.

The Pavilion has expanded to four halls (1, 3, 6, and 7) and will host 215 exhibitors, more than 72% of the total American contingent, 63 for the first time at the event. From personal care and safety products to over-the-counter remedies, specialized medical devices, equipment and treatment strategies, U.S. exhibitors in Dubai

Entering its 60th year in 2023, Kallman Worldwide will be representing the North American presence at the show as returning advocates for global trade. With over 25 years of experience at Arab Health, their industry and show knowledge far exceed that of any other American pavilion organizers.

The Pavilion is a well-established destination for buyers looking for an efficient way to meet a critical mass of leading suppliers, an on-site business center for U.S. exhibitors looking to maximize their exposure and impact at the event, and a networking forum for all to share ideas and insights.

The Meeting Point (Booth #H1.D37), the Pavilion’s exclusive exhibitor lounge, has doubled in size this year due to ever-growing business opportunities in the region. The lounge now encompasses a double story feature, increasing the total U.S. footprint by 200 sqm, or 7% of the overall space. This unique structure, provided by Kallman Worldwide, demonstrates the value of the regional market to the United States through a considerable investment and ongoing commitment to U.S.- U.A.E. partnership.

USA PARTNERSHIP PAVILION EXPANDS TO FOUR HALLS (1, 3, 6, 7, SA, AND S1) AND A TWO-FLOOR EXHIBITORS LOUNGE – INCREASING THE TOTAL U.S. FOOTPRINT BY 200 SQM, OR 7% OF THE OVERALL SPACE

“As the organizer of the Pavilion at Arab Health for more than 25 years (before the launch of Dubai Healthcare City) our team is proud to help exhibitors capitalize on this influential international business opportunity and contribute to the extraordinary level of investment in medical infrastructure and innovation in the U.A.E.” states Tom Kallman, President and CEO of Kallman Worldwide, “Sixty years ago, when my father founded Kallman Worldwide, I’m sure he never would have imagined it to be making such massive strides in 2023. He instilled in me the importance of our role in facilitating international cooperation, trade, and friendship, and I have engraved that same passion for excellent export service into my company and employees. With over 60 years’ experience, nearly half of which has been rooted in the healthcare industry, Kallman Worldwide will continue as staunch advocates for U.S. global exports and trade.”

Columbus, Ohio, may feel like a world away, but our faculty, researchers and facility have earned international reputations for expertise in rare and complex conditions. Our Cardiovascular team is leading groundbreaking development of a biodegradable tissue-engineered vascular graft for children with congenital heart defects. Our multidisciplinary Center for Colorectal and Pelvic Reconstruction excels in advanced care for even the rarest congenital disorders, motility issues, fecal incontinence concerns and more, for patients in more than 60 countries. And the powerhouse team at the helm of our Neurosurgery and Neuro-Oncology programs excels in both leadership and collaboration in multinational cancer research. When you’re here, you are the center of our attention. Come to Nationwide Children’s —nothing but the best in care, in an accessible, cosmopolitan city.

DUPHAT 2023 concludes with commercial deals worth over AED6.12 billion

The 28th edition of the Dubai International Pharmacy Technologies Conference and Exhibition, DUPHAT 2023, concluded in Dubai, generating exceptional interest from stakeholders across the pharmaceutical industry. The three-day global event saw commercial deals worth over AED6.12 billion, an increase of 20% from the previous year.

Organised for the past 28 years by INDEX Conferences and Exhibitions, DUPHAT is one of the Middle East and Africa region’s biggest scientific and medical events. A total of 1,147 companies from 82 countries exhibited pharmaceutical and medical products at this year’s edition. DUPHAT 2023, which attracted more than 26,000 visitors from around the world, also showcased a wide range of pharmaceutical innovation.

His Excellency Dr. Abdul Salam Al Madani, Roving Ambassador for the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean for the GCC, and Executive Chairman of DUPHAT, said: "The AED6.12 billion worth of deals generated by DUPHAT 2023 reflect Dubai’s stature as one of the world’s leading commercial centres and a major healthcare and pharmaceutical hub. The vast interest attracted by the event signifies the scientific, academic, and commercial value it of-

28TH EDITION OF THE EVENT SHOWCASED INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES THAT CAN ENHANCE THE PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION OF PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS.

fers to both the public and private sectors in the industry. We are committed to organising events that can help attract international investment to the UAE and promote commercial engagement with markets across the world. DUPHAT has made significant contributions to the growth of the pharmaceutical sector and the development of continuous medical education in the region and beyond over the last three decades. Through lectures and educational seminars conducted by leading experts, the event has provided a platform for advancing knowledge-sharing and capacity-building in the industry. The success of the event was made possible by the strong cooperation between the public and private sectors to promote innovation and the use of new technologies in the pharmaceutical sector.”

Platform for knowledge sharing

The conference provided a forum for sharing new knowledge and expertise in various medical and pharmaceutical fields. Leading doctors and pharmaceutical experts from the US, Europe, the GCC, and other parts of the world discussed the role played by pharmacists in curbing the spread of COVID-19. Some of the other vital issues discussed at this year’s DUPHAT included the use of medication during pregnancy, clinical pharmacy practices, public health and therapeutic drug monitoring.

Dr. Ali Al Sayed Hussain, Director of the Pharmaceutical Services Department at the Dubai Health Authority and Chairman of DUPHAT, said: “The outcomes of this year’s DUPHAT Conference and Exhibition have exceeded our expectations. The event continues to play a vital role in catalysing the development of the medical and healthcare industries and the growth of the pharmaceutical market. The feedback received from global participants including the large markets of US and Europe confirm DUPHAT’s emergence as a major forum for the exchange of knowledge and ideas that can shape the future of the industry”.

Sharjah’s Al Qassimi Hospital performs first cardiac catheterisation using the advanced GENTUITY device

Ateam of doctors at Al Qassimi Hospital in Sharjah – an affiliate of Emirates Health Services (EHS) – successfully performed the first cardiac catheterisation using the advanced GENTUITY device, which is the most advanced of its kind compared to the current generation.

The new device can scan more than 100mm of coronary arteries in less than a second, which leads to 33% greater coverage when compared with devices currently in use. Meanwhile, the thickness of the catheter using the new device is equivalent to 0.60mm (Fr1.8).

The GENTUITY device, which relies on the scanning mechanism, evaluates the coronary arteries in terms of cholesterol, calcium, and tissue, and reads the extent of the susceptibility of these tissues to heart attacks in the future.

The advanced device was used to perform the catheterisation of a 50-year-old woman. The patient was admitted to the hospital suffering from angina pectoris, and after running the necessary tests, it was found that there were atherosclerosis in the arteries, which required immediate intervention using catheters and the GENTUITY device, which covers the coronary

arteries with diameters ranging between 1.3mm and 6mm to remove coronary atherosclerosis.

Dr. Arif Al Nooryani, Chief Executive Officer at Al Qassimi Hospital, confirmed that the device used is highly accurate, capable of scanning minuscule coronary capillaries and detecting atherosclerosis in them. The CEO said he was proud of this achievement, which adds to the Hospital’s track record, and expressed his gratitude to Emirates Health Services for its constant support and providing the hospital with the most advanced medical technologies.Dr. Al Nooryani added that the value and importance of the device lies in its ability to detect sclerosis early in the most delicate coronary capillaries, as well as in its speed compared to the previous generation currently in use, which speeds up surgical interventions, facilitates the performance of delicate catheterisations and removing sclerosis in patients.

Over the past few years, Al Qassimi Hospital of Emirates Health Services has performed multiple delicate surgeries that placed it among the ranks of top international hospitals. It was also the first hospital that EHS equipped with medical robots that are used in delicate surgeries.

THE ADVANCED DEVICE WAS USED TO PERFORM THE CATHETERISATION OF A 50-YEAROLD WOMAN. THE PATIENT WAS ADMITTED TO THE HOSPITAL SUFFERING FROM ANGINA PECTORIS, AND AFTER RUNNING THE NECESSARY TESTS, IT WAS FOUND THAT THERE WERE ATHEROSCLEROSIS IN THE ARTERIES, WHICH REQUIRED IMMEDIATE INTERVENTION USING CATHETERS AND THE GENTUITY DEVICE, WHICH COVERS THE CORONARY ARTERIES WITH DIAMETERS RANGING BETWEEN 1.3MM AND 6MM TO REMOVE CORONARY ATHEROSCLEROSIS.

Dubai Chamber of Commerce launches Medical Labs & Diagnostic Centers Business Group

over 150 specialties and professionals from over 90 countries

Medical tourism

Medical tourism sales are expected to record a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 17.1 per cent between 2021 and 2025, according to report by the Ministry of Economy and the UAE International Investors Council.

Maha AlGargawi

Dubai Chamber of Commerce, one of the three chambers operating under Dubai Chambers, has announced the establishment of the Medical Labs & Diagnostic Centers Business Group. Supporting the robust healthcare sector in Dubai and the wider UAE, the new business group seeks to foster collaborative relationships between its members and relevant stakeholders to cement importance of medical labs and diagnostic centers within the healthcare sector.

Maha AlGargawi, Executive Director of Business Advocacy at Dubai Chambers, said: “The setting up of this business group comes at the right time as it brings together businesses within the diagnostic labs sector and further strengthens Dubai’s burgeoning healthcare industry. The business group will play an instrumental role in supporting the sector, helping it thrive in the coming years.”

Dubai’s healthcare market is worth more than $4.63 billion annually. Dubai and the wider UAE is rapidly emerging as healthcare hub with major opportunities. The UAE hosts the world’s largest medical free zone, Dubai Healthcare City which comprises 160 clinical partners across

Dr. Ola Elgaddar, General Manager at Al Borg Diagnostics UAE, noted: “The healthcare industry in Dubai and the wider UAE is clearly flourishing. As a founding member of this business group, I am keen to start conversations with my fellow peers to see how we can further embed our sector and businesses in the healthcare industry. This business group will serve as an opportune platform to discuss topics that are critical to our sector and bounce off ideas and suggestions on ways to move forward.”

The establishment of the Medical Labs & Diagnostic Centers Business Group plays a crucial role in recommending policy changes to improve the sector’s competitiveness and attractiveness while promoting international best practices and supporting the emirate’s economic growth. It is part of the chamber’s plans to increase the number of business groups that represent economic sectors and activities in Dubai to 100 by March 2023.

MEDICAL TOURISM SALES ARE EXPECTED TO RECORD A CAGR OF 17.1 PER CENT BETWEEN 2021 AND 2025, ACCORDING TO REPORT BY THE MINISTRY OF ECONOMY AND THE UAE INTERNATIONAL INVESTORS COUNCIL.

Thumbay Dental Hospital signs MoU with Gaea Cynosure to

training facilities

surgeons as well as collaborations in various advanced super-specialized educational programs in association with Gaea Cynosure.

In line with strategic objective of expanding the network of partner academic institutions, Thumbay Dental Hospital, the leading academic dental hospital in the Middle East region has entered into an agreement with Gaea Cynosure, one of the region’s leading continuing medical education (CME) provider. The MoU was signed between both the institutions at the Thumbay Medicity on January 12, 2023, represented by Dr. Danavanthi Bangera, Medical Director at Thumbay Dental Hospital and Veena Jacob, CEO & Managing Director, Gaea Cynosure in the presence of Dr. Thumbay Moideen, Founder President, Thumbay Group, Akbar Moideen, Vice-President Healthcare Division, Thumbay Group and Dino George, Executive Director, Gaea Cynosure. The MoU aims to provide clinical training facilities for doctors, physicians and

Speaking about the partnership, Dr. Danavanthi Bangera, Medical Director at Thumbay Dental Hospital: “We are delighted to be collaborating with Gaea Cynosure to extend our state-of-the-art facilities in providing clinical training, open up new educational avenues and offering advanced specialized courses for students and practicing professionals. Through this partnership, Thumbay Dental Hospital and Gaea Cynosure have a shared vision of nurturing healthcare education in the UAE, to develop a highly qualified, specialized and sustainable healthcare workforce.”

Meanwhile, Veena Jacob, CEO & MD, Gaea Cynosure, stated, "In our pursuit of empowering the medical professionals in this region, we recognize the importance of pioneering new partnerships that facilitate academically advanced and most sought-after skill development courses. And therefore, we are pleased to partner with Thumbay Dental Hospital to conduct the continuing medical education (CME) programs that opens new facets towards building a best-in-class healthcare professionals, an enabler to achieve the UAE’s goal to provide world-class healthcare delivery.”

Mediclinic Welcare Hospital has become the first hospital in the MENA region to offer iTind – an advanced and minimally invasive procedure for the enlarged prostate. Dr. Salam Alhasani, Consultant Urologist at Mediclinic Welcare Hospital, is one of the first urologists not only in the UAE but in the entire MENA region, to offer iTind for the treatment of an enlarged prostate to his patients. Three of his carefully selected patients have already had procedures completed. Dr. Alhasani said: “For decades, the main challenge in the treatment of prostate enlargement is finding an ideal therapy that achieves proper relief of bladder obstruction without having an impact on male performance. To reach the main goal of medicine, namely improving the quality of life, iTind is a great example of that goal that alleviates patient urinary problems without interfering with manhood."

provide state-of-the-art clinical

Mediclinic Welcare Hospital; The first in the UAE to offer iTind procedure for enlarged prostate

THE MOU AIMS TO PROVIDE CLINICAL TRAINING FACILITIES FOR DOCTORS, PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS AS WELL AS COLLABORATIONS IN VARIOUS ADVANCED SUPERSPECIALIZED EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS IN ASSOCIATION WITH GAEA CYNOSURE.

Iraqi Siamese Twins "Omar and Ali" Successfully Separated in an 11-hour Complex Surgery

At the directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and HRH the Crown Prince, the specialized surgical team managed to separate the Iraqi Siamese twins, Omar and Ali, who were attached to the lower chest and abdomen, and share the liver, bile ducts, and intestines, after a complex surgery that lasted 11 hours and was operated in six phases, with the participation of a 27-member team of consultants, specialists, nursing and technical staff.

Advisor at the Royal Court, Supervisor General of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief), and head of the medical team, Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Rabeeah, explained that this operation comes in implementation of the generous directives of the Saudi leadership, which accounts for the 54th of the Saudi program for the separation of conjoined twins. He added that the Saudi program was able, during the past 32 years, to operate on 127 Siamese twins from 23 countries, stressing the Kingdom's pioneering role in humanitarian work in general and medical work in particular. Dr. Al-Rabeeah thanked the medical team who performed the surgery for their efforts, stressing that this achievement reflects the wise leadership's keenness to help people wherever they are. He added that it also reflects the Saudi medical excellence, which comes in line with the

ADVISOR AT THE ROYAL COURT, SUPERVISOR GENERAL OF THE KING SALMAN HUMANITARIAN AID AND RELIEF CENTER (KSRELIEF), AND HEAD OF THE MEDICAL TEAM, DR. ABDULLAH BIN ABDULAZIZ AL RABEEAH, EXPLAINED THAT THIS OPERATION COMES IN IMPLEMENTATION OF THE GENEROUS DIRECTIVES OF THE SAUDI LEADERSHIP, WHICH ACCOUNTS FOR THE 54TH OF THE SAUDI PROGRAM FOR THE SEPARATION OF CONJOINED TWINS.

goals of the Kingdom's Vision 2030 to develop the health sector in the Kingdom and advance its quality and efficiency. Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, extended, in his name and on behalf of his fellow members of the medical team, the appreciation and gratitude to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and HRH the Crown Prince for the generous support received by the Saudi program for the separation of the conjoined twins.

Iraqi Ambassador to the Kingdom, Dr. Abdul-Sattar Hadi Al-Janabi, appreciated the unlimited humanitarian support and efforts provided by the government of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and HRH, the Crown Prince, praising the efforts of the medical team led by Dr. Al-Rabeeah, and expressing his great happiness for the successful separation surgery of the Iraqi twins "Omar and Ali".

The Twins’ parents extended their thanks and gratitude to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and HRH the Crown Prince for the distinguished medical team’s operation to separate the twins and provide them with the necessary treatment, praising the Kingdom’s great humanitarian work, and the Saudi warm reception and hospitality they have received throughout their stay in the Kingdom.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) to drive growth for healthcare sector in the UAE says Al Tamimi Investments

THE MARKET FOR DIGITAL HEALTH TECHNOLOGIES, PARTICULARLY ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI), MACHINE LEARNING (ML) TOOLS IN HEALTHCARE IS FORECAST TO TOP $20 BILLION IN 2023.

“2023 will see the healthcare sector adopt new digital technologies. Healthcare companies in the UAE are committed to using cutting-edge health technologies that offer unparalleled service, excellence and best treatment plans for their patients. This will not only fast-track the growth of the industry in the country, but also power its healthcare ambitions,” added Tabbara.

The global healthcare industry is expected to grow by $563.59 billion during 20232027, accelerating at a CAGR of 25.8% during the forecast period. Healthcare market opportunities, especially new hospital projects in the Middle East and Africa region are also set to grow to $68.8 billion in the coming year.

“The UAE is an important market for healthcare in the region. As one of the most economically developed and diversified markets in the Middle East, the UAE has a strong healthcare infrastructure driven by robust technologies. In addition, the government’s commitment to digital healthcare is one of the key drivers of growth within the country’s healthcare market,” said Dani Tabbara, COO of Al Tamimi Investments, a leading investments firm in the UAE.

The market for digital health technologies, particularly Artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML) tools in healthcare is forecast to top $20 billion in 2023. According to Residence Research, the global AI-in-healthcare market has reached $15.1 billion in 2022 and is expected to hit $20.65 billion in 2023. And by 2030, the market will reach $187.95 billion (with an annual growth rate of 37% from 2022 to 2030). In addition, telemedicine, health wearables, and neurotechnology will push med-tech companies to spend more in the next few years.

THE UAE SPENDS ABOUT 3.5 PER CENT OF ITS GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT ON HEALTHCARE.

The UAE spends about 3.5 per cent of its gross domestic product on healthcare, with about 70 per cent of it from public spending and only 30 per cent from the private sector. The UAE government has allocated Dhs4.9bn (8.4 per cent of the total budget) to healthcare and community protection in the federal budget for 2022-2026.

“The UAE’s quick infrastructural expansion, robust governing agenda to protect patients, increasing emphasis on precautionary care, privatization and digital transformation play a key role in boosting the healthcare sector. In addition, foreign direct investment (FDI) is another important element driving the growth of the industry,” said Tabbara.

Foreign direct investment (FDI) into the healthcare sector is rising with 100 per cent foreign ownership. The UAE’s growing reputation as an innovation hub is also attracting startups and entrepreneurs from across the world. Investments in areas like home nursing, telehealth, virtual care, genomics and personalized medicine are testament to this. According to Joint Commission International (JCI), a US organization that approves healthcare organizations and programs, the UAE is the first country in the world to have more than 200 accredited health facilities, including hospitals, medical laboratories, specialized centers, primary health centers and home health facilities. With the country stepping into an ambitious progress journey in 2023, the patient’s well-being driven by high-tech solutions will be the core of its plans.

Dani Tabbara

Saudi Surgeons Perform Heart Transplant for Youngest Newborn in Middle East

Ateam of pediatric cardiac surgeons at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center (KFSHRC) performed consecutive heart transplants on two children, one of them an eight-month-old, within 24 hours in Riyadh. Before the surgery, the two girls used temporary artificial pumps.

The team traveled to Makkah to remove the heart of a deceased donor, which was then transported and transplanted in the 19-monthold patient, managing to overcome all the logistic obstacles with the help of the Saudi Ministry of Defense’s aeromedical evacuation team.

The KFSHRC’s surgical team also traveled to Dubai to perform heart removal surgery on a deceased donor within 24 hours. The heart was then transplanted in a young Emirati girl who’s almost eight months old, after completing all the regulative procedures including the approval of the donor’s family.

The Saudi Center for Organ Transplantation, the UAE’s National Center for Regulating Donation and Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissue, and the Saudi Ministry of Defense’s aeromedical evacuation team played instrumen-

tal roles in facilitating the travel.

The Emirati child is the youngest case to have undergone this surgery. The previous youngest case was an eleven-month-old girl that underwent a transplant last year.

The surgeries of the two girls were performed in KFSHRC, Riyadh. Such surgeries require highly experienced human cadres, and an advanced medical infrastructure that is available at KFSHRC, as well as a logistic support that facilitates the travel of the medical team in a record time, and in these cases, it was provided by the Saudi Ministry of Defense’s aeromedical evacuation team. The two girls are improving after they underwent the heart transplant surgery, and currently undergoing periodic medical follow-up. Before the surgery, they suffered from a severe heart failure, which required the deployment of temporary artificial pumps until donors were found.

The heart transplant program for children and adults at KFSHRC is the largest in the Middle East with surgeries comparable to global numbers in the heart transplant field. Since the establishment of the program in 1989, KFSHRC has conducted over 431 heart transplants surgeries.

THE SURGERIES OF THE TWO GIRLS WERE PERFORMED IN KFSHRC, RIYADH. SUCH SURGERIES REQUIRE HIGHLY EXPERIENCED HUMAN CADRES, AND AN ADVANCED MEDICAL INFRASTRUCTURE THAT IS AVAILABLE AT KFSHRC, AS WELL AS A LOGISTIC SUPPORT THAT FACILITATES THE TRAVEL OF THE MEDICAL TEAM IN A RECORD TIME, AND IN THESE CASES, IT WAS PROVIDED BY THE SAUDI MINISTRY OF DEFENSE’S AEROMEDICAL EVACUATION TEAM.

'Hayat' enrols more than 10,000 organ donors

by Abu Dhabi on 7th-9th November 2022, and has since expanded its scope through a series of community events and activities, including the Zayed Charity Marathon and ADNOC Abu Dhabi Marathon 2022, alongside several others organised by the campaign's partners.

Following the announcement of the Abu Dhabi community campaign supporting the National Programme for Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation "Hayat", the number of registrants in the National Programme for Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation "Hayat" programme has reached more than 10,000 organ donors from different nationalities, backgrounds and ages.

The Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, in collaboration with several partners in the public and private sectors, has launched the Abu Dhabi community campaign supporting the programme. The campaign aims to encourage community members to register as organ and tissue donors, improving the quality of life of patients suffering from organ failure.

Abdulla bin Mohamed Al Hamed, Chairman of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, and the management team members in the department were among the first to register as organ and tissue donors in the campaign. The community campaign was launched during the International Conference for Initiatives on Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation hosted

'HAYAT' IS A SYNERGY OF COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS OF MANY FEDERAL AND LOCAL ENTITIES, AS WELL AS GOVERNMENTAL AND PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS, TO ACHIEVE A LOFTY GOAL BASED ON SAVING LIVES

Dr. Rashed Al Suwaidi, Executive Director of Healthcare Workforce Planning Sector, said, "We are pleased with the achievement of the campaign since its launch, as it witnessed an incredible community interaction reflecting community awareness and solidarity in Abu Dhabi. We continue to achieve the campaign's goals and support ‘Hayat’, backed by our vision of making Abu Dhabi a healthy community. The numbers registered in the programme prove the community's keenness to participate in this noble humanitarian act, which contributes to saving the lives of many desperate for help."

Dr. Ali Al Obaidli, Chairman of UAE National Transplant Committee, stated "'Hayat' is a synergy of collaborative efforts of many federal and local entities, as well as governmental and private institutions, to achieve a lofty goal based on saving the lives of many, and instilling hope for the well-being of communities in the UAE and the region."

The Abu Dhabi community campaign encourages all community members to register their request to donate organs and tissues post-mortem, highlighting the success achieved by Abu Dhabi and showcasing the emirate's experience and capabilities in organ and tissue areas donation and transplantation. The campaign aims to raise awareness among the community on the importance of adopting a healthy lifestyle, avoiding the chance of developing lifestyle-related diseases and organ failure, and thus reducing the need for transplantation.

This awareness includes regular physical activity and adopting a healthy diet to avoid chronic diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity and other health conditions.

Abdulla bin Mohamed Al Hamed

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James Waterson. RN, M.Med.Ed. MHEc. Medical Affairs Manager. Becton Dickinson, Medication Management Solutions. Middle East and Africa. Maged Farrag BSc, ACIM. Clinical and Workflow Manager: Clinical Support. Medication Management Solutions. Becton Dickinson. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

An article submitted to the American journal of hospital pharmacy long ago in 1967 identified how ‘outpatient visits are increasing at a rapid rate and administrative adjustments will be needed to handle larger outpatient prescription volumes.’ The author laid out how, ‘new methods and procedures must be developed to reduce patient waiting time, provide the physician and the pharmacist with information pertinent to drug therapy and increase productivity through the elimination of administrative detail which can be handled better through automation’.1

The situation remains not dissimilar in 2022, some fifty-five years later. Outpatient visits continue to rise year-on-year, with increasingly complex patients being handled by these departments. Globally, there has been a drive towards automation in healthcare to help handle the constantly increasing workload, and to allow for the redeployment of our limited numbers of highly qualified staff away from routine tasks and towards more constructive engagement with patients.

There is also considerable political and financial pressure on healthcare decision-makers

Pharmacy robotics systems optimize the placement of medications on shelves, this ensures that more items can be stored without increasing the overall volume of stock. Up to 4,000 medication packs/metre of shelving can be stored by advanced robotic systems. An increase in line-item storage without a concurrent growth in stock level overall can reduce bound capital, expired stock loss, and allow for more prescriptions to be completed.

to optimize the utilization of resources and to improve services for patients, whilst ensuring that any automation and technology that is deployed definitively adds quantifiable health-economic value. The size of any initial investment in health technology and automation is inevitably significant and requires substantial decisions to be taken about funding, the need for change, and required re-engineering of a facility’s infrastructure and established hospital and department procedures, policies, and workflows.

Generally speaking, the areas in which automation may make a difference can be assessed through direct metrics such as average time from prescription order to dispensing, completeness of medications dispensed versus prescriptions, expired inventory, average inventory stock levels, turnaround of unused or uncollected medications into circulation, number of mislabelling or prescription discrepancy events caught, time taken in completing regular inventory, and the percentage of missing medications identified.

More intangible metrics such as the impact of automation on freeing pharmacists from non-valued added tasks, which might allow for ‘ringfencing’ of pharmacist time for patient counselling and education, which may assist in improved patient medication adherence and a reduction in medication error at home related readmissions2 are more difficult to apply, but patient satisfaction studies with the quality of pharmacy services can help triangulate this and specialist questionnaires related to the likelihood of a patient complying with medication regimens such as the Morisky-Green-Levine Medication Adherence Scale can be used.

Studies and meta-analyses related to automation processes for inpatient environments have been conducted; some of these can be extrapolated to the outpatient department but only with the caveat that while the two settings share some elements, there are also distinct differences in workflow challenges, safety concerns, service elements, and staffing.

A relatively recent systematic literature review of automated and semiautomated drug distribution systems in acute care hospitals evaluated effectiveness in terms of medication

safety, time, and costs of medication management3. A general conclusion was that patient safety improved with automation, and that highly centralized systems for dispensing saved more time than decentralized arrangements.

In terms of medication picking, a key aspect of robotic pharmacy systems, a recent UK study conducted in the last quarter of 2019 showed that lookalike-soundalike (LASA) errors represented 25.9% of the total of all human dispensing errors 4. LASA medications is an area where barcode reading by machine would be expected to be potentially error-free. An important priority for patients, particularly outpatients, is the time spent waiting for medications to be dispensed5. The most common method of outpatient dispensing is for original-pack medications to be given to the patient rather than unit-dose or blister-packs. This method has advantages for automation, as it requires less fine manipulation of the dispensed medication and allows for a relatively faster throughput and service to the patient6. A 21-month study was conducted in Saudi Arabia between September 2018 and June 2020 with a go-live for an automated pharmacy system after 11 months. This gave pre- and post-implementation data over an extended period allowing for comparison of equally complex patients with diverse issues of infirmity, age, education, pharmaceutical requirements, and health state.7

Figure 1: Management Processes, Challenges, and Pain Points, in Outpatient Pharmacy Dispensing Mapped alongside Solutions.

This study focused strongly on patient satisfaction using standardized questionnaires in Arabic and English to measure the patients’ experiences which could be completed by patients and carers via tablets and smartphones. There was a substantial difference in patient satisfaction pre- and post-automation, which strongly correlated with waiting time reductions and more ring-fenced time spent with pharmacy professionals. This is in line with a European study that reviewed the factors associated with outpatients’ satisfaction with the services they receive.8

Figure 2

Figure 2: Automation Go-Live in August 2019: Patient Satisfaction with Waiting Time and Overall Patient Satisfaction climbs to over 90%. 7

When two robots are required to feed large outpatient departments, the dispensing desks are fed via spirals, unidirectional belts with feed gates and a bidirectional belt feeding from both robots.

The increase in speed of dispensing by the automated pharmacy leading to these reduced waiting times can be accounted for the nature of ‘picking’ by the pharmacy robot; rapid barcode identification of ordered medications and multi-picking of up to eight medication packages per move makes for a speedy pick up.

Conveyor belts and automated gates leading to spiral chutes can deliver these picked medications directly to patient service points.

The study7 also addressed maintaining medication safety with an increasing outpatient census with growth expected to be 25% per annum and planned for over 5- and 10-year horizons. Against an on-average increasing number of dispensed items, it is notable that the dispensing error rate descended to a near zero rate.

Figure 3: Automation Go-Live August 2019: Medication Error Rate versus dispensed item volume. 7

In a study reported in 2022, the Six Sigma method9,10,11 was applied to an outpatient pharmacy automation project in a large facility receiving 500,000 outpatient visits yearly (with an increase of ~15% per year), operating 24 hours a day, and serving metropolitan Riyadh. The project was undertaken to improve patient safety, quality of service, and to reduce costs.12

A key point during the introduction of automation to any human system is to maximize the integration of robotics to the workforce. Mapping processes using the Six Sigma methodology and creating Ishikawa plans before the introduction of automation can be useful methods to improve synchronicity between humans and robotic systems.13 It also helps identify ‘choke-points’ that can be addressed directly by automation, or that require re-engineering of the workflow.

Figure 4: A pre-automation Ishikawa fishbone diagram with input and output deficiencies. 12

outcome metrics, including storage, picking and delivery dispensing rates, patient and prescription load per day, average packs and lines per prescription, and lines held were developed.

The two automated dispensing units were integrated with the hospital’s information technology (HIT) that supports appointments, medication records, and prescriptions.

In this study, post-automation, the total patient time in the department, including the time interacting with the pharmacist for medication education and counseling, dropped from 17.093 to 11.812 digital minutes, with an appreciable increase in patient-pharmacist time. 12

The percentage of incomplete prescriptions dispensed versus orders decreased from 3.0% to 1.83%. The dispensing error rate dropped

Figure 3

The Six Sigma approach also produces a road map that integrates tracking and monitoring into its process. Tracking of activity in the outpatient department focused on removing non-value-added (NVA) pharmacist tasks and key Figure 4

from 1.00% to 0.24%. During implementation, it was found that NVA tasks that were replaced by automated processes had been responsible for an extensive loss of pharmacist time. The productivity ratio post-automation was 1.26.

When adding stock, pharmacy robots read the expiry dates on drug packages, and thereby reduce waste from out-of-date medications, and can also automatically recognise medications that require refrigeration. Some automated pharmacies have internal refrigerated storage units within them, and their entire stock area is temperature controlled.

Regular inventory is a labor-heavy task in a manual pharmacy. Automated pharmacies have advantages in maintaining a consistent inventory count as each of the actions; direct loading into the robotic-managed storage with barcode reading for medication stock-up and automatic item deduction from stock level upon dispensing is under its control. This means that the inventory balance is a constant and dynamic process. In the 2022 Riyadh facility study12 Medication wastage from expiry was assessed via a ‘basket’ of medications. In this study, wastage cost was reduced by 83.9% post-automation.

From what has been seen in these studies, the time savings achieved, and accuracy of automated dispensing for outpatients are impressive. The studies also indicate that the fuller the integration between systems such as Computerised Practitioner Order Entry, Electronic Medication Administration Record, and the patient’s Electronic Medical Record and

automated dispensing systems, the greater are the potential gains for the organisation.

Perhaps what is most important is that our most valuable asset, skilled pharmacists, are freed from non-value-added tasks and can devote their expertise to patient counseling and education. With at home medication error and non-adherence being estimated as being responsible for an estimated 14.7% of emergency room admissions in Saudi Arabia per year,14 it is clear that the patient, and their medication education needs must be at the centre of any outpatient automation strategy.

Robotic dispensing units can be replenished during off-peak hours via an electronic refill system that triggers stock requests versus par levels for each medication held against a continuous inventory and consumption check.

References:

1. Hynniman C, Lamy P. Outpatient pharmacy automation. American Journal of Hospital Pharmacy 1967; 24. 18-21.

2. Oñatibia-Astibia A, Malet-Larrea A, Larrañaga B, Gastelurrutia, Calvo B, Ramírez D, Garay, et al. Tailored interventions by community pharmacists and general practitioners improve adherence to statins in a Spanish randomized controlled trial. Health Serv Res 2019 Jun 07;54(3):658-668.

3. Ahtiainen H, Kallio M, Airaksinen M, Holmström A. Safety, time and cost evaluation of automated and semi-automated drug distribution systems in hospitals: a systematic review. Eur J Hosp Pharm 2019 Mar 19;27(5):253-262.

4. National Pharmacy Association. NPA medication safety update (MSO report). NPA medication safety update (MSO report) Quarter 4 2019 (England). 2019. URL: https://www.npa.co.uk/ news-and-events/news-item/npa-medication-safety-update-mso-report-quarter-4-2019-england/ [accessed 2022-10-19]

5. Tam V, Lim M. Patients' Perceptions and Expectations of Outpatient Pharmacy Services in a Teaching Hospital. Int J Pharm Prac 1997;5:128-132.

6. Tan W, Chua S, Yong K, Wu T. Impact of pharmacy automation on patient waiting time: an application of computer simulation. Ann Acad Med Singap 2009 Jun;38(6):501-507.

7. Momattin H, Arafa S, Momattin S, Rahal R, Waterson J. Robotic pharmacy implementation and outcomes in Saudi Arabia. A twenty-one month review. JMIR Hum Factors. 2021 Jul 23.

8. Martínez-López-de-Castro N, Álvarez-Payero M, Martín-Vila A, Samartín-Ucha M, Iglesias-Neiro P, Gayoso-Rey M, et al. Factors associated with patient satisfaction in an outpatient hospital pharmacy. Eur J Hosp Pharm 2018 Jul 16;25(4):183-188.

9. Niñerola A, Sánchez-Rebull MV, Hernández-Lara AB. Quality improvement in healthcare: Six Sigma systematic review. Health Policy 2020 Apr;124(4):438-445.

10. De Koning H, Verver J, van den Heuvel J, Bisgaard S, Does R. Lean Six Sigma in healthcare. J Healthc Qual. 2006;28(2):4-11.

11. DelliFraine J, Wang Z, McCaughey D, Langabeer J, Erwin C. The use of Six Sigma in health care management: are we using it to its full potential? Qual Manag Health Care 2014;23(4):240253.

12. Al Nemari M, Waterson J. The Introduction of Robotics to an Outpatient Dispensing and Medication Management Process in Saudi Arabia: Retrospective Review of a Pharmacy-led Multidisciplinary Six Sigma Performance Improvement Project. JMIR Hum Factors. 2022 Oct 11;9(4):e37905.

13. Van den Heuvel J, Does R. Dutch hospital implements Six Sigma. Six Sigma Forum Magazine 2004;4(2):11-14.

14. Al-Olah Y, Al Thiab K. Admissions through the emergency department due to drug-related problems. Ann Saudi Med 2008;28(6):426-429.

THE NEXT LEVEL OF HOSPITAL CARE

Wagiman Tandun and his wife Elly Norman traveled from Indonesia to seek medical treatment at Sunway Medical Centre (SMC), Sunway City Kuala Lumpur, for Wagimun’s cancer.

During the course of his treatment for over a year in 2020 and 2021, Wagimun was in the care of a renowned Malaysian Haematologist, Dato’ Dr Chang Kian Ming, who specializes in blood cancers.

“It was a difficult time for our family,” shares Wagimun. “However, my wife and I have been shown the utmost kindness and sincerity by the hospitable and capable staff at SMC.”

Wagimun was especially grateful for the members of the International Patient Centre (IPC), who attended to his and his family’s every need – from responding to their questions quickly, to arranging for hospital transfers and facilitating visa extensions.

ITS FLAGSHIP SMC HOSPITAL IN KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA, HAS MORE THAN 60 SUBSPECIALTIES, MANY OF WHICH ARE IN THE AREA OF CANCER TREATMENT.

From innovative cancer treatments to robotic surgeries, award-winning Sunway Medical Centre seeks to provide the best in class for its international patients

Venica Nina, Manager at IPC, says her team’s responsibility entails the A to Z of an international patient’s journey in Malaysia, be it transportation from airports, arranging accommodation, acquiring second opinions of medical specialists, assisting in various documentation needed, interpreting languages, providing financial counseling, or even visiting patients during their treatment.

“We are the left and right hands of the patient and their families, we’re on standby 24/7 if necessary,” says Venica. “My happiest memories are when patients recover well.”

Dato’ Lau Beng Long, who is the President of Sunway Healthcare Group, a medical group with several tertiary hospitals and ambulatory and complementary healthcare centres under its wing, says that SMC has been receiving on average more than 40000 international patients visits yearly due its excellence in both patient experience as well as treatment in various subspecialties.

Its flagship SMC hospital in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, has more than 60 subspecialties, many of which are in the area of cancer treatment.

“Sunway Medical Centre has risen to be one

SMC’S AWARDWINNING CANCER CENTRE HAS RECENTLY BEEN THE FOCUS OF ATTENTION.

of the top two hospitals in Malaysia in procuring health tourists. This is because one of our key Centres of Excellence is anchored in cancer services,” says Lau. “The top treatments sought by foreign tourists are mainly in cancer treatment, blood disease, obstetrics and gynecology, hepatology, orthopedics, and ENT, to name a few.

“Over the next three years, the Group is focusing on developing the services and products in several areas such as Oncology and Hematology, Cardiology, Neurology and Neurosurgery, Orthopedics, Gastrointestinal, Pediatrics, and Robotic services. On top of that, we are also strengthening our quaternary services such as kidney transplant, pediatrics heart surgery, bone marrow transplant, among others.”

SMC’s award-winning Cancer Centre has recently been the focus of attention.

It won the Best Oncology (Radiation) Service Provider and Best Oncology Service Provider for the year 2020 and 2019 respectively by the Global Health and Travel Awards under the Medical Tourism Hospital of the Year in Asia Pacific category, while also winning Nuclear Medicine Service Provider of the Year in 2021, for the Global Health Asia Pacific Award. It is also the Designated Centre of Integrated Oncology & Palliative Care by the European Society for Medical Oncology.

SMC WON THE BEST ONCOLOGY (RADIATION) SERVICE

PROVIDER AND BEST ONCOLOGY SERVICE PROVIDER FOR THE YEAR 2020 AND 2019 RESPECTIVELY BY THE GLOBAL HEALTH AND TRAVEL AWARDS UNDER THE MEDICAL TOURISM HOSPITAL OF THE YEAR IN ASIA PACIFIC CATEGORY.

Apart from surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, the Centre also provides other forms of cancer treatment, including targeted therapy, hormone therapy, the groundbreaking immunotherapy, various interventional radiology procedures, targeted radionuclide therapy, and even the tattooless radiation therapy that leaves no permanent or visible marks on the body.

“Sunway Cancer Centre takes a comprehensive approach towards managing cancer – from prevention, to diagnosis and treatment as well as palliative care. It aims to be a onestop centre to every part of the cancer patient’s journey,” says Dr. Heng Siew Ping, the centre’s General Manager. “Since its launch, the Centre has successfully performed more than 42,000 radiotherapy procedures and treated more than 23,000 chemotherapy patients.”

To ensure patients receive the most ideal treatment plan for the best possible outcome, the SMC Tumour Board convenes weekly to review complex cancer cases. The Board consists of healthcare professionals from multiple spe-

cialities, including surgeons, physicians, oncologists, radiologists, haematologists, gynaecologists, medical physicists and pathologists.

The Centre is equipped with cutting-edge technology such as digital PET/CT and SPECT/ CT scanners, Radixact-X9 Tomotherapy machine for high-precision and personalised tumour targeting, Leksell Gamma Knife® Icon to treat

THE CENTRE IS EQUIPPED WITH CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGY.

brain cancers without the need for surgery, and the Varian TrueBeam™ STx to deliver accurate treatment from head to toe.

However, cancer is not the only focus for SMC when it comes to procuring the latest technology in the region.

For example, the hospital is equipped with the Mako SmartRobotics and ROSA® Knee System, in addition to a team of surgeons who are trained to perform robotic total hip and artoplasty surgeries. In fact, SMC made history by being the first hospital in Malaysia to perform such surgeries, with over 200 procedures recorded to date. Today, Sunway Orthopedic Centre has 20 orthopedic surgeons, 7 subspecialties with 10 core services.

Dr. Chua Hwa Sen, the first sole surgeon in Malaysia to achieve his 100th robotic joint surgery with the Mako SmartRobotics system in April 2022, commented, “SMC is the only hospital in Malaysia that offers a complete range of robotic surgeries such as total surgery, partial knee and total hip replacement. In terms of Southeast Asia, we offer the most up-to-date

technology similar to that offered by Singapore, but at a lesser cost. Patients undergoing robotic surgery recover faster, experience less pain and 80% of them were able to walk without a cane after two weeks, compared to 20% of patients with conventional surgery."

Additionally, SMC procured the highly advanced da Vinci Si Surgical System in 2016 and their latest addition, the da Vinci Xi 4 Generation Surgical System, which was the first of its kind in Malaysia when it launched in January 2022. The da Vinci Xi makes complex surgeries simpler, by allowing SMC’s surgeons to perform tiny incisions with enhanced visualisation, precision and control. This results in reduced risk of infections and blood loss while promoting faster recovery times and minimal scarring for patients.

Dato’ Lau believes that SMC will only grow from strength to strength, as the healthcare group’s flagship hospital is now completing three more towers by 2023

to bring its total bed count up to 1100 upon completion, making SMC the biggest private hospital in the country.

With 29 centres of excellence, over 250 specialists, 60 medical specialties and growing, SMC provides a complete range of medical and surgical solutions that international patients look for – a deal sweetened by the fact that the hospital is conveniently located within Sunway City, with public transport situated right at the

hospital’s doorstep. Additionally, the Sunway Pyramid shopping mall, Sunway hotels, restaurants, supermarkets, shops and even the Sunway Lagoon theme park are within walking distance.

For the ease of international patients, SMC has developed medical tourism packages such as 3D2N Sunway City and 3D2N Banjaran Retreat Packages to combine health screenings, hotel stays, leisure all in one package.

“Sunway City as an integrated development

THE HOSPITAL IS EQUIPPED WITH THE MAKO SMARTROBOTICS AND ROSA® KNEE SYSTEM, IN ADDITION TO A TEAM OF SURGEONS WHO ARE TRAINED TO PERFORM ROBOTIC TOTAL HIP AND ARTOPLASTY SURGERIES.

aims to be a sustainable and livable city model, where people can live, work, learn and play in one place. Sunway Group’s infrastructure of an integrated township provides holistic offerings to foreign tourists where they can seek treatment here hassle-free, with their healthcare, travel, accommodation and leisure needs taken care of under one roof,” adds Lau.

Lau says that this integrated development model has benefited Sunway’s healthcare arm as the Group’s hospitality expertise has translated to a high standard of customer care and concierge services at the hospitals. “We have invested in modernising our façade, enlarging physical spaces of clinical areas, putting up signage of different languages and most important-

ly, developing a one-stop International Patient Centre that is equipped with medical officers, nurses and interpreters of different languages. All these efforts speak of our commitment to providing a safe haven for foreign patients seeking treatment with us,” he adds. This commitment certainly meant the world to patients like Wagimun.

“We would like to commend you and your team for making my treatment throughout the year a much easier journey, for which I am forever grateful,” writes Wagimun in a letter to Venica. “You have made a big impact on our lives.”

breast cancers treatable

Judy Howell stared up at her ultrasound technician and asked, “I’ve got breast cancer, don’t I?”

The Montrose resident was not surprised when the answer was yes.

“I had 30 years to mentally prepare for it,” she said. “I knew one day I was probably going to get it.”

Her sister, Patricia Wakefield, died of breast cancer at age 36. She had found a small lump only a few years earlier.

“It was so tiny that the mammogram was inconclusive,” Howell said. “Eight months later, it grew to the size of a navel orange, and by that time, it had spread.”

Howell stood by her sister’s side through the chemotherapy, radiation and surgery. None of the treatments slowed the cancer’s progression. Howell, 70, has worried about breast cancer ever since. She started getting her mammogram early, at age 31, and her appointments were scheduled regularly. That is, until November 2018, when she had to put off her routine mammogram and ultrasound for a number of reasons. Around the same time, she noticed a pain in her breast but assumed it was only a cyst. She had

experienced them before, and they were always benign. In February 2019, Howell finally checked in for her mammogram and received the news. Because she had been thinking about it for so long, she didn’t hesitate to move forward with her treatment. She knew where she wanted to go, Baylor College of Medicine. She had previously worked at the institution as Senior Director of Development and was involved with building community relations. In fact, she had worked on the campaign that led to the creation of the Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center, part of the Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center at Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center. Now, she would go there as a patient.

A rare, aggressive breast cancer

In March 2019, Howell’s biopsy revealed that she had triple-negative matrix-producing metaplastic breast cancer. Her breast oncologist, Dr. C. Kent Osborne, Professor and Founding Director of the Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, explained that the term “triple negative” refers to breast cancers that test negative for estrogen and progesterone receptors, as well as excess HER2 protein. These cancers tend to grow and spread faster and usually have limited treatment options, other than chemotherapy.

DR. C. KENT OSBORNE, PROFESSOR AND FOUNDING DIRECTOR OF THE DAN L DUNCAN COMPREHENSIVE CANCER CENTER, EXPLAINED THAT THE TERM “TRIPLE NEGATIVE” REFERS TO BREAST CANCERS THAT TEST NEGATIVE FOR ESTROGEN AND PROGESTERONE RECEPTORS, AS WELL AS EXCESS HER2 PROTEIN. THESE CANCERS TEND TO GROW AND SPREAD FASTER AND USUALLY HAVE LIMITED TREATMENT OPTIONS, OTHER THAN CHEMOTHERAPY.

Medical advancements have made even the most aggressive

U.S. News & World Report has spoken.

For decades, our team at Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center, located in Houston, Texas, has been committed to providing leading-edge care delivered with compassion. And today, that focus remains the same. We are proud to be ranked among the nation’s best by U.S. News & World Report, and to continue providing exceptional care for our patients each and every day.

Learn more at StLukesHealth.org/bslmcinternational

We’re taking cancer care to a new level.

Look what's on the horizon.

O’Quinn Medical Tower, opening early 2023.

The expansion of the Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center McNair Campus is creating space for more patients to receive expert care from our multidisciplinary team. Every part of the facility was designed with your full recovery in mind, from dozens of new exam rooms and endoscopy suites to natural lighting and balcony gardens. The new building will be home to the latest in cancer treatment, technology and equipment.

We’re investing in physicians, facilities, patient recoveries, and a new level of cancer care.

Find out more at stlukeshealth.org/international

“Matrix-producing metaplastic” is also a rare — and aggressive — subtype. Howell had every reason to expect the same difficulties that she had seen her sister face. “My sister was so sick, in and out of the hospital,” Howell recalled. “Those three years were misery. I was expecting that.” Howell soon learned, however, that a lot has changed over time.

Osborne has witnessed that evolution firsthand. “I’ve been doing this for 50 years,” he said. When he was interning in 1972, all breast cancer patients were treated basically the same — with a radical mastectomy, removing the entire breast, underarm lymph nodes and muscles in the chest wall.

“Most tumors were fairly large by the time they were discovered,” Osborne said. Widespread clinical use of mammograms was still fairly new. “Chemotherapy was also very primitive then,” he said. “And endocrine therapy to block estrogen in patients was even more primitive.”

Surgeons would also remove the patient’s pituitary and adrenal glands, as well as the ovaries, Osborne said, in an effort to block estrogen from causing the tumor to grow.

“Then things really started to change,” he said. “Breast cancer was recognized as a systemic disease.”

It was no longer simply about the tumor in the breast and adjacent lymph nodes — but also about the microscopic seeds of the tumor that could have spread to other organs. Removing the breast, lymph nodes under the arm and chest muscles would not improve the patient’s survival rates if the cancer had metastasized to other organs. This meant that a lumpectomy was a viable option, coupled with radiation. It also suggested that, in addition, a systemic therapy was needed to kill the metastatic seeds, Osborne explained. The next important advancement was discovering hormone receptor-positive breast cancer cells, with estrogen or progesterone receptors, or both.

The estrogen receptor was identified in the late 1960s, but its application to breast cancer

did not occur until a decade later. Only tumors with the estrogen receptor were being driven by the hormone and would benefit from therapies that could block it, he said.

Osborne was a postdoctoral fellow at this point and was involved in several publications on the topic. “We started doing endocrine therapy only for estrogen receptor-positive cancers,” he said. “About 70 percent of breast cancers are now recognized as hormone receptor-positive.”

In the 1980s, more effective chemotherapy developed — by combining the drugs used. Osborne said the years of intense study of the biology of breast cancer led to better treatment options in the 1990s.

For instance, the discovery of the protein called human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) led to the development of multiple therapies to block HER2. Some patients with this HER2-positive breast cancer do not need chemotherapy at all — only the drugs that block the protein. Research is ongoing to identify which patients would benefit from which treatment, Osborne said. Until recently, triple-negative breast cancer has been the least impacted by advances. “But progress through research is starting to change things,” Osborne said. “We’re learning a lot more about triple-negative disease. I think the next big discovery will be in this type.”

Already, doctors are finding antibody treatments and immunotherapies to help triple-negative patients.

“Now we are in the era of precision medicine,” Osborne said. “And it’s an exciting time. Breast cancer is really a group of diseases — not just one at all.” No two cancers are exactly alike, he said. The various gene mutations that cause the cancer to form and grow are examined. “It’s like a tumor fingerprint,” Osborne said. “I think

REMOVING THE BREAST, LYMPH NODES UNDER THE ARM AND CHEST MUSCLES WOULD NOT IMPROVE THE PATIENT’S SURVIVAL RATES IF THE CANCER HAD METASTASIZED TO OTHER ORGANS. THIS MEANT THAT A LUMPECTOMY WAS A VIABLE OPTION, COUPLED WITH RADIATION...IN ADDITION, A SYSTEMIC THERAPY WAS NEEDED TO KILL THE METASTATIC SEEDS, OSBORNE EXPLAINED. THE NEXT IMPORTANT ADVANCEMENT WAS DISCOVERING HORMONE RECEPTORPOSITIVE BREAST CANCER CELLS, WITH ESTROGEN OR PROGESTERONE RECEPTORS, OR BOTH.

that eventually we will have separate treatments for each individual patient — including those with triple-negative breast cancer.”

Evolved Treatment

Howell has benefited from these scientific advancements in treatment. First, she started with multiple chemotherapy drugs before her surgery. In April, she underwent a two-month regimen of adriamycin and cyclophosphamide. In May, she began Taxol for another four courses. Howell also took medications to counter the side effects of chemo.

Osborne explained that, in the past, chemotherapy would lower white blood cell counts that fight infection, which could cause patients to end up back in the hospital for strong antibiotics. “That side effect has essentially gone away,” he said.

Howell was prescribed Neulasta, which stimulates white cell production, and medications to prevent allergic reactions and nausea. She did not experience any nausea, but fatigue was an issue. In fact, she was able to continue working during chemotherapy. Howell also received Xeloda, a drug that came to the U.S. in 2001 and blocks residual cancer cells that remain in the breast after chemotherapy. These cells are discovered during surgery.

Since her treatment, things already have changed, Osborne said. She would have received immunology in addition to chemotherapy instead of the medication if she were to go in today. “Progress is moving at a faster pace for this less-common type of breast cancer,” Osborne said.

Howell did not undergo radiation, but her surgical oncologist, Dr. Alastair Thompson explained that radiation has changed, too.

“Modern radiation is incredibly sophisticated and very targeted,” he said, comparing the old methods to a push-button phone. “Now we have Samsungs and iPhone 14s,” he said. “It has evolved enormously and continues to improve.”

Surgery has also become more refined,

giving patients more options.

“The thing I love about these doctors is they don’t tell you what to do, they ask you what you want,” Howell said.

Thompson, Professor and Section Chief of breast surgery at Baylor College of Medicine, said his goal is to ensure patients are well-informed and have time to talk with their loved ones. “The first time I meet people, I don’t get to a point where they have to make a decision,” he said. Instead, he goes over the options, mastectomy or lumpectomy, then gives them time to think and discuss. “It’s a patient’s choice,” Thompson said.“It’s very rewarding to guide people through this and make it a little bump in the road rather than hitting a brick wall.”

These days, lumpectomies are more sophisticated — and actually use magnetic seeds to precisely locate the tumor. Howell opted for a double mastectomy — and even that has drastically evolved, Thompson said.

“There’s the mastectomy most people imagine — the radical mastectomy,” Thompson said. “And that’s the way mastectomy once was. Nowadays, we leave most of the skin, like an envelope, which can be filled by a plastic surgeon.” There are options to spare the skin — and sometimes the nipple, depending on the patient. Thompson said that skin-sparing mastectomies have become available only in the past 10 to 15 years, and at Baylor, it is now the standard approach.

“These are not simple things to do,” Thompson said. “It’s a bit of a journey. Having the expertise of a plastic surgeon is key. We can get rid of the cancer and, at the same time, begin rebuilding. It can be very effective.”

Reconstruction advances

When Howell expressed interest in reconstruction, Thompson referred her to Dr. Marco Maricevich, Associate Professor of plastic surgery at Baylor College of Medicine.

“He got me in to see him that same day, within the hour,” Howell said. The surgical team

THOMPSON, PROFESSOR AND SECTION CHIEF OF BREAST SURGERY AT BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE, SAID HIS GOAL IS TO ENSURE PATIENTS ARE WELL-INFORMED AND HAVE TIME TO TALK WITH THEIR LOVED ONES. “THE FIRST TIME I MEET PEOPLE, I DON’T GET TO A POINT WHERE THEY HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION,” HE SAID. INSTEAD, HE GOES OVER THE OPTIONS, MASTECTOMY OR LUMPECTOMY, THEN GIVES THEM TIME TO THINK AND DISCUSS.

works closely together and shares expertise.

“What we’re trying to do is piece together all the team players a person needs,” Thompson said. “The patient is at the center.”

Reconstruction can now begin during the mastectomy. Patients talk to both the surgical oncologist and plastic surgeon at the same time, instead of separately.

“Treatment also entails reconstruction,” Maricevich said. “Most patients are really upset and sad with the diagnosis. Our goal is to lift them up and show them all the possibilities — which are many.” The two main choices are implant-based or tissue-based, also called DIEP flap, which stands for deep inferior epigastric perforators. “We now have the ability to use the patient’s own tissue to reconstruct the breast,” Maricevich said.

The most common donor site is the abdominal wall, without disturbing the muscles. Tissue can also be taken from the thigh, back or buttocks. Blood vessels are taken from the donation site and reconnected to the breast.

Further advances are in the works to reconnect a nerve, as well, to the chest wall. “That is the next frontier in breast reconstruction,” Maricevich said.

The procedure can now be performed through microsurgery, which leaves almost no scarring.

“We try to hide the scar as much as possible,” Maricevich said. “We want to restore the self-esteem of the patients. My patients will be confident, and they can put the cancer behind them.” He said that in the past, patients would feel disfigured, like they had an amputation. He is working hard to ensure those days are gone.

“We are part of a journey of hope,” he said. “And at the end, most patients don’t have to think about the cancer. They are survivors. They feel good and look good. That’s the main goal.”

Restoring quality of life

Howell’s double mastectomy was performed Aug. 1, 2019. While still under anesthe-

sia, Maricevich began the microsurgery DIEP flap procedure.

After recovery, Howell removed her bandages.

“I was so shocked and surprised,” she recalled. “I thought, ‘Where are the scars?’ I was just astonished.”

Because her nipple had to be removed, Maricevich explained, the entire operation was performed through a small incision in the area. Then, at a later surgery in May 2020, he reconstructed a nipple, and an areola was tattooed.

“The scar was completely masked by the ink of the tattoo,” Maricevich said. “While every case is different, we try to conceal as much as we can. Patients do not have any evidence — or stigma. In the end, it’s all about restoring the quality of life — and getting the cancer completely behind them.” And that is exactly how Howell feels, she said. “The type of gratitude I have, I just can't explain the depths of it,” she said. “They’re a dream team. They played such a huge role in shepherding me back into feeling not like a walking cancer patient, but a normal person again.”

Howell continues to visit Osborne every six months for a checkup — and is in two different online support groups. She often recommends others to Baylor and has developed a tip sheet to share with patients.

Early detection is key, she said. Then, she suggests finding the best doctors available.

“It’s important to find the most qualified surgeons who do this day in and day out, who keep up with advances in treatment,” Howell said. “Your life can depend on getting the right doctors. And being in Houston, there’s no excuse for not getting the best.” “It’s your body, your health, you have to take it seriously,” she said.

DR. MARCO MARICEVICH SAID. “MOST PATIENTS ARE REALLY UPSET AND SAD WITH THE DIAGNOSIS. OUR GOAL IS TO LIFT THEM UP AND SHOW THEM ALL THE POSSIBILITIES — WHICH ARE MANY.” THE TWO MAIN CHOICES ARE IMPLANT-BASED OR TISSUE-BASED, ALSO CALLED DIEP FLAP, WHICH STANDS FOR DEEP INFERIOR EPIGASTRIC PERFORATORS.

“WE NOW HAVE THE ABILITY TO USE THE PATIENT’S OWN TISSUE TO RECONSTRUCT THE BREAST,” MARICEVICH SAID.

“TREATMENT ALSO ENTAILS RECONSTRUCTION,”

Lindsay Peyton is a Houston-based freelance writer.

Cedars-Sinai Proud to Be No. 2 Hospital in the USA

Cedars-Sinai is honored to be named the No. 2 hospital in the USA and No. 1 in California on U.S. News & World Report’s Best Hospitals Honor Roll 2022-23.

We’re also proud to be ranked among the best in the USA in the following 11 specialties: Cancer, Cardiology & Heart Surgery, Diabetes & Endocrinology, Ear, Nose & Throat, Gastroenterology & GI Surgery, Geriatrics, Neurology & Neurosurgery, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Orthopedics, Pulmonology & Lung Surgery, and Urology.

In addition, we’ve been named No. 1 in five specialties in California—Cardiology & Heart Surgery, Gastroenterology & GI Surgery, Orthope-

dics, Pulmonology & Lung Surgery, and Urology.

Located in Los Angeles, California, in the beautiful neighborhood of Beverly Hills, Cedars-Sinai is part of a diverse and lively city, known for its art, culture, music, sporting events, cultural landmarks and warm weather.

Every year, thousands of patients from around the globe receive treatment at Cedars-Sinai. We offer new and individualized treatments, surgeries and clinical trials that are only available at a few hospitals in the USA. Patients at Cedars-Sinai can expect the best

available care, a personal approach, and the newest diagnostics and treatment options.

International patients

As part of this commitment to our global community, Cedars-Sinai International has a dedicated Patient Services team that speaks multiple languages and focuses specifically on helping our international patients. We provide a range of concierge services to meet the unique needs of patients traveling from outside the USA to receive world-class care and treatment at Cedars-Sinai.

Our Global Services team leverages the clinical and nonclinical excellence at Cedars-Sinai to provide a full spectrum of advisory and consulting services that help our partners around the world achieve their strategic goals and thrive in today’s ever-changing healthcare environment.

CEDARS-SINAI, LOCATED IN LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA IS PART OF A DIVERSE AND LIVELY CITY, KNOWN FOR ITS ART, CULTURE, MUSIC, SPORTING EVENTS, CULTURAL LANDMARKS AND WARM WEATHER.

“Today, we care for patients from over 100 countries. Our top areas are heart and cancer, as well as neurological diseases, orthopaedics, gastrointestinal diseases, transplant surgery and women’s health,” said Heitham Hassoun, MD, Vice President and Medical Director of Cedars-Sinai International.

“Whether patients are receiving care at our state-of-the-art facilities in Los Angeles or through remote second opinions and teleconsultations, we want international patients to benefit from our services wherever they live.”

Learn more: cedars-sinai.org/international

ACIBADEM offers precise and personalized cancer treatment with cutting-edge new technology

Today Acıbadem Healthcare Group is a global brand in medical tourism by providing the highest quality of services using advanced technologies and expert teams meeting the international quality standards like Joint Commission International (JCI) and ISO 15189 Clinical Laboratory Accreditation Certificate.

Every year, many patients from different parts of the world travel to Turkey to receive treatment, and they prefer Acıbadem. In order to provide comfort, trust and stability, Acıbadem offers to international patients a comprehensive

range of services including consultations, diagnostic procedures, billing and insurance, travel and accommodation arrangements and translation services. Acibadem International Patient Service Center has been designed as a “one-stop center” and offers healthcare services from the day of the request until the time patient’s return to their home country within 20 different languages.

Holistic Approach to Oncology Patients

Acıbadem Oncology Centers has been designed specifically for the needs of patients un-

EVERY YEAR, MANY PATIENTS FROM DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE WORLD TRAVEL TO TURKEY TO RECEIVE TREATMENT, AND THEY PREFER ACIBADEM.

dergoing oncology treatments; they are served by a team of experienced specialists using a multidisciplinary approach.

Acıbadem Radiation Oncology Department removes cancer treatment limits by applying novel strategies. Today, it is possible to get better results in cancer treatment thanks to advanced health technologies. Our institution offers a variety of radiation therapy options and develops treatment plans to best address the type and stage of cancer. In conventional radiation treatment, radiation is given to the patients each day in the precisely same amount regardless of the patient's changes over the course of therapy. At Acıbadem, MRIdian therapy allows us to see and track soft tissues and tumors in real-time. This enables re-planning of the treatment course on the table if it is needed.

Professor Ufuk Abacıoğlu is a renowned specialist in radiotherapy in Turkey with more than 25 years of experience in cancer treatment. He states, "In Acıbadem Radiation Oncology Department, we diagnose and treat all forms of cancer, from more common conditions like lung, prostate and breast cancer to rarer throat cancer and brain cancer. We not only treat adult patients but also treat pediatric patients when necessary. Compared to 20 years ago, we have a lot of new technologies today. As a result, there are significant advances in radiation oncology. Also, image-guidance during radiation therapy

AT ACIBADEM, MRIDIAN THERAPY ALLOWS US TO SEE AND TRACK SOFT TISSUES AND TUMORS IN REALTIME. THIS ENABLES RE-PLANNING OF THE TREATMENT COURSE ON THE TABLE IF IT IS NEEDED.

helps us tremendously before and during the treatment. It provides myriad opportunities to treat cancer types we could not treat before."

Acıbadem uses the latest healthcare technologies to provide the best treatment for patients. MRI-guided radiation therapy is one of them. This technology is shortly called as MRIdian. It is especially beneficial for the locations where the body has some degree of motion: the

tumors located in the abdomen, the thoracal regions, etc. Tumors in these regions are in motion even during normal breathing patterns. Therefore, the tumor area and surrounding healthy tissues can be visualized clearly with the aid of the MRIdian. Real-time imaging helps physicians to control the treatment process during irradiation. In the case of detecting a clinically significant movement of targets or healthy tissues,

ACIBADEM BEGAN TREATMENTS WITH THE MRIDIAN SYSTEM IN 2018

physicians can adjust the target and re-plan the treatment while the patient is still on the table. A new MRI scan is performed before each treatment session. It allows a tailored treatment in accordance with the patient's daily anatomy.

Acıbadem began treatments with the MRIdian system in 2018, marking Turkey's first MRI-guided radiotherapy treatments. In the last four years, after seeing the importance of

real-time MRI visualization, automatic beam gating, and on-table adaptive therapy in cancer treatment, Acıbadem has purchased a second MRIdian device in 2022.

"In MRIdian therapy, we track the tumor and give the treatment at the right time and position. It allows treatment of hard-to-reach tumors, tumors located close to critical structures, or tumors that can move during normal bodily functions such as breathing. This makes MRI-Guided Radiation Therapy different and more effective than other technologies. Moreover, MRIdian therapy offers better results with little to no side effects and complications." says Professor Dr. Meriç Şengöz. He is a highly respected radiotherapy specialist who has 30 years of extensive experience in this fast-evolving medical field.

Acıbadem is one of the few cancer centers in the world that utilizes the power of MRIdian in treating pancreatic, prostate, liver, and other cancer types. If you'd like to learn more, you are encouraged to contact Acıbadem Group at: apply@acibadem.com

ACIBADEM USES THE LATEST HEALTHCARE TECHNOLOGIES TO PROVIDE THE BEST TREATMENT FOR PATIENTS. MRIGUIDED RADIATION THERAPY IS ONE OF THEM. THIS TECHNOLOGY IS SHORTLY CALLED AS MRIDIAN. . IT IS ESPECIALLY BENEFICIAL FOR THE LOCATIONS WHERE THE BODY HAS SOME DEGREE OF MOTION: THE TUMORS LOCATED IN THE ABDOMEN, THE THORACAL REGIONS, ETC.

University of Chicago Medical Center

Earns 22nd consecutive ‘A’ grade for patient safety, retains 10-year run in elite group

The University of Chicago Medical Center has earned its 22nd consecutive “A” grade in hospital and patient safety from The Leapfrog Group, extending a 10-year run of scoring top honors from the independent watchdog organization.

Of the thousands of acute-care facilities nationwide, the 811-bed University of Chicago Medical Center is one of only 22 hospitals in the country to have earned the top grade in all 22 of The Leapfrog Group’s semiannual report cards, which started in 2012.

“This achievement would not be possible without a well-coordinated team effort that requires various parts of the organization to function and collaborate at the highest level, from those who work at the bedside to everyone who works behind the scenes to support our care teams,” said Tom Jackiewicz, President of the University of Chicago Medical Center, which serves as the hub of the University of Chicago Medicine health system. “As the only hospital in Chicago with the ‘Straight A’ distinction, we do not take this recognition for granted and will continue to reach for higher and more consistent levels of quality and safety.”

Meanwhile, UChicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial, a 485-bed hospital in suburban Harvey, earned its third consecutive “B” grade.

“Ingalls Memorial is working to continually improve patient safety and outcomes,” said Ingalls’ Interim President Emily Chase, PhD, RN. “We’ve already seen the results of this hard work in our recent improvements in Leapfrog Group’s records as we moved from several years of earning a C grade to our third straight B. We’re eager to build on this progress in the future.”

In assigning a letter grade for the fall 2022 results, The Leapfrog Group reviewed nearly 3,000 acute-care facilities across the country to recognize hospitals that are doing the best at protecting patients from preventable harm and errors. The organization then reviewed more than 30 measures of safety data for each hospital, including rates of preventable errors, injuries and infections. The Leapfrog Group also looked at whether hospitals have systems in place to protect patients from harm. The grading system is peer-reviewed and fully transparent, and the results are available to the public for free. Grades are updated every fall and spring based on new data submitted by hospitals.

“I applaud the hospital leadership and workforce for their strong commitment to safety and transparency,” said Leah Binder, President and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “An ‘A’ Safety Grade is a sign that hospitals are continuously evaluating their performance, so that they can best protect patients. Your hospital team should be extremely proud of their dedication and achievement.”

Separately, UCMC was named to Money's 2022 Best Hospitals for Ethical Billing, one of only 565 U.S. hospitals selected of the more than 2,200 surveyed. Money magazine’s list, published in partnership with The Leapfrog Group, recognizes hospitals across the country for high patient safety grades, clear and comprehensive billing statements, and how ethically it treats patients for late or insufficient payment of medical bills.

OF THE THOUSANDS OF ACUTECARE FACILITIES NATIONWIDE, THE 811-BED UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO MEDICAL CENTER IS ONE OF ONLY 22 HOSPITALS IN THE COUNTRY TO HAVE EARNED THE TOP GRADE IN ALL 22 OF THE LEAPFROG GROUP’S SEMIANNUAL REPORT CARDS, WHICH STARTED IN 2012

FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT WWW.UCHICAGOMEDICINE.ORG/GLOBAL OR EMAIL US AT INTERNATIONAL.SERVICES@UCHOSPITALS.EDU

Nationwide Children’s Hospital Ranked Top 10 in the

in all rated specialties

Through integrated clinical and research efforts, Nationwide Children’s Hospital elevates and creates tomorrow’s standard of care — and delivers it today.

With more than 1.6 million visits per year, Nationwide Children’s Hospital is the second-largest pediatric hospital in the U.S. What makes Nationwide Children’s Hospital special, however, is the child-centered, family-friendly care we offer and the skill of our faculty and staff. We are one of only 10 hospitals to be named to the U.S. News & World Report Best Children’s Hospital Honor Roll, and we are also top 10 among free-standing children’s hospitals in research funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). From the rarest conditions to

the most common illnesses, Nationwide Children’s Hospital provides customized care that considers the whole child—their needs, goals and what “best outcomes” means to them. We recognize the critical role parents play in care decision-making and treatment success, and we involve families in care planning at every stage.

Ambitious for a Reason

Nationwide Children’s Hospital sets big goals. From driving increasing integration of research into clinical care efforts to our fiveyear, $3.3 billion commitment to transforming health outcomes for all children — even those who never pass through our doors — we are on a mission to improve pediatric care across the globe. These ambitious aims are only attainable

U.S.

THROUGH INTEGRATED CLINICAL AND RESEARCH EFFORTS, NATIONWIDE CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL ELEVATES AND CREATES TOMORROW’S STANDARD OF CARE — AND DELIVERS IT TODAY.

when the best minds, staff, funding and programs are in place. Thankfully, we have all of those things, with our sights set on even more.

Cultivating the Best People and the Best Programs

We have earned a reputation for seeking out the nation’s best surgeons, clinicians and physician-scientists to develop and lead our innovative, highly specialized programs. When our experts have an idea that could change the face of pediatric medicine, we listen. From basic check-ups to the most complex neurosurgical procedure, we make sure our team has access to state-of-the-art equipment and facilities. We offer them the support they need to craft new specialty areas, new collaborations and pioneering care. With more than 13,400 employees — more than 3,000 of whom are medical or research staff — we offer a neonatal care network and surgical volumes that are among the largest in the nation. We foster powerhouse teams at every level of the organization, and ensure the resources are in place to facilitate the delivery of advanced care, unsurpassed quality and personalized best outcomes.

As our experienced, caring faculty and staff drive progress in their areas of expertise, the world has taken notice. We have cared for children from all 50 states and more than 50

countries, and referrals are growing for our prestigious specialty focus areas as well as our mainstay programs.

The programs featured here are just a small selection of the many groundbreaking and transformative initiatives underway at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

Oncology and Neuro-Oncology Leadership for the United States and the World

From our innovative bone and marrow transplantation services to our comprehensive opportunities for individualized cancer genomics testing, our oncology/hematology experts provide the latest in evidence-based, advanced care. What helps make this possible is our involvement in or leadership of more than 13 national or international consortia dedicated to ending pediatric cancer. As hosts of the CONNECT Consortium and the NEXT Consortium, founded by current or prior Nationwide Children’s Hospital faculty, we offer world-renowned expertise in neuro-oncology care and help connect children quickly to the most appropriate and promising clinical trials.

Neurosurgery That Changes Lives

Since becoming one of the few programs in the U.S. performing selective dorsal rhizoto-

NATIONWIDE CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL SETS BIG GOALS. FROM DRIVING INCREASING INTEGRATION OF RESEARCH INTO CLINICAL CARE EFFORTS TO OUR FIVE-YEAR, $3.3 BILLION COMMITMENT TO TRANSFORMING HEALTH OUTCOMES FOR ALL CHILDREN — EVEN THOSE WHO NEVER PASS THROUGH OUR DOORS — WE ARE ON A MISSION TO IMPROVE PEDIATRIC CARE ACROSS THE GLOBE.

my for children with spastic cerebral palsy, our neurosurgery program has experienced a steady increase in referrals. This innovative spinal surgery offers the chance for improved mobility, reduced pain and easier caregiving due to relief of lower-limb spasticity. It involves carefully identifying and severing the sensory nerves causing the most tension and often provides permanent spasticity relief. Our expertise in this unique procedure rounds out our comprehensive cerebral palsy care services and offers patients and their families a way forward for lifelong care planning.

Neurology and Gene Therapy Collaboration Drives Progress for Intractable Epilepsy and Neuromuscular Disorders

Our surgeons and genomics experts have advanced the field’s understanding of the root causes — and the potential cures — of treatment-refractory epilepsy. With approximately 70 epilepsy surgical cases completed this year alone, our genomics team is studying a large variety of tissue samples to identify the underlying genetic alterations that may explain seizures. ZOLGENSMA®, the first FDA-approved gene therapy to treat spinal muscular atrophy type 1 (SMA1), continues to show transformative and life-extending effects for children with the progressive neuromuscular disease. This remarkable success, developed at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, has paved the way for our nine other gene therapy and 10 cell therapy trials currently underway.

Advanced Care Opportunities for Complex Motility Disorders and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)

Our IBD Center has achieved one of the nation’s highest steroid-free remission rates and offers a full-spectrum medical and surgical program for children with severe Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis. Children with complex motility disorders have global leaders at the bedside as

receive

SINCE BECOMING ONE OF THE FEW PROGRAMS IN THE U.S. PERFORMING SELECTIVE DORSAL RHIZOTOMY FOR CHILDREN WITH SPASTIC CEREBRAL PALSY, OUR NEUROSURGERY PROGRAM HAS EXPERIENCED A STEADY INCREASE IN REFERRALS. THIS INNOVATIVE SPINAL SURGERY OFFERS THE CHANCE FOR IMPROVED MOBILITY, REDUCED PAIN AND EASIER CAREGIVING DUE TO RELIEF OF LOWERLIMB SPASTICITY.

disorders and other complex health concerns related to colorectal or pelvic conditions can receive the most advanced multidisciplinary evaluations and treatment plans — with individualized consideration of quality of life and best outcomes always top of mind. Our Colorectal and Pelvic Reconstruction program is also one of the most sought after and robust in the world, offering full-spectrum care from behavior modification initiatives to surgery as needed.

Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Advance Patient Outcomes

Our Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery team offers some of the world’s most advanced surgical care for 22q deletion syndrome, peripheral nerve conditions, cleft lip and palate, and reconstruction following burns and other traumatic injuries. By collaborating closely with clinical experts from each subspecialty, our surgeons have developed expertise in complex procedures such as brachial plexus operations, microsurgery, muscle reinnervation and facial reanimation, available at only a handful of U.S. children’s hospitals.

Integrated Research at the Heart of it All

At Nationwide Children’s Hospital, we believe that research — from basic science to multi-institution clinical trials — is essential to forging a future of better outcomes for even the most challenging pediatric diseases. That’s why we prioritize the union of research with clinical care in our faculty recruitment efforts, staff training programs and patient trial outreach efforts. The $134.9 million in research awards to the Abigail Wexner Research Institute in 2021 has empowered our teams to answer the questions that matter to patients and physicians, facilitating our contributions to the advancement of pediatric medicine in all disciplines.

Supporting Patients and Families From Across the Globe

We offer a wide range of resources and support services for international families who are considering Nationwide Children’s Hospital for care. Our Global Patient Services helps families

prepare and simplifies their stay by assisting with medical record gathering, travel planning and travel visas, in-town stay coordination and financial matters. While families are with us in Columbus, Ohio, our team provides transportation to appointments, scheduling assistance, support accessing local amenities (such as grocery shopping, religious services and sibling care needs) and detailed discharge care planning for the transition back home.

Against all odds, the LAU Medical Center- Rizk Hospital continues to pursue its mission to heal with compassion

The healthcare sector in Lebanon has indeed faced countless challenges since 2019. The LAU Medical Center- Rizk Hospital has surged through this difficult period and has continued to invest, adapt, and expand.

Committed to serving the Lebanese community, The LAU Medical Center- Rizk Hospital is determined to stand by all those who need them in good times as in times of crisis.The lynchpin of the LAU Medical CenterRizk Hospital is to Heal with Compassion, hence the importance of continually developing and improving patient experience within the LAU Medical Center.

This was well reflected during the COVID-19 pandemic, where a plan was rapidly put int place allowing the medical center to be among the first to receive and treat patients. Furthermore, the LAU Medical Center- Rizk Hospital took their mission nationwide, launching an awareness campaign through the dedicated LAU Mobile PCR Unit.

On the eve of the devastating August 4 Beirut Port blast, despite the damage the medical center endured, the LAU Medical Center- Rizk Hospital was fully committed to the community and was able to treat over 500 casualties. A fast-track renovation plan was also put in place in order to mend what was

damaged and continue to serve the community.

The LAU Medical Center- Rizk Hospital has also been at the forefront of several healthcare initiatives and has been proactive in initiating a national healthcare strategy for crisis management and public health restructuring. They ignited with other UMC’s negotiations with the TPA’s for new insurance models based on “Fresh Cash” schemes & new deals.

THE LAU MEDICAL CENTER- RIZK HOSPITAL HAS ALSO BEEN AT

FOREFRONT

THE

OF SEVERAL HEALTHCARE INITIATIVES AND HAS BEEN PROACTIVE IN INITIATING A NATIONAL HEALTHCARE STRATEGY FOR CRISIS MANAGEMENT AND PUBLIC HEALTH RESTRUCTURING. THEY IGNITED WITH OTHER UMC’S NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE TPA’S FOR NEW INSURANCE MODELS BASED ON “FRESH CASH” SCHEMES & NEW DEALS.

They started a fundraising campaign for oncology patients, in the US, through donations, hoping to ensure the treatments of their patients and avoid major shortages.

They developed and implemented the ultramodern Hybrid OR at the LAU Medical Center- Rizk Hospital to enhance OR efficiency. With the state-of-the-art commodities and equipment supported by highly trained personnel, the hospital acquired a hybrid operating room enabling its surgical team to perform more complex procedures with better outcomes and shorter patient recovery.

They implemented the best practices upheld by the American College of Surgeons that contributed to operating room safety, efficiency, and usage of operating room equipment.

Through USAID’s support, LAU Medical CenterRizk Hospital doubled its capacity to sterilize surgical utensils and reduced sterilization time by half, which enables the hospital to manage sustainably more surgeries.

An efficient pharmacy system was launched with a state-of-the-art closed loop medication system to help improve efficiency, quality of care and minimize dispensing errors. With this new pharmacy system, more effective timeline controls will provide the right patients with the right dose of the right medication at the right time through a high level of traceability across the hospital.

Furthermore, and on a patient-centric level, the LAU Medical Center- Rizk Hospital has:

1. Always shown compassion towards patients and their families.

2. Placed patients at the center of their services, focusing on improving the patient’s experience at different levels: At the level of healthcare delivery, At the level of service excellence, At the level of value for money

3. Aimed for a universal coverage for all / at all levels.

4. Created private-to-public partnerships with medical centers.

5. Reshaped the public healthcare sector essentially around Primary Care Centers.

On an internal level, and because the medical staff are at the heart of the medical centers, the LAU Medical Center- Rizk Hospital has created a retention and motivation plan with several relief financial packages to assist and support their staff by adjusting their income and benefits. In addition, by expanding and launching LAUMC-SJH, countless job opportunities were created within the medical field which has contributed to the reduction in unemployment.

In a nutshell, 2022 was a challenging year for Lebanon. However, the LAU Medical CenterRizk Hospital has been able to rise above it all and not only cope with these challenges but create new opportunities for growth to better serve the Lebanese community. The LAU Medical Center- Rizk Hospital is ready to face 2023 head-on and place Lebanon’s healthcare system on the global map once again.

AN EFFICIENT PHARMACY SYSTEM WAS LAUNCHED WITH A STATE-OFTHE-ART CLOSED LOOP MEDICATION SYSTEM TO HELP IMPROVE EFFICIENCY, QUALITY OF CARE AND MINIMIZE DISPENSING ERRORS.

Can you tell us about your career in the healthcare industry?

I have been in the healthcare industry for over 35 years, catering to the global healthcare market. I’ve watched the healthcare industry vastly transform during my time, leading up to today’s digital revolution within healthcare. During my career in healthcare, I have gained global expertise, and value-driven operational leadership across the industry where I have created and developed new efficiency strategies and quality control process improvement plans, resulting in remarkable growth and business profitability across EMEA and the Indian subcontinent.

How did u come up with the idea of Hout Consulting & Advising, talk to us about your vision and mission?

After a long journey working around the globe in various capacities, I have acquired an affinity for the healthcare industry with all its components and have developed an ongoing purpose of giving back to patients’ health through healthcare systems to get the best

Hisham Hout

After his long and rich experience in the healthcare field, Hisham Hout founded Hout Consulting & Advising which aims to connect the healthcare landscape globally, by enabling healthcare providers with advanced technology and enhancing healthcare systems with the strategic developments. “Hospitals” magazine had the pleasure to meet with Hisham Hout to discuss his career in the healthcare industry, his vision and mission, etc. Below is the full interview:

I HAVE FOUNDED HOUT CONSULTING & ADVISING, WHICH AIMS TO CONNECT THE HEALTHCARE LANDSCAPE GLOBALLY, BY ENABLING HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS WITH ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY AND ENHANCING HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS WITH STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENTS.

possible offerings ranging from Med-tech manufacturers, to connecting all parties globally. With that, I have founded Hout Consulting & Advising, which aims to connect the healthcare landscape globally, by enabling healthcare providers with advanced technology and enhancing healthcare systems with strategic developments. It provides a plethora of services that best cater to healthcare excellence. Our long-term vision is to support patients and healthcare givers in sustaining better lives. We aim to be effective catalysts in spreading the best healthcare available across the globe.

In your opinion what opportunities healthcare organizations need to implement in 2023 to grow their businesses and improve the delivery of care to patients and employee well-being?

I believe that 2023 will still carry the impact of the COVID-19 aftermath from a business perspective. This means that hiring the right staff and making available the right medtech systems will essentially be key drivers in delivering the right care to patients. Healthcare

Founder & CEO of Hout Consulting & Advising

"HC&A will bring in an agile model that is capable of catering to an everchanging healthcare landscape and evolving expectations"

organizations must always improve the working environment of the HC givers to ensure their well-being and sustainability.

In your opinion what are the biggest challenges the industry is facing right now, especially after the Covid pandemic?

The supply chain will remain a big challenge. Moving forward, executing new hospital projects will also be prone to several challenges connected to people's movement and materials availability. I believe we will experience a shortage in capital availability which may impact the quality of healthcare. Proper planning & forecasting should help in alleviating some of the pressures excreted by supply chain problems.

What do you think is the biggest change that has happened in the healthcare consultancy sphere the last few years and what new ideas will you bring to the table?

Healthcare consulting has evidently

HEALTHCARE CONSULTING HAS EVIDENTLY INCREASED IN SIZE AND IN KNOWLEDGE. HEALTHCARE CONSULTANTS AROUND THE GLOBE HAVE BEEN VERY BUSY ENGAGING WITH HEALTHCARE CENTERS TO HELP IN IMPROVING SERVICES AS WELL AS IN ADVISING ON NEW PROJECTS.

increased in size and in knowledge. Healthcare consultants around the globe have been very busy engaging with healthcare centers to help in improving services as well as advising on new projects. The Gulf region and KSA have attracted most if not all consulting companies for business advising, given their massive investment in healthcare and its integral incorporation with GCC country national visions. HC&A will bring in an agile model that is capable of catering to an ever-changing healthcare landscape and evolving expectations. HC&A will deliver top-quality consultancy and advisory services for clients who are looking to grow, expand & transform their businesses, organically or inorganically through acquisitions or mergers.

Premiere for Arab Health 2023: Experience an intelligent patient room ecosystem

By Jitka Stranska, Managing Director LINET MEA

Lateral tilt as a gold standard to help

One of the best examples of how a bed designed to address in-bed patient care can bring tangible benefits to the patient, nurse, and management, is bed-framed lateral tilt. This signature attribute of the LINET brand found its role in the ICU and is now entering the acute care environment as the gold standard.

Healthcare is changing rapidly. We are facing massive challenges connected with demographical transformation and at the same time a dramatic shortage of caregivers.

The population is growing and aging globally. We have recently passed 8 billion people on the planet. Among other things, these trends impact patient care and create more demands on healthcare systems and healthcare workers. Some studies project that 9 million nurses will be needed by 2030, but the shortage of caregivers is already an issue.

• 54 million people working in healthcare

• 27 million healthcare workers are nurses, the largest occupation in the segment

• 70 % of nurses are women

• 52 years is the median age of nurses

• 47 % of nurses reported back pain

To respond to global trends in the healthcare segment and to meet caregivers' needs and the needs of healthcare providers, we, in the LINET Group, are developing and manufacturing medical beds with high-added value designed to help you care. Our solutions enhance healthcare forces for nurses and deliver real optimization of workflow and cost of care.

The effect of the lateral tilt of the loading surface is that through a slight rotation, recumbent patients are turned over on their side. With the bed tilted to the side, the nurse uses up to 67% less force when turning the patient than with the same operation on a normal bed. One nurse, instead of two, can handle the patient and make the bed. This allows the patient to be given full care even when the number of staff is reduced, for example on weekends or night shifts. And what real impact does it have? For a unit with 20 beds, lateral tilt can bring a net time saving of ~ 9 hours of nursing time per day, which saves 3,418 nurse working hours per year!

TO RESPOND TO GLOBAL TRENDS IN THE HEALTHCARE SEGMENT AND TO MEET CAREGIVERS NEEDS AND THE NEEDS OF HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS, WE, IN THE LINET GROUP, ARE DEVELOPING AND MANUFACTURING MEDICAL BEDS WITH HIGH-ADDED VALUE DESIGNED TO HELP YOU CARE.

Intelligent beds for the future

While lateral tilting is focused on particular operations and reducing the load of work of the caregiver’s daily routine, the next generation of LINET´s medical beds is heading even further into the future. With its smart platform, it enables data usage to emphasize decreasing the number of unnecessary operations and simplify caregivers’ procedures, which is even more relevant in times of nurse shortage.

When you face an increasing number of patients and a lack of caregivers at the same time, LINET brings you a solution specifically designed to continuously monitor each one of your patients, twenty four hours a day, seven days a week remotely. It provides a remote overview of the patients’ safe position in the bed or smart alert when the patient is at risk of pressure inju-

SOLUTION

ries or even falls. The bed-integrated monitoring system works on the principle of collecting data, which the system evaluates and provides relevant and constantly updated information to caregivers anywhere and on any display device.

Such intelligent systems can be extremely beneficial to patients and caregivers as well as healthcare providers.

Smart solutions by LINET are constantly being developed and extended to respond to the real needs of you, our end-users. Experience an intelligent patient room ecosystem including our new acute care bed for the future in the Intelligent Pavilion at Arab Health 2023.

Come visit us and talk with our experts about the latest trends and innovations and especially the future of smart solutions in the healthcare sector.

Lateral tilt is turning into a new gold standard in acute care that delivers premium ergonomics of caregivers.

MEET US AT ARAB HEALTH 2023, INTELLIGENT HEALTH PAVILION JANUARY 30 – FEBRUARY 2, DUBAI WTC, UAE -67% of forces needed for turning the patient 6

-20% of compression of lumbar spine during patient handling 6

Lateral

daily

*

Introducing the New Endoscopic Visualization Platform

Olympus recently launched VISERA ELITE III Surgical Visualization Platform

Olympus Corporation recently launched VISERA ELITE III, its newest surgical visualization platform that addresses the needs of healthcare professionals (HCPs) for endoscopic procedures across multiple medical disciplines. VISERA ELITE III offers various imaging functions, all supported in one system enabling minimally invasive therapies such as Laparoscopic Colectomy and Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy. Future software upgrades will advance surgical imaging technology and allow for individual configurations that facilitate seamless support of various surgical applications leading to a reduction in investment costs. VISERA ELITE III has been recently introduced in Europe, Middle

East and Africa (EMEA), parts of Asia, Oceania, and Japan.

One System for All

VISERA ELITE III system integrates the 3D and infrared1 imaging functions from VISERA ELITE II, and the 4K imaging function from VISERA 4K UHD system. It also supports fluorescence-guided surgery as well as NBI2 , a unique observation mode developed by Olympus. By providing surgeons with multiple observation modes, the all-in-one system supports standardization and increases efficiency in the operating room. Users can also set up customized departmental profiles on VISERA ELITE III for different

VISERA ELITE III SYSTEM INTEGRATES THE 3D AND INFRARED1 IMAGING FUNCTIONS FROM VISERA ELITE II, ANDNIQUE OBSERVATION MODE DEVELOPED BY OLYMPUS.

medical disciplines such as general surgery, urology, gynecology, ENT surgery and more. The platform is compatible with existing endoscopes from VISERA ELITE II.

Innovation That Grows with Your Need

The platform allows software upgrades to add new surgical imaging functions as needed. Switching entire surgical visualization systems to access the latest technology is no longer necessary, which not only sets a new standard and provides a high degree of flexibility, but also makes VISERA ELITE III a future-proof investment.

Improved Image Quality for More Focus

VISERA ELITE III system comes with a focus adjust mode during 4K surgical observation and is equipped with the EDOF (Extended Depth of Field) function that allows precise endoscopic observations through continuous broad focus and seamless magnification. In addition, it provides the C-AF (Continuous Auto Focus) capability that automatically adjusts focus in accordance with the movement of the camera head and endoscope. This facilitates clearer image capture, both up close and at a greater distance, so that HCPs experience less stress during surgery, allowing them to concentrate on the patient and the procedure's outcome.

VISERA ELITE III combines Sony Corpora-

tion’s state-of-the-art digital imaging technologies with the expertise and experience in medical product development that Olympus has accumulated over decades as a leading endoscope manufacturer and addresses the growing needs of hospitals as recognized through extensive exchange with customers.

In developing VISERA ELITE III, Sony Olympus Medical Solutions, a joint venture company of Sony and Olympus, optimized each technology and image processing function specifically for medical applications to create the most advanced, open and versatile surgical visualization platform Olympus has ever brought to market.

References:

1. Infrared imaging is a special light observation function for observing the fluorescence generated by administering a fluorescent agent called indocyanine green (ICG) and by applying near-infrared light (light with a wavelength of 700-780 nm).

2. NBI (Narrow Band Imaging) is an imaging technique for examining features such as the small blood vessels in mucosa and the surface patterns. NBI highlights tissue by illuminating it with two narrow bands (wavelengths) of light that are absorbed by the hemoglobin in blood.

BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) is one of the largest global medical technology companies in the world and is advancing the world of health by improving medical discovery, diagnostics and the delivery of care. BD helps customers enhance outcomes, lower costs, increase efficiencies, improve safety and expand access to healthcare.

The Saudi entity of BD recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Saudi Nursing Association (SNA). This initiative forges a lasting relationship between the com-

pany and the nursing community in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and contributes towards BD’s purpose of advancing the world of health by empowering Saudi healthcare workers with better patient safety practices, trainings and solutions.“Hospitals” magazine had the pleasure to meet with Maher Elhassan, Vice President and General Manager, BD, MENAT, Dr. Mohammed Al Ghamdi, President of the Saudi Nurses Association (SNA), and Ms. Mawahib Wang, Executive Director of Nursing Administration, SNA, to discuss the important role of nurses, how they ensure nurse safety, BD’s partnership with SNA, etc.

BD signs MoU with Saudi Nursing Association (SNA) to deliver an enhanced, error-free experience in patient care journey

Shortage of staff was quite prevalent during the pandemic. How were the overwhelming circumstances of frontline workers managed during that time?

Managing medical and caregiving environments is always a challenging responsibility, hence it is important to always consider all stakeholders in the healthcare experience. Conservation of the workforce was a priority, and minimizing all admissions, including elective surgeries, helped reduce staff workload. This allowed us to align our focus and efforts toward taking care of COVID-19 patients. Nurses were also given specific training for treating COVID-19 patients, as well as cross-training to offer adequate coverage, boost flexibility and durability, and better prepare for a variety of patient care circumstances.

What were the challenges and how was SNA tackling them?

The safety of frontline healthcare workers is and will always be SNA's priority. The entire healthcare system would have collapsed if frontline personnel safety and well-being were not ensured. To increase their safety, we launched a media campaign to raise awareness of safety measures when caring for COVID-19 patients. Moreover, SNA hosted many free educational and awareness webinars to foster an open dialogue with all healthcare professionals (HCPs), with the help of the national COVID-19 steering committee, of which I was an honoured member.

It is essential that nurses are given the right tools to deliver the best care. What are some innovations that have been

beneficial to this effort?

We are fortunate to have been able to adopt modern integrative healthcare technology. The essential tools, however, were continuous education that covered new medical advancements, techniques, and practices for nurses. We strengthened the role of SNA by networking with other healthcare organizations and frontline workers to deliver the most recent insights and raise awareness of patient care challenges and solutions through engaging webinars.

During and post-pandemic, the mental health of frontline workers like nurses was becoming one of the key concerns. What role has SNA played in this area to help overcome this challenge?

Alongside the physical safety of our frontline workers, SNA advocated the use of mental health support resources, such as Employee Assistance Plans and teletherapy. Additionally, we have supported HCWs and their organizations, communities, and government entities to work together and communicate standardized decision-making processes effectively. The aim was to ensure that the core ethical principles were upheld and that the mental and physical well-being of HCWs was maintained and not compromised. SNA also implemented strategies designed to prevent moral and psychological distress within the work environment. This was supported by ensuring adequate access to resources such as personal protective equipment (PPE), ventilators, and pharmaceuticals, as well as boosting staffing numbers. The availability of such solutions helped reduce the risk of contracting COVID-19 for HCWs.

THE SAFETY OF FRONTLINE HEALTHCARE WORKERS IS AND WILL ALWAYS BE SNA'S PRIORITY. THE ENTIRE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM WOULD HAVE COLLAPSED IF FRONTLINE PERSONNEL SAFETY AND WELL-BEING WERE NOT ENSURED. TO INCREASE THEIR SAFETY, WE LAUNCHED A MEDIA CAMPAIGN TO RAISE AWARENESS OF SAFETY MEASURES WHEN CARING FOR COVID-19 PATIENTS

President of the Saudi Nurses Association (SNA)

"The safety of frontline healthcare workers is and will always be SNA's priority"

Dr. Mohammed Al Ghamdi

What role has medical technology played in helping nurses in their day-today roles?

The two biggest effective technologies that helped keep nurses safe, while caring for COVID-19 patients, were telemonitoring and advanced communication devices that helped minimize the exposure to infection.

We’ve been able to enhance these interactions by utilizing multimedia platforms to keep nurses up to date.

Additionally, to assist the day-to-day nursing activities, there are organizations that are working on developing robots that carry out repetitive nursing skills to relieve pressure off nurses, so they are enabled to focus more on urgent tasks.

We are hoping to deploy these innovations and that more advanced technologies being developed will help mitigate upcoming severe nursing shortages.

What can countries do to face the challenge of global nursing & midwifery shortage to stabilize healthcare after the pandemic?

What we know so far is that there is an increasing global nursing shortage. The World Health Organization has estimated that we would need 9 million extra nurses by 2030.

We are also aware that nurses and midwives make up 50% of all healthcare workforce; therefore, if we are short on the workforce that we need most, then there will be no sustainability of healthcare systems.

Moreover, a recent report by the UN High

Ms. Mawahib Wang

Serious and inequivalent investment in developing a stronger nursing and midwifery workforce should be part of every government strategy"

Level Commission on Health Employment and Economic Growth concluded that investments in education and job creation in the health and social sectors result in a triple return of improved health outcomes, global health security, and inclusive economic growth.

The answer is then clear, serious and inequivalent investment in developing a stronger nursing and midwifery workforce should be part of every government strategy to establish not only the security of healthcare systems but also to fortify the economic growth of the country.

Going forward, as innovations continue to transform the healthcare industry, are there any existing or future initiatives advancing the patient care and safety journey for caregivers?

The SNA will continue to provide support for all nursing and midwifery staff.

The biggest step that SNA took was pushing for the legislation of safe staffing ratio and making it a part of the national regulation in the upcoming Saudi Central Board for Accreditation of Healthcare Institutions (CBAHI) edition.

93

"The efforts of nurses are priceless, and we will continue to support them with the necessary upskilling and tools to ensure they focus on what matters most to them: providing the best care for their patients"

Vice President and General Manager, BD, MENAT

Maher Elhassan

How important is the role of nurses in delivering patient-centric care, safety, and experiences?

Nurses balance numerous responsibilities in their jobs while maintaining their own mental and physical well-being. They spend most time with patients and uncover vital information about their health, and therefore – are patient advocates who cater to their needs while enabling doctors to make better decisions and treatment plans.

The entire patient care journey is highly impacted by the safe and efficient manner in which nurses can fulfil their duties. Because of this, it is vital that they are empowered with the right tools and innovations to deliver care to their patients with industry-leading solutions that match today’s healthcare challenges.

And that is why keeping them safe and satisfied is at the heart of what we do as they are the enablers to drive our purpose of advancing the world of healthTM and to deliver patient-centric care models across the entire continuum of care.

Tell us more about the partnership that BD and SNA have signed and the impact it aims to drive.

Our partnership with the Saudi Nursing Association gives us the opportunity to help bolster the healthcare system in the Kingdom by empowering Saudi Healthcare workers with best practices, trainings, and solutions.

The collaboration is aimed at extending BD’s signature programs and initiatives across the Kingdom that will enable knowledge exchange and experiences in areas of patient safety, healthcare workers’ safety and efficiency.

Together, with SNA we will contribute to a more sustainable healthcare system in the Kingdom, aligned with its health sector transformation program, and the Saudi National Vision 2030.

What tools and innovations does BD offer nurses to ensure safety and care? And how do BD’s tools contribute to the safety of nurses and not just patients?

Patient safety events, staff shortages, or inefficiencies along the continuum of care are examples of acute challenges that can impact the sustainability of our healthcare systems for today and tomorrow’s generations.

Our BD Signature Programmes embody our commitment to sustainable healthcare and helps in addressing such challenges.

As part of our Patient Safety signature program for example, we aim to equip nurses and healthcare providers with the knowledge, tools, and solutions to:

Help prevent healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and support treatment management

Help prevent medication errors

Similarly, our healthcare workers signature program is designed to address staff shortages and drive staff satisfaction through trainings and solutions to:

Help address their psychological, ergonomic, bloodborne pathogens, radiation and hazardous drugs hazards in the workplace

Help enable more time for patient care and added-value tasks through standardization and automation

Help build and promote a culture of healthcare worker safety through differentiated services

Our innovations help drive significant impact, but they are only one part of the patient care journey. We need the human element from the hardworking nurses on the frontline to wield these powerful MedTech innovations to save lives across the country. The efforts of nurses are priceless, and we will continue to support them with the necessary upskilling as we continuously devise and improve our existing tools and programs to contribute to more resilient and sustainable work environments to ensure nurses and all healthcare practitioners focus on what matters most to them: providing the best care for their patients.

Hospital Accreditations

Hospitals and health facilities in the regional states have succeeded in applying international standards and requirements that deal with quality standards of medical services stipulated by international healthcare accreditations. Although some health facilities have been affected by the pandemic outbreak, many of them have proven their competence in infection control and preventing the spread of the pandemic among healthcare providers and workers in light of the application of global accreditation standards and adherence to correct health practices.

It was clear that hospitals with local and global accreditation certificates worked hard to improve quality, develop policies, programs,

plans and continuing education, which led to improving the level of emergency response such as the one we are currently witnessing in light

International programs improve the process of care

HOSPITALS OBTAINING INTERNATIONAL ACCREDITATIONS CONFIRM THEIR COMMITMENT TO APPLYING THE HIGHEST INTERNATIONAL PRACTICES THAT ARE INTERNATIONALLY APPROVED.

of the outbreak, while maintaining the provision of safer care and high-quality services despite the hardships. Despite the challenges that have burdened hospitals, they, in many countries, have succeeded in implementing a set of important measures to protect their medical staff and others from coronavirus.

In light of the spread of the pandemic in most countries of the world, the importance of infection control has emerged in hospitals and in the departments dedicated for coronavirus patients, urging doctors and nurses to follow the highest protection standards with the aim of preventing cross-infection. At this critical stage, accurate infection control measures in hospitals are very necessary to preserve the safety of the healthcare team, and it is extremely important to fight the pandemic because any complacency would threaten everyone and turn hospitals into places of cross-contamination.

Hospitals obtaining international accreditations confirm their commitment to applying the highest international practices that are internationally approved in terms of clinical service quality, patient safety, and the competence of medical and administrative staff, while establish-

ing a system that governs quality performance and makes a qualitative leap in providing excellent healthcare to patients in accordance with the finest international protocols.

The infection control policies adopted in hospitals aim to prevent the occurrence or transmission of infection between patients, healthcare providers and visitors. Full adherence to these procedures are obvious when dealing with patients or equipment, provided that the environment surrounding the patient while in the hospital is completely safe and clean while ensuring the reduction of microbial or viral growth and transmission.

There are multiple and various infection control methods that are complementary and are applied flawlessly and with high precision in order to ensure the provision of a sterile environment. Perhaps what most of the region’s hospitals have achieved in obtaining international accreditations repeatedly, has contributed to strengthening the health sector’s achievements and renewing global confidence in quality health services in the Arab world. The accreditation standards were a roadmap adopted by hospitals in managing the pandemic.

INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTIONS HAVE WORKED ON DEVELOPING PROTOCOLS THAT ARE PROVEN BY SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE THAT RECOMMEND THE APPLICATION OF INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL STANDARDS AND PRACTICES TO ENSURE QUALITY AND HIGH PERFORMANCE.

In light of the pandemic outbreak, it became clear that the internationally accredited hospitals have:

• Programs and departments dedicated for infection control and prevention.

• Effective disaster management and raising the readiness levels to better manage coronavirus cases.

• Speed in dealing with emergency cases by forming committees that follow up on coronavirus cases and monitor their source.

• Continuous training for workers on how to deal with patients according to international protocols.

• An internal system for quality control, data collection, patient records and data.

International standards and protocols

International institutions have worked on developing protocols that are proven by scientific evidence that recommend the application of international medical standards and practices to ensure quality and high performance. The majority of hospitals in the countries of the region have succeeded in applying these protocols by following preventive measures that are like daily precautionary steps that are applied by all healthcare providers within the hospital. They aim at controlling infection and are primarily

WASHING HANDS REGULARLY AND WEARING A MASK OR FACE SHIELD WHILE NOT TOUCHING THE PATIENT’S BODY WITHOUT GLOVES AND TAKING THEM OFF WHEN MOVING FROM ONE PATIENT TO ANOTHER ARE ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT MEASURES STIPULATED IN INTERNATIONAL HEALTH POLICIES.

related to patient safety. These measures aim to prevent and control infection to protect those who may be at risk of acquiring infection while receiving healthcare. The problem is that every patient who stays in the hospital for more than ten days have an increased risk of contracting coronavirus, especially those who suffer from weak immunity. Washing hands regularly and wearing a mask or face shield while not touching the patient’s body without gloves and taking them off when moving from one patient to another are one of the most important measures stipulated in international health policies. They are applied by hospitals to ensure the continuity of obtaining international health accreditations, while also being aware of the great risks that this infection can cause in healthcare facilities.

Since any of the hospital employees may be exposed to this infection, hospitals have adopted a working methodology for infection control that is based on several principles, namely, risk assessment and control, setting policies and procedures to prevent its spread and providing the infrastructure in a way that ensures the safety of high-risk procedures while focusing on spreading policies and procedures with the aim of improving the expertise of the personnel in order to reduce risks within performance indicators that rise to the highest global levels through systems that monitor infection and identify the most severe coronavirus cases.

What are the accreditation programs that your hospital has undergone, if any, and are you planning to pursue other accreditation programs?

At CMC Dubai, our Laboratory and Pathology departments are accredited by the College of American Pathologist with the CAP Laboratory accreditation. Additionally, the hospital has received the Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditation for hospitals. Furthermore, we are currently in the process of preparing for Hospital Baby-Friendly Initiative Certification.

What are the benefits of achieving accreditation and how does it help in reducing the cost of operation?

Achieving accreditation by an international accrediting organization is a recognition of

Hammoud MD, DA,

Rola

Dr. Rola Hammoud, DA, MHA, FACHE, is Chief Medical Executive at Clemenceau Medical Center, Dubai. Her extensive experience in anesthesiology spans over 25 years as she provides the safest care guided by the best practices and international standards to ensure patients are properly and promptly treated throughout their entire surgical path. Moreover, she has experience in the education and training of residents and participated in many regional and international anesthesia congresses and workshops as a speaker and trainer. “Hospitals” Magazine had the privilege to meet with Dr. Hammoud to address several topics. Below is the full interview:

our high levels of safety and quality in the care we provide to our patients. It is also a demonstration of the excellence in our delivery of services. The benefits are numerous for both the organization and the patients that are being served, including:

• Standardization of care and reduction of variability – this will ensure all patients will receive the same consistent level of care and have a similar experience regardless of which department they visit or which staff they interact with. This will help in reducing errors and risks.

• Building staff competencies and knowledge.

• Adoption of best practices by sharing the knowledge and the practices with

Chief Medical Executive at Clemenceau Medical Center, Dubai

"Our organization is always ready to implement and follow any accreditation agency guidelines and standards to establish best practices"

MHA, FACHE

ACHIEVING ACCREDITATION BY AN INTERNATIONAL ACCREDITING ORGANIZATION, IS A RECOGNITION OF OUR HIGH LEVELS OF SAFETY AND QUALITY IN THE CARE WE PROVIDE TO OUR PATIENTS.

other organizations (and also the surveyors).

• Stand out and differentiate the organization from others by showcasing the commitment to quality and ultimately attracting more patients (by winning their confidence).

• Stand out and differentiate the organization from others by showcasing the commitment to quality and ultimately attracting a highly qualified workforce that shows commitment to the levels of excellence of the organization.

The outcome of accreditation is to improve patient safety and provide better quality care, how can you describe the impact of accreditation on your hospital and how is it an ongoing process?

Being a newly established hospital, the management of the organization had the vision to include the standards of JCI in the designs and planning phase and ensure that the highest levels of guidelines are followed. Once the implementation and commissioning phase kicked off, the same approach was trickled down and this became a solid part of the culture embedded in the mission.

Once the accreditation was achieved officially, this culminated into an official recognition of this work that was done by the team and provided the motivation to continue to do so.

Accreditation is not a one-time project or activity that is performed every 2/3 years. Accreditation is a voluntary conscious commitment to a specific level of standards where the organization will be in a state of continuous readiness. Using this ideology, the process and commitment are maintained through regular audits, environmental rounds and mock surveys.

Your organization’s familiarity with quality improvement is key to a successful implementation of accreditation. Can you tell us how you make sure this is done properly?

CMC adopts the total quality management approach (TQM). TQM principles are integrated

ACCREDITATION IS NOT A ONE-TIME PROJECT OR ACTIVITY THAT IS PERFORMED EVERY 2/3 YEARS. ACCREDITATION IS A VOLUNTARY CONSCIOUS COMMITMENT TO A SPECIFIC LEVEL OF STANDARDS WHERE THE ORGANIZATION WILL BE IN A STATE OF CONTINUOUS READINESS. USING THIS IDEOLOGY, THE PROCESS AND COMMITMENT ARE MAINTAINED THROUGH REGULAR AUDITS, ENVIRONMENTAL ROUNDS AND MOCK SURVEYS.

in all systems. The Quality Improvement Plan and Program provides guidelines for systematically evaluating our functions, processes, systems, risks and outcomes to ensure excellence in quality healthcare at our institution. This plan is set in alignment with the strategic goals of the governing board who in turn approves the plan and ensures all resources are allocated for its implementation.

Information and data are aggregated and used in a consistent manner to improve systems and processes. Systems and processes are designed and redesigned using a multidisciplinary approach in coordination with all hospital departmental quality and safety programs and plans. In continual improvement, CMC analyzes its processes to reduce unnecessary variation and improve the quality of its services. A systematic approach to improvement is used to continually improve the organization's processes.

In order to continually improve, CMC Dubai understands that it is a system of interdependent parts, all with the same mission, meeting the needs and exceeding the expectations of our customers. CMC Dubai seeks to optimize the performance of the entire system, rather than the performance of individual parts. Additionally, as a system of interdependent parts, CMC Dubai aligns its processes, technology, people, values, and policies to support its efforts targeted towards continuous improvement.

Those efforts are monitored continuously by key performance indicators that are reported regularly to the governing board.

We also make sure quality concepts are understood by all staff and we perform regular trainings on those concepts. All those efforts make us continuously ready for the accreditation process.

The executive team of the hospital is key to ensuring the continuity of the

process and making sure that all the staff understands their role in achieving accreditation standards, how important is leadership and direction?

Governing Board / leadership of the hospital bears ultimate responsibility for the quality of patient care rendered and for patient safety within the hospital. This important investment in quality needs adequate resources, and accordingly planning needs to be done, approved and monitored by the highest level of the organization to ensure its implementation.

Leadership of the organization will shape the quality culture of the hospital through its vision and support the coordination among all the departments and services in measurement and improvement efforts. While identifying the priorities of the organization, leadership will include continuous improvement, patient safety and accreditation as part of the strategic goals which will show leadership by example and dictate how this will reflect on the rest of the team and staff. The management will ensure all staff understand the strategy and work towards achieving its goals.

Clear policies and procedures are key to achieving accreditation success, how do you ensure that your staff applies them daily?

To ensure compliance, one-time training and lecturing upon recruitment is not enough. A competency-based orientation demonstrated better outcome and knowledge dissemination. This is complemented by continuous refreshments and on-site visual demonstration of these vital practices (quick summary pocket cards). Complex and vertical processes (involving multiple units / departments) are always illustrated in diagrams and drawing to simplify the steps and help staff to comprehend easier.

On-site daily monitoring and follow-up are required to ensure the continuous application of approved policies, procedures and workflows. The quality team conducts focused patient tracers, system tracer, quality rounds and establish a robust monitoring, auditing programs enhanced by KPIs and reviews.

LEADERSHIP OF THE ORGANIZATION WILL SHAPE THE QUALITY CULTURE OF THE HOSPITAL THROUGH ITS VISION AND SUPPORT THE COORDINATION AMONG ALL THE DEPARTMENTS AND SERVICES IN MEASUREMENT AND IMPROVEMENT EFFORTS. WHILE IDENTIFYING THE PRIORITIES OF THE ORGANIZATION, LEADERSHIP WILL INCLUDE CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT, PATIENT SAFETY AND ACCREDITATION AS PART OF THE STRATEGIC GOALS WHICH WILL SHOW LEADERSHIP BY EXAMPLE AND DICTATE HOW THIS WILL REFLECT ON THE REST OF THE TEAM AND STAFF.

Do you think that your organization is ready for more accreditation programs? And how do you think organizations should perform after getting an accreditation? Is it an ongoing process?

Our organization is always ready to implement and follow any accreditation agency guidelines and standards to establish best practices and improve services and the care of our patients.

After an accreditation, the organization shall work towards maintaining continuous readiness. Using this ideology, the process and commitment are maintained year-long and ensured by working that preparedness is not only for the next survey, but for the next patient.

This is why our quality team continues to perform rounds, tracers, mock surveys and drills all year long.

Bringing a hospitality approach to hospitals is becoming a key strategy for hospitals to have better outcomes and higher patient satisfaction. What is the importance of #HOSPOTEL in accreditation programs?

Multiple accreditation agencies incorporate patient rights, patient education and patient experience in their standards. The new approach now is heading towards establishing a patient-centered approach and person-centered approach in the delivery of the care systems and this is evident in the progression of the standards. The trend currently also shows that patients are now interviewed during on-site accreditation surveys and further standards require the capturing of patient perspectives by evaluating their experience and journey. All these are assessed in depth during the surveys also and a great deal of importance is given to them.

Additionally, with the increase in the health literacy of the general population and the ease of access to information, patient engagement in all aspects of care/treatment through education and participation of the decision-making process is now a must for all.

Furthermore, evidence shows that engaged and satisfied patients lead to more abidance by

the health education and instruction of the care team and ultimately have better outcomes.

Systems and smiles are needed to improve the healthcare business. Where do you think improvements are needed to ensure a successful business?

The success of a business relies mostly on the quality of the product or service that is being delivered. Ensuring that this consistency of delivery is achieved at the first time and at all times is vital.

Understanding the customer and his expectation is also an important factor as the service will not be sold if it is not needed or delivered as per the needs of this customer. So, combining the previous 2 points leads to conclude that

the service should be of the highest quality as per the customer expectations and make sure that standardization and consistency of delivery are maintained so the experience doesn’t vary over time.

Finally, focusing only on the customer is not enough and work should be done to also provide the optimal levels of satisfaction and experience for the staff too. An improvement is this regard can help a business sustain the levels of the desired quality.

A SUCCESS OF A BUSINESS RELIES MOSTLY ON THE QUALITY OF THE PRODUCT OR SERVICE THAT IS BEING DELIVERED.

Jamal Hammad

Deputy CEO of Al-Ahli Hospital and Director of

Projects

"Maintaining Accreditation is an Annual Objective"

Healthcare is becoming more and more universal, and the interest in international accreditation is growing by the minute. Moreover, patients nowadays have enough awareness about the efficient healthcare requirements and are demanding more and more highquality services. “Hospitals” magazine had the privilege to meet with Jamal Hammad, Deputy CEO of Al-Ahli Hospital and Director of Projects. Below is the full interview:

The outcome of accreditation is to improve patient safety and provide better quality care. How can you describe the impact of accreditation on your hospital and how is it an ongoing process?

First of all, it is perhaps important to emphasize that maintaining accreditation is by far more important and more difficult than achieving it. This is why the impact of accreditation is witnessed and felt throughout all hospital departments and operations on a day-by-day basis.

It becomes a daily routine to monitor, report and enhance measured parameters and key performance indicators (KPIs) that are relevant to guest safety and the quality of care delivered. It affects resources, process and the organizational complete structure; and – in some cases – even the infrastructure.

Your organization’s familiarity with quality improvement is key to a successful implementation of accreditation. Can you tell us how you make sure this is done properly?

The requirements of gathering evidence of quality improvement are the key under the Australian accreditation system (ACHSI) of which Al-Ahli Hospital is certified for the past 8 years and ongoing. The requirements are split into different categories and each is assigned to a

BENEFITS ARE SUMMARIZED IN GUEST (PATIENT) SAFETY AND QUALITY OF CARE. SUCH HIGH-LEVEL OBJECTIVES ALWAYS LEAD TO FINANCIAL REWARDS AS A BY-PRODUCT OF QUALITY OF CARE. IGNORING THIS WILL HAVE A DIRECT AND INDIRECT IMPACT ON COST OF OPERATIONS..

lead who will need to work with staff members to monitor, collect and report on advancements in such requirements and the maintenance of the same.

The executive team of the hospital is key to ensure the continuity of the process and making sure that all the staff understand their role in achieving accreditation standards. How important is leadership and direction?

Very essential to say the very least. You cannot expect staff reporting to you to achieve set targets when they see their leaders ignoring the same.

For us at AAH, maintaining accreditation is an annual objective on the performance management of each responsible staff member; and the same is cascaded down or up in the leadership hierarchy.

What are the accreditation programs that your hospital has undergone, if any, and are you planning to pursue other accreditation programs?

Al-Ahli has been a certified Australian accredited institute (ACHSI) for the past 8 years now and currently is in its third accreditation cycle for yet another 4 years.

As of this moment, we have no intention to pursue other accreditation programs unless mandated to follow – as a requirement - a second “local” program under development by local regulatory authorities in the State of Qatar; to which we shall oblige.

What are the benefits of achieving accreditation and how does it help in reducing the cost of operation?

Benefits are summarized in guest (patient) safety and quality of care. Such high-level objectives always lead to financial rewards as a by-product of quality of care. Ignoring this will have a direct and indirect impact on cost of operations.

Do you think that your organization is ready for more accreditation programs? How do you think organizations should perform after getting an accreditation? Is it an ongoing process?

We are ready to accustom to any accreditation program that does not loses the focus from the guest's care to documentation. ACHSI is a good-balanced program and – as mentioned before – focuses on collecting evidence of continuous improvements to maintain and sustain a quality of care model. After obtaining the certification, organizations must initiate a program for continuous improvements and this is harder than just achieving the certification. You have to invest a lot into staff behavior and beliefs to make it more of a “business culture”.

Clear policies and procedures are key to achieving accreditation success, how do you make sure that your staff apply them daily?

We appraise staff performance based on the implementation of such policies and procedures. It is that simple.

AL-AHLI HAS BEEN A CERTIFIED AUSTRALIAN ACCREDITED INSTITUTE (ACHSI) FOR THE PAST 8 YEARS NOW AND CURRENTLY IS IN ITS THIRD ACCREDITATION CYCLE FOR YET ANOTHER4 YEARS.

Chairman & CEO of PROMEDIC Holding

"We are specialized in the distribution of medical equipment and devices to hospitals and providing them with innovative medical and technological solutions"

Eng. Rony Abdelhay

YOUR PARTNER IN HEALTHCARE PROJECTS

PROMEDIC Holding was founded in late 2002 and has contributed to providing innovative medical solutions to the healthcare sector. Engineer Rony Abdelhay and Mr. Samir Karam were able to combine their experience and expertise in the medical field to develop a healthcare service that matches their vision of hospital systems.

Therefore, they founded PROMEDIC Holding to provide the healthcare industry with innovative and high-end medical solutions.

With its head office in Lebanon, the company expanded into a network of affiliations covering most of the MENA countries including Qatar, KSA, UAE, Iraq, Kuwait, Cyprus (Europe) and Africa. But their ambitions go beyond that and they look forward to further expansions. “Hospitals” magazine visited the company's office in Lebanon, and met with its Chairman & CEO, Eng. Rony Abdelhay, to shed light on the journey of success and excellence that began in 2002 and is still continuing with unparalleled passion and enthusiasm. Below is the full interview:

First, let’s start by introducing PROMEDIC Holding to the readers. Can you tell us about its inception and establishment? What about the obstacles you faced?

The journey of PROMEDIC Holding began in 2002 when my partner, Mr. Samir Karam, Chief Operating Officer, and I decided to join hands and make a radical change in our career path, thus decided to establish a company that fulfilled our ambitions. Since work should not only be for the sake of money, but rather to achieve self-satisfaction and accomplish our ambitions, we decided to take a leap of faith by establishing PROMEDIC Holding.

We, Mr. Samir and I worked for years at an international company specialized in the healthcare field and maintenance of hospital equip-

PROMEDIC HOLDING WORKS ON EQUIPPING THE HOSPITAL, WHILE EMMS (ENGINEERING MAINTENANCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS) IS TODAY RECOGNIZED AS THE BEST PARTNER FOR HEALTHCARE FACILITY MANAGEMENT (CLINICAL AND ELECTRO MECHANICAL).

ment. But after we couldn’t find a long-term purpose and missed the “why” and “how” to build a career that meets our vision, we decided to join forces and combine our expertise to build our own company to serve a purpose, our purpose of creating a hub for us and like-minded professionals and provide a state-of-the-art technology systems/device and their maintenance, thus PROMEDIC was founded.

The beginning was from Lebanon and Syria at the same time, where we worked seven days a week between the two countries. The situation continued until 2005 until we made the decision to expand further and shift our destination towards the Gulf region, so we opened a branch in Qatar and the official opening was in 2006 (QMEDIC), then Kuwait in 2007, followed by the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2008, the UAE and Cyprus.

Some find that this large expansion in a short period of time is more like an adventure, but it is in fact a well-calculated adventure. Therefore, we can say that it took us 11 years to get to where we are today. We think thoroughly about a project, plan it very well and take our

Eng. Rony Abdel-Hay and Mr. Samir Karam

time at this stage, but once we proceed with the implementation, we move quickly towards achieving our goal.

Speaking of obstacles, there is no doubt that the only way to overcome these challenges is straight through them towards our goals. Learning from our mistakes or, in other words, gaps can only be done with field practice. The beginning of our launch was full of obstacles, but in my opinion, it was necessary in order to give us the strength and resilience that we have today.

Only tough times make a person stronger, while arming him with the necessary skills and expertise in addition to enriching his personality.

What are the main services and systems provided by the company?

We specialize in the distribution of medical equipment and devices to hospitals, as well as the installation of medical gas network supplies, nurse call systems, operating rooms, and other equipment and technology needed by the hospital. PROMEDIC Holding works on equipping the hospital, while EMMS (Engineering Maintenance Management Systems) is today recognized as the best partner for Healthcare Facility Management (Clinical and Electro Mechanical).

EMMS is one of the distinguished companies in the Middle East that operates in this field and provides excellent services through a specialized team. Honored to state that EMMS runs many prestigious hospitals in Lebanon and won many HMC hospital bids and half of the PHCCs (Qatar).

Tell us about the development of companies affiliated with PROMEDIC?

What are the services provided?

After the launch of PROMEDIC Holding, we felt the need to establish a company specialized in hospital maintenance, so EMMS (Engineering Maintenance Management Systems) was launched in 2004 in Lebanon for hospital maintenance only. The goal of this company is to cover the hospital comprehensively, starting from the idea of inception, reviewing the maps with the engineers, developing the necessary plans, in addition to starting construction through the implementation of all medical systems within the hospital campus,

WITH ITS HEAD OFFICE IN LEBANON, THE COMPANY EXPANDED INTO A NETWORK OF AFFILIATIONS COVERING MOST OF THE MENA COUNTRIES INCLUDING QATAR, KSA, UAE, IRAQ, KUWAIT, CYPRUS (EUROPE) AND AFRICA.

including but not limited to the nursing staff specialized system, nurse call systems, gas and anesthesia devices, pediatric and neonatal care departments, as well as operating rooms.

After the huge systems are completed, we carry out our tasks within the hospital departments by providing them with the necessary medical equipment such as beds, tools, preparing the operating rooms, and ventilators, etc. In other words, we specialize in equipping hospitals from A to Z. But our work does not stop there; in fact, our services go beyond installation and equipment, as we also provide maintenance services. We are the only company in the Middle East that has the capabilities to manage, operate and maintain healthcare facilities equipment, and offer regular follow-ups of all devices. We provide these services for companies in Lebanon, Qatar, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates. However, for operation management, we are present in Africa and in Cyprus under the name PROMEDIC Europe.

What are the main projects that you have accomplished, whether in Lebanon or in the Gulf?

There are so many projects that we have undertaken in Lebanon and regionally that it is almost impossible to mention them all. However, we can say that the majority of hospitals in Lebanon worked with us to set up systems, maintenance and other services.

In the Gulf, Qatar for instance, our first business was with Sidra Hospital, where we set up a nurse call device at that time, and projects followed after that, including Hamad Medical Corporation, Aspetar Hospital, Al-Ahli Hospital, Fu-

PARTNER IN HEALTHCARE PROJECTS

ture Medical Center, Royal Medical Center and recently, The View Hospital, and others. In fact, we took over the largest part of the Qatari market.

In Saudi Arabia, we worked with King Faisal Specialist Hospital, Dr. Soliman Fakeeh Hospital, Almoosa Specialist Hospital, and let’s not forget the largest project, which is equipping five National Guard Hospitals with nurse call systems, which is the largest global project in this regard in 2017, enabling us to receive an award being “Top of the World” from Rauland, USA. This project was a qualitative leap and the fruit of our continued success.

This success and excellence require a distinguished personnel as well. What can you tell us in this regard?

Certainly, any success cannot be limited to one person; it is the work result of an integrated team. In fact, we are fortunate to have employees working with unparalleled dedication, as we succeeded in choosing staff that have the best interest of the company in mind, in addition to being armed with extensive experience and competence, which are all elements that provide a healthy environment to work with great passion. I always say that we are a real family working in

the company and we strive to develop it and make it successful, because business continuity and company’s success is a continuity for all of us.

The company today is more like a place that gathers distinguished talent and qualified professionals, as each employee can explore their potential and advance it in order to utilize it for the benefit of the company, not only for the sake of money and the salary they receive at the end of each month, but also for the company’s success and ensuring business continuity. The company's 1,200 employees all work with that spirit in mind.

What about the relationship with suppliers and customers?

Trust is the key to success, and it is not possible to work with a customer who is not like us or does not speak our language. These are the foundations that we adopt with our customers in order to build strong relationships with them. Mutual trust results in speedy performance and movement; our self-confidence and our trust in those around us give us the energy needed to move forward confidently.

This kind of mutual relationship is fundamental for success, as well as for exchanging opinions

YOUR

WE SPECIALIZE IN THE DISTRIBUTION OF MEDICAL EQUIPMENT AND DEVICES TO HOSPITALS, AS WELL AS THE INSTALLATION OF MEDICAL GAS NETWORK SUPPLIES, NURSE CALL SYSTEMS, OPERATING ROOMS, AND OTHER EQUIPMENT AND TECHNOLOGY NEEDED BY THE HOSPITAL.

and listening to others’ opinions, in order to eventually agree on one opinion that serves the interest of all.

In the end, the customer has placed his trust in us, and in return we study his needs, meet with him, get to know what he wants, and then start offering the available products and services that we have. The relationship with our suppliers and the trust they granted us stem from the good service they receive. Our work does not end after equipping a hospital or installing a system. The equipment requires good installation experience with regular maintenance. They are all complementary to the devices we install.

What about the future and the projects you aspire to accomplish?

In fact, we aspire to expand further by establishing branches in several countries such as Ghana in Africa, in addition to expanding in the countries in which we operate, with the possibility of establishing a company in America to provide us directly with state-of-the-art medical systems and devices.

Perhaps the most important thing we are doing for the future is the new building in Dbayeh - Lebanon - which is still under construction to be the company's headquarters. Although we had the option to establish the headquarters in Cyprus, we are determined to stay and expand in Lebanon, as we believe in our country and its potential, despite the difficult circumstances we live in today. The new building, spanning over 7,000 square meters, is like an architectural masterpiece in a privileged location; it needs about a year and a half to be

THE COMPANY TODAY IS MORE LIKE A PLACE THAT GATHERS DISTINGUISHED TALENT AND QUALIFIED PROFESSIONALS, AS EACH EMPLOYEE CAN EXPLORE THEIR POTENTIAL AND ADVANCE IT IN ORDER TO UTILIZE IT FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE COMPANY, NOT ONLY FOR THE SAKE OF MONEY AND THE SALARY THEY RECEIVE AT THE END OF EACH MONTH, BUT ALSO FOR THE COMPANY’S SUCCESS AND ENSURING BUSINESS CONTINUITY.

ready. Through this building, we will manage all our operations abroad, and a specific space will be allocated for each company to serve as a hub for experienced professionals and a space for training and communications. It is a great investment that was welcomed by everyone because from this future headquarters, we will be managing all the company branches abroad.

Despite the presence of an integrated work system in each company branch, our business structure requires constant communications with the headquarters to obtain approvals and follow up on business, which strengthened the relationship between all branches.

Why PROMEDIC?

Simply because it is about the people, we cannot do anything without thinking about the people in the first place, especially when working in hospitals. When it comes to the patient, error is not allowed. The quality of services, maintenance methods, regular and routine follow-ups are a basic service and not an option.

Since day one, our goal was not to establish a company for a person or a family; the goal is greater than that. Therefore, we have implemented “Corporate Governance” to include mechanisms that regulate the relationship between all parties by establishing special procedures that facilitate decision making and ensure transparency and credibility. We took this step in 2013 to maintain continuity and avoid family tensions.

In the end, we would like to thank “Hospitals” magazine for this kind gesture towards PROMEDIC.

YOUR PARTNER IN HEALTHCARE PROJECTS

“Work environment is very friendly and warm. We have the respect and ethics in the company towards our clients, suppliers, banks and staff and there is the security of the job. In PROMEDIC, I feel safe."

CHOUEIRY – VICE PRESIDENT / ADMINISTRATION

“PROMEDIC was my first career station 20 years ago, and hopefully it will be my only one. Because when you work with the best team you make no compromise."

MASSAAD – PROCUREMENT MANAGER

"I started university while working at the company. I enjoyed the strong family bond that exists here and nobody leaves their family."

KHOUEIRY –ACCOUNTANT

“What I like the most about PROMEDIC is the empowerment of people. Everyone in the company enjoys being part of its decision and participates in setting the goals and targets. Simply meeting those gives you a sense of satisfaction on a personal level and pushes you to give more and I believe this is a key element for our success because a business is built by its people."

“PROMEDIC is the place for those who seek challenges, have ambition and aim for career development. In PROMEDIC, simply the sky would be the limit! You will have umbel opportunities to grow and endless possibilities to learn. With PROMEDIC, wherever there is a will, there is a way."

“This was my first job. PROMEDIC developed at a record speed and I developed with it too. PROMEDIC is a challenge by itself, we are daily planning, innovating and developing systems. For all that, I’m still part of the company."

MARIAM

ANTOINE

ENG. NICOLAS CHAMMA – CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER OF QMEDIC

ENG. EDMOND ABOU NADER – CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER OF PROMEDIC KSA

ENG. PASCAL HABCHY - CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER OF EMMS

GEORGINA

Medicine is constantly evolving in terms of techniques, methodologies, and factors driving healthcare continuity. The concept of hospitalization changes with time. Thus, it is constantly progressing in offering hospitalization services and ensuring the well-being of patients. In view of this, hospitals began to create the finest patient care methods, even in matters that do not fall within the purely medical treatment framework. They expanded and developed the concepts of patient service and room equipment, to meet patient's comfort and requirements during the treatment period. Over time, we have witnessed a shift in services and a change in equipment, some previously deemed unnecessary in hospitals. Several studies showed over time that it is an integral part of the hospitalization process and patient satisfaction.

Hospitality schools began to ask their students a new question, to be addressed in a detailed and purposeful manner: in which sectors can hospitality be applied other than hotels, restaurants, ceremonial receptions, and tourism institutions? The correct answer to this question would be: in hospitals, one of the largest sectors today requiring hospitality services besides hotels and tourism institutions, and relying on equipment that would guarantee patient satisfaction throughout their stay at the hospital, considered a place of recovery that provides personal welfare and comfort, and not limited to the treatment of ailments associated with pain, suffering, and frustration.

Hospitality from the Hotel to the Hospital

Some luxuries are found in these rooms, such as marble bathtubs and helpers. The demand on these rooms has been increasing owing to these additional services despite the elevated rates per night. Courtney Suess-Raesinafchi, the Lead Researcher and Assistant Professor at Boston University School of Hospitality Administration, said: “In the past, as was the norm, the hospitality industry focused on restaurants, lodging, or hotels. Nowadays, I believe hospitals focus more and more on patient satisfaction, and this transformed hospitals into a more cus-

HOSPITALITY SCHOOLS BEGAN TO ASK THEIR STUDENTS A NEW QUESTION, TO BE ADDRESSED IN A DETAILED AND PURPOSEFUL MANNER: IN WHICH SECTORS CAN HOSPITALITY BE APPLIED OTHER THAN HOTELS, RESTAURANTS, CEREMONIAL RECEPTIONS, AND TOURISM INSTITUTIONS?

tomer-centric model. This big change brought a lot of attention to the physical surroundings, and services at hospitals.”

The study surveyed about 400 people via the Internet, who have stayed in hospitals for six months prior to the survey. The participants in the study examined 40 template designs that were specially prepared for hospital rooms, and each design contained different sets of hotel supplies. Both Courtney Suess-Raesinafchi and McCarrand Moody, the co-researcher and assistant professor in the Department of Hospitality Marketing focused on the amenities that were most liked by the patients by examining eighteen factors, including interior design, healthcare service, and dietary choices. For instance, one of the sampled rooms contains luxurious bed sheets, a kitchenette in the corner of the room, as well as a soft, embellished bathrobe hanging on the bathroom door. Another type of rooms contains a simple bed but the walls are decorated with art drawings, and there is also a member of the health care staff who is trained to provide hospitality service properly. All these

ONE OF THE SAMPLED ROOMS CONTAINS LUXURIOUS BED SHEETS, A KITCHENETTE IN THE CORNER OF THE ROOM, AS WELL AS A SOFT, EMBELLISHED BATHROBE HANGING ON THE BATHROOM DOOR.

facilities are labeled for easy identification. The participants rated the rooms to see which one they would choose if they had to stay in the hospital in the future. The researchers also analyzed the results to see which amenities had the largest share of votes.

Topping this list are the interior design, service teams, and equipment. The participants preferred hospital rooms with a cutting-edge design and modern flair, such as those with walls painted in a different color, or thin wooden floors. The evaluation also included the presence of a team trained in hospitality in the rooms as a requirement in this list. The participants were also interested in the available technology, such as high-quality flat-screen television. Many patients have come to consider that these means of entertainment are no longer nonessential luxuries, but are rather necessary for entertaining the patients and alleviating their pain on the one hand, and giving them more room for hope when they are in an unstable and unhealthy psychological condition, on the other hand.

A New Concept of Hospitalization

At first glance, some may find it difficult to imagine the relationship between healthcare and design. However, studies indicate in this context that healthcare, which has always relied on the competence of doctors and nursing staff, has begun today to adopt new concepts and different methods in approaching the matter and caring for patient satisfaction. The studies have built on a body of research that has shown that #HOSPOTEL rooms with trained hospitality staff can actually improve patient outcomes.

Design choices such as large sunny windows, landscapes or garden views, or even artistic nature scenes, have been shown to help reduce patient stress and pain, according to the historical review of 2008 by Dr. Roger Ulrich - Professor of Architecture at the Center for healthcare Architecture, Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden - and his colleagues. According to the study, doctors report that patients who stayed in the rooms most exposed to sunlight showed less pain and 20% less consumption of analgesics, compared to patients who stayed in rooms that were not sunny.

Researchers asked patients involved in the study about the additional fees they were willing to pay for a room fitted with amenities of luxury hotels, rather than pay for a regular room. On average, they were willing to pay 38% more than usual spending. This proves, beyond any doubt, the importance of designs and hotel services in hospitals for patients, since these designs, equipment, and services mean for them a further and speedy recovery.

The data analysis also showed a discrepancy between two groups of participants, the "least healthy" group and the "healthiest" group. The “least healthy” participants, who spent more time in the hospital and whose physical and mental health were rated lower than that of the "healthiest" group, showed that they were willing to pay 44% more for a #HOSPOTEL room. Meanwhile, the "healthiest" group was only willing to pay 31% more.

The study tackled the importance of food preparation at hospitals. It has evolved from being a mere routine to a major factor in hospital services. It requires preparation at two levels:

first, wider diversity, better quality, and more suitability for patients’ health; second, more variety in terms of the type and timing of meals that definitely align with the patient's health conditions. In addition to this, patient’s visitors who are staying for a long time may benefit from some hotel amenities, such as a kitchenette equipped with a refrigerator, a coffee maker, and other requirements.

A Leap into the Future

The conducted research resulted in discovering another factor that plays a pivotal part: it’s the smell of medical formulas and sterilizers in hospitals. Hospital designers were particularly interested in this matter and its role in offering a hotel-like stay at hospitals. This required the adoption of modified formulas and the diffusion of scents that do not make visitors nor residents feel like they are in a place for treatment, but rather feel like they are just recovering at a hotel. This factor has also shown to have a psychological impact on the patient's health and satisfaction.

In this regard, Mooney wrote an e-mail that included the following: “Most of us have had to visit hospitals before. We have also had to stare

ANOTHER TYPE OF ROOMS CONTAINS A SIMPLE BED BUT THE WALLS ARE DECORATED WITH ART DRAWINGS, AND THERE IS ALSO A MEMBER OF THE HEALTHCARE STAFF WHO IS TRAINED TO PROVIDE HOSPITALITY SERVICE PROPERLY.

at the cold, dreary walls and decor, and endure the smell of medical formulas, besides waiting impatiently to hear what the doctor had to say. It is no secret that these times are really stressful for both patients and their families.” He added: “More and more hospitals are beginning to operate and look like hotels. It is not limited to the design; it goes beyond it to the services provided. Patient satisfaction scores have also increased, as well as their and their families' perceptions of amenities within hospitals.”

Boston University conducted a scientific survey on patients. It revealed that they focus on and care about amenities, food, and room designs, as much as they care about the reputation of the treating physician or traditional hospital services. The Boston University study shows that some of these changes will be easy to implement on a larger scale, such as changing hospitals lighting, painting the walls, or adding artistic drawings. These changes will have a positive impact and will lead to increased financial returns, improving the interior design of rooms, gaining patient satisfaction, and

even improving their health. The study adds that it can be confirmed without hesitation that there is a great opportunity for hospitality. We would actually like to investigate the impact of hospitality and welfare on the physical, mental, psychological, and social aspects of patients and their families. After conducting this research, it became clear to us that this is true. The study examined: "Isn't the purpose of hospitals to provide recovery and promote comfort and health with the best service for all?" This has actually been confirmed by the study.

Today, we find this model of premium hospitalization spreading and expanding gradually around the world. Hospitals began to turn successively into #HOSPOTELS in terms of design, external environment, equipment, and internal service. In parallel, this radical transformation led to achieving two main things: first, greater patient satisfaction and comfort, and better health outcomes; second, more profit for hospitals despite the higher investment made to achieve this qualitative leap. This heralds a brighter future in the world of hospitalization worldwide.

MANY PATIENTS HAVE COME TO CONSIDER THAT THESE MEANS OF ENTERTAINMENT ARE NO LONGER NONESSENTIAL LUXURIES, BUT ARE RATHER NECESSARY FOR ENTERTAINING THE PATIENTS AND ALLEVIATING THEIR PAIN .

ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY HEALTHCARE

Green hospitals, awareness conferences to meet the patients’ variable needs

Based on the hospital’s mission to maintain the safety of healthy individuals to prevent them from getting sick, hospitals have been paying further attention to the internal and external environment, landscaping, etc. Medical practices start with the moment the patient is admitted to the hospital to the disposal of medicines and medical waste in the safest way possible. The role of sustainable healthcare institutions is not limited to helping the environment only, but also includes creating a bright future for patients, medical staff and even various stakeholders. Moreover, modern methodologies have been adopted in the health field and have been achieving great goals that are consistent with the true concept of the medical mission.

On November 6, 2022, countries came together at “COP27” to take action towards achieving the world's collective climate goals. The conference took place in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt and lasted for two weeks, with the participation of world leaders and representatives of more than 190 countries.

It was considered one of the most successful climate summits ever held in its history, given that it discussed important climate issues and ways to reduce carbon emissions that seriously affect the entire planet. Health and hospital-related issues were also addressed in the summit deliberations, in search of solutions to reduce the effects of medical waste, and stressing the importance of transforming hospitals into green buildings and methods as an effective contributor to environmental protection.

The medical sector is one of major sectors that follow the “going green” trend through building green hospitals. In mid-2022, H.E. Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, the Egyptian Minister of Health and Population, announced that Egypt aims to promote green health facilities, which rely on clean and renewable energy, and seeks to

optimize the recycling of medical waste, as well as reduce the waste of supplies and medicines, through a strategy carried out by all state institutions. Dubai also hosted the 45th World Hospital Federation’s World Hospital Congress, in which most Arab countries and the international community took part, as they are strongly moving towards adopting green environments.

The “Green Hospital” concept is based on providing healthcare without causing any harm to the environment and the healthcare worker. The importance of the green hospital lies in the fact that caring for the environment is no less than caring for the safety and well-being of patients. The concept of eco-friendly hospitals is growing significantly in the Arab world; in fact, green hospitals aim to save energy, conserve resources and be environmentally friendly.

In the health sector, the “Going Green” concept that is beginning to redefine how healthcare facilities are built to protect the environment while saving human lives. The greater the amount of energy consumed in a hospital, the greater the release of toxic wastes to the environment, causing damage which may put human lives at risk of other diseases and death.

Green technology in hospitals

Experts say that cost-effective lighting suitable for healthcare will have a promising future in the health sector. Efficient lighting is a proven technology to significantly reduce electricity demand. Proper lighting can improve staff productivity, patient healing, and the use of space in healthcare facilities. In addition to cost, energy, and maintenance savings, LED lights can provide a healthier and more comfortable environment for patients and staff. It is also believed that workers’ health, satisfaction, attention, and consequently performance are improved with the help of natural light.

Proper timing of the light exposure is critical as brighter daytime light conditions are associated with better mood and sleep quality. Research has shown that the use of appropriate lighting can improve a patient's sleep by 8%. With the money saved through the use of efficient lighting, it is possible to invest in equipment that facilitates and improves the treatment process and raises performance level. On average, a green building will use 25%-35% less energy than a conventional building, which reduces operation costs and saves money that can be used for other important issues. Sustainability companies significantly outperform their counterparts by 16% over the long-term. Green buildings, particularly those with improved indoor environmental quality, are being shown to positively impact human health and performance. Sustainable technology helps achieve the goals of social responsibility of the health facility, hence, it can obtain a green certification from its local authority. By adding 2% of the budget to sustainable building, the payback value can be up to 10 times the amount invested.

The importance of the green transition

The shift to constructing sustainable healthcare facilities is largely centered on reducing the carbon burden in hospitals while ensuring that the occupants - staff and patients - are kept safe. Hospitals have started building self-made solar power stations to generate clean and renewable energy. Healthcare providers can replace mercury sphygmomanometers and thermometers with safer and accurate substitutes. Incineration is still one of the most popular methods for medical waste disposal, but with the appearance of more modern alternatives, steam sterilizers are also gaining increasing popularity in the healthcare sector

The Dubai Health Authority revealed that it has developed a plan to transform government and private hospitals in the emirate to become green “environmentally friendly”, stressing that it is in the stage of studying the implementation mechanism, and setting the general features of the transformation, to enter into force after its approval. This came on the sidelines of Dubai

hosting the activities of the 45th World Hospital Congress, under the slogan “Achieving sustainability and the future of the hospital sector in 2030”, held on November 10, 2022, in the presence of more than 1,000 participants, representing more than 60 countries from different continents of the world.

The International Hospital Federation (IHF) stressed the importance of raising awareness and providing support to hospital managers to ensure the delivery of sustainable healthcare globally. An important global issue, entitled “Addressing climate change as an integral part of healthcare delivery”, was confirmed.

The Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the conference, Dr. Ramadan Al Balushi, said that the Authority has developed a plan to gradually transform the emirate’s hospitals to become green and “environmentally friendly” in terms of energy consumption and emissions, sustainable healthcare, the application of best practices and innovations. In addition to smart solutions and digital technology in the health sector, to provide sustainable health services to members of society, and to ensure their conti-

GREEN BUILDINGS, PARTICULARLY THOSE WITH IMPROVED INDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY, ARE BEING SHOWN TO POSITIVELY IMPACT HUMAN HEALTH AND PERFORMANCE. SUSTAINABLE TECHNOLOGY HELPS ACHIEVE THE GOALS OF SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY OF THE HEALTH FACILITY, HENCE, IT CAN OBTAIN A GREEN CERTIFICATION FROM ITS LOCAL AUTHORITY.

nuity during and after crises. For her part, the Vice-Chairman of the Organizing Committee and Chairman of the Scientific Committee of the International Federation of Hospitals Conference, Dr. Farida Al-Khaja, stated that the standards of green hospitals will focus mainly on relying on solar energy as a source of energy, reducing radiation emissions, and using chemicals.

A growing pioneering trend

Many countries have been relying on a modern system to assess green hospitals. The system, which may need to undergo a set of revisions during the coming period, includes standards through which green healthcare buildings can be evaluated.

Given the strong link between sustainability issues and the green architecture, this research aims to study the possibility of developing the system so that it assesses sustainability in a comprehensive manner in healthcare buildings and not only green hospitals, by studying the concept of sustainability and its requirements in healthcare buildings. Hence, the basic elements of sustainability in those buildings should be determined, and the new evaluation system should be reviewed in order to determine the critical

criteria required for green hospital buildings.

The healthcare industry is among the most carbon-intensive service sectors in the industrialized world. It is responsible for around 5% of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions; this launched the trend of making healthcare services go green. Studies have found that emissions from fossil fuels are the dominant cause of global warming.

On the mission of achieving sustainability, hospitals have their sights set on one mammoth target: becoming carbon neutral — achieving net-zero carbon dioxide emissions. And while the mission is long, challenging and often fraught with obstacles, hospitals have an obligation to embrace sustainability due to the enormity of their carbon footprint and their core commitment to health and healing, according to leaders in the decarbonization movement.

Achieving a green future is a global imperative, therefore, this approach is expanding in the Arab world and worldwide. According to the Indian Green Building Council, a green hospital building can be defined as one which enhances patient well-being, aids the curative process, while utilizing natural resources in an efficient, environment friendly manner.

ON THE MISSION OF ACHIEVING SUSTAINABILITY, HOSPITALS HAVE THEIR SIGHTS SET ON ONE MAMMOTH TARGET: BECOMING CARBON NEUTRAL — ACHIEVING NET-ZERO CARBON DIOXIDE EMISSIONS.

Akram Sami

Oracle Cerner is a leading provider of digital information systems used within hospitals and health systems to enable medical professionals to deliver better healthcare to individual patients and communities. “Hospitals” Magazine had the pleasure to meet with Akram Sami, Vice President and Managing Director, Oracle Cerner, Middle East and Africa to discuss the role of digital information systems, the role of technology in hospital quality management among other issues. Below is the full interview:

What is the role of digital information systems in improving healthcare systems and getting them closer to receiving international accreditation programs?

Healthcare administrators and caregivers who access patient and population health data can make crucial decisions about care that could make all the difference to their patients. The benefits of a digital information system in improving the healthcare landscape are limitless – these include improved patient safety, clinician experience, operational excellence, and financial outcomes. Accessing the right health data at the right time depends on health information systems (HISs), which seamlessly and intelligently integrate healthcare with

information technology. A HIS is designed to provide insights into commonly used treatments or interventions that are linked with the best outcomes.

In addition, doctors and nurses use HISs to make informed data-driven decisions regarding various facets of patient care. For example, quick access to patient medical histories can bring previous treatments to light. These systems are also invaluable to administrators, who can analyze statistics about different departments or procedures to better allocate the organization’s resources.

Additional areas where digital technology has made an enormous impact on healthcare include:

Big data: For those conducting studies, research, or clinical trials, digital technology allows for the instant collection of data from a much more diverse and larger population. Also, access to big data allows clinicians to identify risk factors and recommend appropriate preventive/intervention steps more effectively.

Improved lines of communication: Doctors can stay in touch with their patients through email, smartphones, text messaging,

Vice President and Managing Director, Oracle Cerner, Middle East and Africa

"Digital health can play a significant role in helping healthcare organizations meet the standards set by accrediting bodies"

A HIS IS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE INSIGHTS INTO COMMONLY USED TREATMENTS OR INTERVENTIONS THAT ARE LINKED WITH THE BEST OUTCOMES..

etc. Teleconferencing has made it easy to communicate beyond geographic borders.

Telemedicine/Telehealth: Not only is telehealth cost-effective, but it can also help determine who needs emergency assistance. Today, doctors often deliver counseling via telehealth for patients who are not able to physically come to their clinic.

Adopting various technological advancements can benefit and improve the functioning of the hospital, helping with quality management and accreditation. Tools that allow schedulers to maximize the bookings of a specialist or primary care provider can increase the volumes of patients seen. Other tools around the management of how patients are referred can also improve the function of the hospital.

There are no shortages of digital solutions available in the current climate. In the context of accreditation, digital health can play a significant role in helping healthcare organizations meet the standards set by accrediting bodies. For example, the use of electronic health records (EHRs) can help organizations demonstrate that they are meeting standards related to the documentation and management of patient information, as well as standards related to the security and confidentiality of that information.

Telemedicine can also be used to help organizations meet standards related to access to care, as it allows patients to receive care remotely, which can be especially useful in rural or underserved areas. Overall, the integration of digital health technologies can help healthcare organizations improve the quality and safety of the care they provide, as well as increase efficiency and reduce costs. As such, these technologies can be an important consideration in the accreditation process.

Even though the adoption of digital systems can enhance patient safety, it can sometimes lead to medical errors when used or implemented poorly; how do you deal with such an issue?

The potential to improve patient safety exists through the use of medication alerts, clinical

reminders, better tracking and reporting, clinical decision support, and the availability of complete patient data. The role of digital systems or health IT in improving a patient’s safety extends beyond the four walls of a hospital. The system helps increase patient engagement as consumers of healthcare. This allows patients access to their medical records, which helps them to feel more knowledgeable about their conditions and encourages them to actively participate in shared decision-making. Moreover, it can improve follow-up for missed appointments, consultations, and diagnostic testing. A healthcare provider can search for specific cohorts of patients to monitor and improve adherence to indicated healthcare conditions, for example, chronic disease management.

There are several ways to address issues of patient safety in EHRs:

Implement comprehensive training programs: It is important that healthcare providers and staff are trained on how to use EHRs properly and effectively. This can help reduce the risk of errors or omissions in the EHR and improve the overall quality and safety of care.

Implement robust quality improvement processes: Regularly reviewing and analyzing EHR data can help identify any issues or trends that may be affecting patient safety. This can include analyzing data on adverse events, errors, or other safety concerns, and implementing corrective actions as needed.

Use clinical decision support systems: These systems use algorithms and data to provide realtime recommendations for treatment and care based on best practices and guidelines. This can help improve the safety of care by ensuring that providers are making informed decisions based on the latest evidence and recommendations.

Establish robust security and confidentiality protocols: It is important to ensure that EHRs are secure and that patient

HEALTHCARE ADMINISTRATORS AND CAREGIVERS WHO ACCESS PATIENT AND POPULATION HEALTH DATA CAN MAKE CRUCIAL DECISIONS ABOUT CARE THAT COULD MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE TO THEIR PATIENTS. THE BENEFITS OF A DIGITAL INFORMATION SYSTEM IN IMPROVING THE HEALTHCARE LANDSCAPE ARE LIMITLESS –THESE INCLUDE IMPROVED PATIENT SAFETY, CLINICIAN EXPERIENCE, OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE, AND FINANCIAL OUTCOMES.

information is kept confidential. This can include implementing strong passwords, enabling twofactor authentication, and regularly reviewing and updating security protocols to ensure they are effective.

Involve patients and families in the care process: Encouraging patients and families to be actively involved in their own care can help improve patient safety by promoting collaboration and communication between patients and providers. This can include providing patients with access to their own EHRs and encouraging them to ask questions and raise concerns.

There is a litany of technology available to further ease the burden of record-keeping for clinicians. Even something as simple as using a patient portal, where patients can access their individual medical records, lab results, medication lists, schedule follow-up appointments, etc. can make a measurable difference in how the safety and quality of their care affect patients. Quality management is a prime field for the use of technology to make healthcare better for not only patients but for organizations and their financial status as well.

What is the role of technology in hospital quality management?

The use of technology in hospital quality management and accreditation quality is a continuous process, as it involves assessing and aiming to improve a hospital’s functionality. The management committee should understand, collaborate on, and commit to solving any problem that arises in the hospital and its efficiency. Quality management is a complex field with its own experts and specific needs.

A common need is a robust reporting platform that leverages the latest technology to pull the right information at the right time – a key component of any quality management program for a hospital. This is just one example of how technology can positively impact quality management for hospitals.

We are hearing about the digital health accreditation system being used as a new

accreditation program for hospitals; can you tell us your thoughts about this?

There are several accreditation programs that focus on digital health and the use of technology in healthcare. These programs typically aim to ensure that healthcare organizations are using digital technologies in a way that is safe, effective, and compliant with relevant regulations and standards.

Some dimensions involving digital health accreditation programs include:

EHR accreditation programs: These programs provide accreditation for healthcare organizations that use EHRs and other digital health technologies. They assess organizations on a variety of criteria, including the functionality, interoperability, and security of their EHR systems.

Telemedicine accreditation programs: These provide accreditation for healthcare organizations that use telemedicine to deliver care. They assess organizations on a variety of criteria, including the quality of care, patient safety, and the effectiveness of the telemedicine program.

Digital health accreditation: Similar to ones developed by the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS), these programs provide accreditation for healthcare organizations that use digital technologies to improve the quality and safety of care. They assess organizations on a variety of criteria, including the integration of digital technologies into clinical processes, the impact of those technologies on patient outcomes, and the overall effectiveness of the digital health program.

Overall, these and other digital health accreditation programs can help healthcare organizations demonstrate that they are using digital technologies in a way that meets high standards for quality, safety, and effectiveness.

QUALITY MANAGEMENT IS A COMPLEX FIELD WITH ITS OWN EXPERTS AND SPECIFIC NEEDS. A COMMON NEED IS A ROBUST REPORTING PLATFORM THAT LEVERAGES THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY TO PULL THE RIGHT INFORMATION AT THE RIGHT TIME – A KEY COMPONENT OF ANY QUALITY MANAGEMENT PROGRAM FOR A HOSPITAL. THIS IS JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF HOW TECHNOLOGY CAN POSITIVELY IMPACT QUALITY MANAGEMENT FOR HOSPITALS.

Multiple Expansions, Go Lives, and Awards for Oracle Cerner Clients in Middle East, Africa

Recognized as a Best in KLAS leading healthcare technology company for the fourth consecutive year, Oracle Cerner continues to display a strong standing in the Middle East and Africa region. The healthcare technology business is highly active in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia with new contracts and collaborations, as well as client achievements and go lives. This 2022 recap of recent go lives and achievements highlights Oracle Cerner’s strong future and continued dedication to customer success:

Four health systems go live with Oracle Cerner upgrades and enhancements:

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defense Health Services (MOD HS) went live with Oracle Cerner solutions in three of its facilities. MOD HS reports that implementing

Cerner CareAware® solutions has helped reduce bed reservation time, transporter turnaround times, and transfer times within the MOD HS facilities. As it moves forward with the Cerner Millennium® EHR rollout across the remaining MOD HS facilities, the department could see optimized workflows.

King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre (KFSH&RC) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, collaborated with Oracle Cerner to develop an end-to-end transplant workflow solution encompassing donor and recipient worklists, full provider order entry, and clinical documentation to positively impact patient outcomes. The cross-organizational team worked throughout the pandemic to develop this solution, which has already been fully adopted by liver and heart transplant teams. As one of the region’s largest transplant centers, this solution has already centralized all patient

RECOGNIZED AS A BEST IN KLAS LEADING HEALTHCARE TECHNOLOGY COMPANY FOR THE FOURTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR, ORACLE CERNER CONTINUES TO DISPLAY A STRONG STANDING IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA REGION.

information into a single workflow, providing clinicians access to comprehensive details about donor and recipient care.

Abu Dhabi Healthcare Company (SEHA) in the United Arab Emirates went live with Oracle Cerner’s revenue cycle management across all its facilities in 2022 to optimize and customize its revenue cycle billing. SEHA took a leading role in the UAE’s pandemic response for patient treatment, as well as testing, screening, and, eventually, vaccination services. Due to increased demand, clinical users were creating more encounters on the system than usual, translating to additional claims generated with fewer resources available. Through a joint effort between Oracle Cerner and the SEHA revenue cycle management IT team, the health system developed solution enhancements that resulted in increased system throughput. This helped SEHA meet the Department of Health’s requirements on claim submission timelines and optimize its existing Oracle Cerner Patient Accounting platform, making it easier to cope with the increased claim demands created by the spike in patient activity in recent years.

Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) and Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) went live with an Oracle Cerner managed technology platform, the first of its kind in the region in Qatar, and just in time for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Together, they support the Government of Qatar’s vision to deliver superior healthcare to its citizens and residents. A multi-year endeavor with IQVIA, this project has turned data into insights that help identify inefficiencies and enable cost management best practices. Oracle Cerner’s modern, scalable platform will help lay the foundation for future digital healthcare advancements in the region. Additionally, Oracle Cerner completed an optimized program for nursing in HMC and PHCC, resulting in 30 new interdisciplinary plans of care, ad hoc folder updates, and improvement of nursing orders. It also implemented software intended to provide a consolidated, real-time view of patient information from various sources throughout the electronic health record.

Two health systems extend their relationship with Oracle Cerner:

Aspetar Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Hospital signed a contract renewal with Oracle Cerner. The first specialized orthopedic and sports medicine hospital in the Gulf region, Aspetar added solution maintenance, subscriptions, CernerWorksSM , and Application Managed Services to its suite of Oracle Cerner solutions and services in preparation for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, where the hospital served as the principal healthcare provider for global players and teams.

KFSH&RC signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Oracle Cerner to create AI innovations and drive best healthcare practices. The MoU covers healthcare information systems, enterprise resource planning, business continuity plans, and AI innovations focused on providing healthcare practices that serve the Saudi population. This relationship will help strengthen KFSH&RC and Oracle Cerner’s collaboration in developing shared ideas and research in the fields of data and AI.

“Our organizations have already identified many applied healthcare intelligence collaboration projects at KFSH&RC. This MoU with Oracle Cerner will further emphasize and strengthen our pledge to ensure excellence in the use of data-driven intelligence in the exploration of transforming the healthcare delivery model,” said Osama Alswailem, MD, MA, Cert.Dir., Chief Information Officer, KFSH&RC.

Oracle Cerner celebrates four client awards and achievements

Dar Al Shifa Hospital in Kuwait achieved Stage 7 validations on the HIMSS Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model (EMRAM) and Outpatient-EMRAM for its work in achieving sustainable patient engagement and an advanced work environment for its medical team. This validation places Kuwait in the ranks of the few countries worldwide with health

THE HEALTHCARE TECHNOLOGY BUSINESS IS HIGHLY ACTIVE IN THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, QATAR, KUWAIT, AND SAUDI ARABIA WITH NEW CONTRACTS AND COLLABORATIONS, AS WELL AS CLIENT ACHIEVEMENTS AND GO LIVES. THIS 2022 RECAP OF RECENT GO LIVES AND ACHIEVEMENTS HIGHLIGHTS ORACLE CERNER’S STRONG FUTURE AND CONTINUED DEDICATION TO CUSTOMER SUCCESS.

institutions that have achieved Stage 7, and Dar Al Shifa is the first hospital in Kuwait to reach this achievement level.

Emirates Health Services (EHS) in the UAE received high rankings from the ‘Grand Stevie’ international business awards for its innovative self-service kiosks, including the top spot in the Middle East and North Africa region among 700 participants representing 17 countries. These are the first kiosks in the world that seamlessly integrate Cerner Millennium EHR to allow patients to pick up prescribed medicines at EHS facilities. EHS scored a total of 62.5 points, earning 13 golds, eight silvers, and seven bronzes, in addition to the Excellence Award for Innovation in Providing Health Services.

KFSH&RC achieved HIMSS Adoption Model for Analytics Maturity (AMAM) Stage 7, showcasing its ability to utilize artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to transform patient care. Aiming to improve outpatient no-show rates and increase its average patient satisfaction score, KFSH&RC created an automated AI system for the proactive detection of patients with the potential of missing their next appointment. They also revalidated on HIMSS O-EMRAM Stage 7 and are a prior HIMSS Davies award winner.

KFSH&RC also received CHIME Most Wired Level 9 in recognition of its technology infrastructure, advanced technological deployments, business continuity, and data management with meaningful clinical and efficiency outcomes. They are the first to achieve a CHIME Most Wired Hospital ranking in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Oracle Cerner Health Conference demonstrates digital health innovation in Middle East

HMC’s Behavioral Health Hospital participated in a discussion surrounding the adoption of clinical datasets. HMC implemented the first essential clinical dataset for behavioral health globally. Essential clinical datasets define the most important data elements to document

for a patient within the EHR so that clinicians and health systems may provide quality care. They went live with the project in July 2021 in partnership with Oracle Cerner as part of its clinical information systems optimization program and has demonstrated documentation time savings that would equal 12 hours per year per user1

KFSH&RC led a session on adopting intelligence and digital health innovation in tertiary care. Specialized tertiary care hospitals are often viewed as the go-to hospitals for many patients because they’re equipped with the specialists, facilities, and supplies for addressing critical patient needs. To cope with increased demand, KFSH&RC developed intelligent tools for informing day-to-day operations management and planning activities.

Leaders from the MOD HS discussed best practices and lessons learned through the challenges of the pandemic and military actions. Working with Oracle Cerner, MOD HS implemented its RABET (connecting facilities) project in 2017 to enable a massive digital transformation in healthcare in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The project, which aligns with the country’s Vision 2030, has opened doors to integrated care for Saudi Arabia’s population and providers.

The community psychiatry department of Al Amal Hospital, EHS, demonstrated how patient-centric electronic health records systems designs can make it easier for multidisciplinary teams to keep track of patients and help ensure they are properly monitored. Al Amal Hospital operates within a case management framework where care coordinators are allocated to every patient according to their identified needs to improve accessibility, ensure continuity and facilitate engagement with the services within the community. Equipped with rapid response and crisis intervention workflows, this program ensures the wellbeing of community psychiatry patients.

THE REGION CONTINUES TO ENGAGE EFFECTIVELY WITH ORACLE CERNER AND USE INNOVATION AND INITIATIVE TO GET THE BEST FROM ITS HEALTHCARE TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENT. NOW, AS PART OF ORACLE, THE POTENTIAL OF ORACLE CERNER IN THE MIDDLE EAST TO GO FURTHER AND FASTER THROUGH THE ADOPTION OF CLOUD COMPUTING SETS UP A BRIGHT FUTURE FOR THE REGION IN YEARS TO COME.

1. First Essential Clinical Dataset for Middle East

Baby-Friendly Hospital

A pioneering initiative for a healthy life

In 1991, UNICEF and WHO launched the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative to encourage health facilities worldwide to better support breastfeeding. The core purpose of the BFHI is to ensure that mothers and newborns receive timely and appropriate care before and during their stay in a facility providing maternity and newborn services, to enable the establishment of optimal feeding of newborns, which promotes their health and development.

The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative aims to protect, promote and support breastfeeding practices in healthcare facilities providing maternity and newborn services, while enabling timely and appropriate care and feeding of newborns who are not breastfed.

The baby-friendly hospital certification process includes several stages. First, the CEO of the hospital working towards baby friendly certification has to fill the BFHI registration form and send it to the unit of Mother, Child and School health at the MOPH.

Then, the hospital undergoes self-appraisal using the WHO self-appraisal tool. This tool is used to evaluate the hospital’s current application and practices of the ten steps to successful breastfeeding. This in turn will help in developing an action plan based on the results of the latter evaluation. Once the self-appraisal process is completed, an orientation visit to the candidate hospital is performed by the BFHI monitoring team to address the 10 steps criteria requiring additional work for the hospital to become baby friendly.

Framework and Objectives

The program aims to improve healthcare for children, their mothers and their families. It enables healthcare services to better support mothers and families to ensure that all newborns and infants get the best possible start in life. The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative also aims to protect, promote and support breastfeeding practices in healthcare facilities providing maternity and newborn services, while enabling timely

THE BABYFRIENDLY HOSPITAL CERTIFICATION PROCESS INCLUDES SEVERAL STAGES.

and appropriate care and feeding of newborns who are not breastfed.

The six main objectives of the BFHI are to:

1. Enable mothers to make an informed choice about how to feed their newborns.

2. Support early initiation of breastfeeding.

3. Promote exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life, and introduce nutritionally-adequate and safe complementary (solid) foods at 6 months while continuing breastfeeding up to 2 years of age or beyond.

4. End distribution of free and low-cost supplies of breast-milk substitutes to maternity wards and hospitals.

5. Help reduce the levels of infant morbidity and mortality.

6. Increase the breastfeeding rates.

The candidate hospital must have fulfilled the following requirements, which include forming a multidisciplinary breastfeeding committee, assigning a breastfeeding coordinator, developing a breastfeeding policy that covers all the BFHI, developing a training plan for the clinical

Private Children's Clinic With Carousel

Constructed on a separate building, the architecture of the 2-floor Pediatrics Department welcomes a child-friendly environment, an environment that keeps child patients entertained with activities and play areas and distracts them from the hospital atmosphere. The Pediatrics Department operates 24 hours with specialist physicians from all branches and sub-branches.

FIRST, THE CEO OF THE HOSPITAL WORKING TOWARDS BABY FRIENDLY CERTIFICATION HAS TO FILL THE BFHI REGISTRATION FORM AND SEND IT TO THE UNIT OF MOTHER, CHILD AND SCHOOL HEALTH AT THE MOPH.

and non-clinical staff, in addition to developing a prenatal, perinatal and postnatal education plan as well as developing a data collection plan for documentation, auditing and evaluation of standards. All developed policies, plans and educational materials will be reviewed and approved by The BFHI monitoring team.

Ten steps to successful breastfeeding

Critical Management Procedures:

1. Comply fully with the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes and relevant World Health Assembly resolutions. Have a written infant feeding policy that is routinely communicated to staff and parents. Establish ongoing monitoring and data-management systems.

2. Ensure that staff have sufficient knowledge, competence and skills to support breastfeeding.

Key Clinical Practices:

1. Discuss the importance and management of breastfeeding with pregnant women and their families.

2. Facilitate immediate and uninterrupted skin-to-skin contact and support mothers to initiate breastfeeding as soon as possible after birth.

3. Support mothers to initiate and main-

Observation rooms are located near the entrance of the polyclinic with direct separate access for children with fever and infections. For blood tests and vaccinations, children and their families can visit the dedicated unit without entering the polyclinic. Additionally, to satisfy children’s playful nature, there is a colorful carousel right outside the pediatrics building for them to enjoy their time and have fun during their stay at Acıbadem hospital.

THE BABY-FRIENDLY HOSPITAL INITIATIVE ALSO AIMS TO PROTECT, PROMOTE AND SUPPORT BREASTFEEDING PRACTICES IN HEALTHCARE FACILITIES PROVIDING MATERNITY AND NEWBORN SERVICES, WHILE ENABLING TIMELY AND APPROPRIATE CARE AND FEEDING OF NEWBORNS WHO ARE NOT BREASTFED

tain breastfeeding and manage common difficulties.

4. Do not provide breastfed newborns any food or fluids other than breast milk, unless medically indicated.

5. Enable mothers and their infants to remain together and to practice rooming-in 24 hours a day.

6. Support mothers to recognize and respond to their infants’ cues for feeding.

7. Counsel mothers on the use and risks of feeding bottles, teats and pacifiers.

8. Coordinate discharge so that parents and their infants have timely access to ongoing support and care.

The implementation guidance for BFHI emphasizes strategies to scale up to universal coverage and ensure sustainability over time. The guidance focuses on integrating the program more fully in the healthcare system, to ensure that all facilities in a country implement the Ten Steps. A systematic review of 58 studies on maternity and newborn care published in 2016 demonstrated clearly that adherence to the Ten Steps impacts rates of breastfeeding (early initiation immediately after birth, exclusive breastfeeding and total duration of any breastfeeding).

Terms and Obligations

Hospitals wishing to become baby-friendly must adhere to the provisions of the laws approved in the country in which they operate, which are concerned with regulating the marketing of infant and newborn nutrition products. As well as applying all the provisions of the ten steps for child-friendly hospitals issued by the World Health Organization and UNICEF.

To become a designated Baby-Friendly Hospital, hospitals must ensure compliance with the laws in the country in which they operate for “organizing the marketing of infant and young child feeding products and tools. In addition, they should fulfill the requirements of the BFHI 10 steps that have been outlined by the WHO and UNICEF.

It is well known that the first few days of a newborn's life are not only crucial for the baby, but also an important window for providing mothers with the support they need to success-

IMPLEMENTATION GUIDANCE FOR BFHI EMPHASIZES STRATEGIES TO SCALE UP TO UNIVERSAL COVERAGE AND ENSURE SUSTAINABILITY OVER TIME. THE GUIDANCE FOCUSES ON INTEGRATING THE PROGRAM

fully breastfeed. In this context, UNICEF and the World Health Organization launched the Baby-Friendly Hospitals Initiative to encourage health facilities around the world to better support breastfeeding. The first few days of a newborn’s life are not only critical for the child, but also an important window for providing mothers with the support they need to breastfeed successfully. UNICEF and WHO launched the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative to encourage health facilities worldwide to better support breastfeeding. The initiative developed the following Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding to promote optimal clinical care for new mothers and their infants. There is substantial evidence that implementing the Ten Steps significantly improves breastfeeding rates.

Upon successful completion of the Ten Steps by the candidate hospital, as per the accredited evaluator's assessment, the hospital will be granted the BFH certification for a period of five years by the Ministry of Health.

Motherhood and children's issues are no longer normal issues, as they were in previous eras. There are new concepts and modern methods that are adopted and developed in order to protect mothers and children alike. This is what prompted many hospitals to turn into baby-friendly hospitals, not only with regard to breastfeeding, which is considered fundamental, but also in various aspects that protect children and provide them with a healthier and safer life.

Acıbadem Healthcare Group began its journey into healthcare services as a small neighborhood hospital in a district of Istanbul/Turkiye. Today, Acıbadem is a global chain operating in 5 countries including Turkiye, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Serbia, and the Netherlands with its 24 hospitals, 14 outpatient clinics.

WWW.ACIBADEMINTERNATIONAL.COM

MORE FULLY IN THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM, TO ENSURE THAT ALL FACILITIES IN A COUNTRY IMPLEMENT THE TEN STEPS

Wearable Devices

Promoting the Concept of Proactive Healthcare

Wearable devices are an innovative way to monitor vital body signs, which has led to promoting the concept of proactive healthcare. Monitoring daily activities and tracking blood pressure, blood sugar, pulse, and weight, are factors that have contributed to improving individual healthcare, all thanks to the convergence between humans and technology.

Healthcare companies are actively conducting experiments to develop new solutions and expand the horizons of these devices’ sustainable application.

On another note, healthcare providers have in turn benefited from these devices to monitor their patients, especially those with chronic diseases, through continuous access to their personal data, thus allowing for a higher level of control over their patients’ lifestyle.

Wearable devices, such as health monitors, fitness trackers, and disease prevention devices, are becoming today more important in healthcare, disease management, and prevention of complications. Several patients are increasingly using wearable devices to help them collect essential data and better manage their health.

Health Benefits of Wearable Devices

Proactive Healthcare

The technology of wearable devices has contributed to enhancing the concept of a proactive approach, where vital body signs can be monitored and any health issue or problem in these signs can be identified immediately before it begins to impact the body, thus instantly communicating with the doctor to take action in the early stages. Perhaps the main beneficiaries of these devices are people with chronic diseases. For example, diabetic patients using continuous glucose monitors can track their blood glucose levels moment by moment and adjust them by changing their diet or getting an insulin injection. In cases of extremely high or low levels, doctors should be informed in order to properly

deal with the situation. Instead of managing the disease at an advanced stage, it is now possible to prevent the disease’s development and treat it in its early stages. This has strengthened the concept of early detection and its role in enhancing the effectiveness of treatments.

Maintaining Health

Monitoring vital body signs and instantaneously tracking calories lost in physical activities motivate people to control and maintain vital signs and weight within the normal ranges. Fitness trackers that monitor activity levels, heart rate, and sleep quality, help prompt people to improve these metrics by exercising more, getting more sleep, and engaging in healthier behaviors.

Protecting the Most Vulnerable Patients

Wearable devices help monitor at-risk patients, such as the elderly, people with special needs, and those with critical cases that require continuous monitoring. In the event that they go out or may be exposed to danger at home, these devices can notify healthcare providers or family members to ensure speedy emergency responses. Patients can use wearable devices when they return home after surgery or an operation to keep doctors informed on their recovery progress and ensure no complications occur.

Monitoring Medical Conditions

Wearable and mobile devices help doctors track their patients and measure vital signs in real time such as heart rate, ECG, blood pressure, body temperature, etc. These devices can transmit necessary patient data to doctors for further examination.

Thus, patients get timely treatment once their vital signs are out of range, such as getting insulin pumps or automated insulin delivery (AID) devices. With the help of these devices, doctors can better adjust patients' treatments and monitor their conditions.

THE TECHNOLOGY OF WEARABLE DEVICES HAS CONTRIBUTED TO ENHANCING THE CONCEPT OF A PROACTIVE APPROACH, WHERE VITAL BODY SIGNS CAN BE MONITORED AND ANY HEALTH ISSUE OR PROBLEM IN THESE SIGNS CAN BE IDENTIFIED IMMEDIATELY BEFORE IT BEGINS TO IMPACT THE BODY, THUS INSTANTLY COMMUNICATING WITH THE DOCTOR TO TAKE ACTION IN THE EARLY STAGES.

The Best Wearable Devices in Healthcare

Pacemakers

Pacemakers have revolutionized heart care, especially after recent developments in this field that allow patients to continue living their lives normally without any inconvenience caused by the use of this device as it can be implanted under the skin to be unapparent.

This medical device helps regulate the heartbeat. Having a pacemaker implanted is a safe procedure if it is done by a specialized doctor with periodic follow-up of the case.

Continuous Glucose Monitors

Continuous glucose monitors constitute an essential part in the life of diabetic people, as they can directly self-monitor their blood sugar rates, and thus prevent irregularities, adjust doses, and communicate with the attending physician. All of these things help patients manage their disease and avoid the complications that can happen as a result of irregular diabetes.

These devices record continuous changes in the blood sugar rate by using a chip that penetrates the skin in specific areas of the body and acts as a glucose sensor throughout the day and night. The sensor sends the readings to a data display device.

ECG Monitors

ECG monitors are one of the latest wearable electronic devices, characterized by their ability to measure the heart’s electrical activity and rhythm. Some have built-in screens that allow patients to view their heart rhythm. The most important thing about these devices is the ability to connect them to a mobile phone or computer application in order to record, display, and store ECG readings and share them with the attending physician. In other words, the heart can be monitored, and the ECG can be performed in real time, both of which help the physician to better assess and treat the condition.

Fitness Trackers

Fitness trackers are among the simplest and

most user-friendly technology devices. They are equipped with a sensor system to measure physical activity, heart rate, oxygen level, blood pressure, and more.

Everyone who wears this device can track the health and fitness signs in real time, which are accessible through smartphone applications.

Health Smartwatches

Smartwatches allow people to perform tasks that they usually do on a mobile phone, such as reading notifications, sending simple messages, and making phone calls.

Moreover, smartwatches can send notifications if people need to do more exercises and exert more effort, in addition to effectively monitoring the heart rate.

Biosensors

Biosensors are portable electronic devices that enable real-time monitoring of various vital signs, including blood pressure, heart rate, body temperature, respiratory rate, and activity levels.

WEARABLE AND MOBILE DEVICES HELP DOCTORS TRACK THEIR PATIENTS AND MEASURE VITAL SIGNS IN REAL TIME SUCH AS HEART RATE, ECG, BLOOD PRESSURE, BODY TEMPERATURE, ETC. THESE DEVICES CAN TRANSMIT NECESSARY PATIENT DATA TO DOCTORS FOR FURTHER EXAMINATION

Technology at the service of medicine

Today, digital transformation in the healthcare sector is important more than ever. The coronavirus pandemic was an opportunity to accelerate this transformation at a time when other sectors, such as the economic and education sectors, successfully adopted this approach. The digital transformation in the health sector is the use of information technology, telehealth technologies and artificial intelligence.

Studies in this field indicate that telemedicine is one of the most cost-effective medical technologies in the global healthcare sector. Healthcare applications, video chats with doctors, and an electronic database are some examples of the innovations that patients can implement. It has become clear that the Covid-19 outbreak contributed to the acceleration of digital innovation at an unprecedented pace, with the aim of improving the healthcare level, as digital health depends on the use of artificial intelligence technologies, mobile computing and wearable devices, in order to improve the efficiency and quality of healthcare.

The experience was comfortable for both the doctor and the patient at the level of digital healthcare. The diagnoses are more accurate and the treatments became more effective, as there is continuous monitoring of chronic diseases and their complications. Healthcare has improved and is now coordinated in real time.

Digital healthcare services have played a vital role in increasing healthcare efficiency and quality, as well as improving patient experience.

Before the pandemic, the beginning was with the “digitization” of patient data through electronic health records, and the implementation of clinical workflow management systems. However, after the Covid-19 pandemic, hospitals and health centers expanded the application of their digital solutions, to include more comprehensive solutions such as providing remote medical consultations, and relying on digital healthcare technology has become

essential. Artificial intelligence (AI) and data analytics tools have made a significant impact in quickly managing massive volumes of healthcare data, which can allow healthcare teams to retrieve medical records faster than before. AI has increased interoperability in healthcare and given healthcare organizations more tools that help physicians spend more time on patient-centered tasks and less time on routine administrative work.

Benefits of digital transformation in the healthcare industry

• It helps monitor chronic diseases and thus reduce complications and the cost of care for patients with diseases such as diabetes.

• Electronic triaging can help reduce non-urgent emergency department visits. Such visits, which include conditions that could be managed at home or at a primary-care clinic.

• Virtual consultations, which have an emerging adoption rate, may benefit both patients and providers. Patients enjoy the convenience and time savings of not having to travel to the secondary-care facility and wait to see a provider.

• Clinical decision support in hospitals thanks to machine-learning algorithms to identify patterns in a patient’s clinical charts and then generate recommendations for management plans. The software can also reduce medical errors by warning physicians about potential drug interactions or contraindications.

• Workflow automation that would enable professionals to focus on higher-order tasks and the empathetic, human side of care. Workflow automation could improve patient experience, the quality of data for clinical decision-making and organizational healthcare.

What are the benefits of digital transformation in the healthcare sector?

HEALTHCARE APPLICATIONS, VIDEO CHATS WITH DOCTORS, AND AN ELECTRONIC DATABASE ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF THE INNOVATIONS THAT PATIENTS CAN IMPLEMENT.

The relationship between companies and healthcare professionals

In fact, the success of companies specialized in adopting digital programs and solutions for hospitals is based on training doctors and healthcare providers to work on these programs, and listening to their problems in order to find the right solutions. In addition to knowing their feedback and evaluation of the program and the extent to which they benefit from it after implementing it.

Continuing medical education programs sharpen the skills of healthcare providers and professionals in digitization, including basic coding and tools such as electronic health records and patient applications. Companies that develop solutions can adopt a human-centered approach that supports patient data within a digital healthcare ecosystem, and they should provide training programs and educate healthcare providers on how to benefit from these digital programs and technologies as well as develop digital talent and skills in order to engage

them in decision-making related to technology adoption. Companies can also provide a detailed explanation of their suggested support solutions for patient care services and how the new technology can seamlessly integrate with existing digital tools.

A recent research review found a direct link between the doctor’s adoption of digital healthcare solutions such as telemedicine and the extent of engagement and perception of clarity in the process.

Recent years have been able to highlight the vital role of the e-health service, and its contribution to providing the highest quality possible in providing healthcare to all beneficiaries. Healthcare technology companies have provided technology choices that support evidence-based care and offer healthcare providers new systems to improve their experiences.

Today, these advanced programs are an essential part of the hospitals and clinics’ business system to work in an integrated manner for better cooperation across medical professions.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) AND DATA ANALYTICS TOOLS HAVE MADE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT IN QUICKLY MANAGING MASSIVE VOLUMES OF HEALTHCARE DATA, WHICH CAN ALLOW HEALTHCARE TEAMS TO RETRIEVE MEDICAL RECORDS FASTER THAN BEFORE.

Beyond Investing Calls on Hospitals to Offer Plant-Based Food Options

Proxyholders of the US Vegan Climate ETF (VEGN) representing nearly $65 million in AUM have sent shareholder proposals to the Board of Directors at Centene (CNC), Elevance Health (ELV), HCA Healthcare (HCA), Molina Healthcare (MOH), and United Health Group (UNH), calling on these companies to require their hospitals to provide plant-based food options to patients at every meal, within vending machines and in the cafeterias used by outpatients, staff and visitors. Beyond Investing LLC, advisor to the US Vegan Climate ETF (VEGN), is hoping these proposals will be included in the proxy statements that these companies will circulate to shareholders in anticipation of their 2023 annual meetings.

Claire Smith, CEO of Beyond Investing, commented, “We launched VEGN to be a force for good and a means for investors to use their capital to effect positive change. We call on other shareholders in these companies to support our proposed resolutions and bring about better health outcomes for patients and improve these companies’ bottom lines.”

Optimal hospital care includes serving plantbased foods to assist patients on their road to recovery while in the hospital and informing patients of the benefits of a plant-based diet beyond their hospital stay. In a hospital, the food provided to patients is a key part of their treatment. Providing meals that are plant-based and which meet the individuals’ nutritional needs is essential to the patient’s recovery and improvement of their overall long-term health.

According to The American College of Cardiology, hospitalization can be a “teachable moment.” “By adopting plant-based options and eliminating cancer-causing food products, hospitals not only provide a vital service to patients, staff, and visitors. They also serve a key educational function, modeling healthful habits.”1

OPTIMAL HOSPITAL CARE INCLUDES SERVING PLANTBASED FOODS TO ASSIST PATIENTS ON THEIR ROAD TO RECOVERY WHILE IN THE HOSPITAL AND INFORMING PATIENTS OF THE BENEFITS OF A PLANT-BASED DIET BEYOND THEIR HOSPITAL STAY. IN A HOSPITAL, THE FOOD PROVIDED TO PATIENTS IS A KEY PART OF THEIR TREATMENT.

Healthful diets may also play a role in the economics of medical care, particularly for heart patients. Acute heart failure is the most common cause of readmission to a hospital within 30 days of discharge.2

Under the Affordable Care Act, the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program reduces payments to hospitals for readmissions within 30 days of discharge from the prior hospital stay.3

Individual hospital 30-day readmission rates are also compared to national averages, increasing pressure on both physicians and hospital administrators to improve outcomes. To the extent that hospitals help patients adopt healthful habits, their health benefits may be accompanied by financial benefits.

The World Health Organization has determined that processed meat is a major contributor to colorectal cancer, classifying it as a “carcinogenic to humans.”

Processed meat is also linked to death from heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. According to the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, “Plant-based diets help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and many cancers.”4

Given the impact of nutrition on a patient’s recovery process and overall health, the proponents of these resolutions believe the board of directors and management teams of these companies have a responsibility to their investors and stakeholders to require their hospitals to provide plant-based food options to hospital patients, staff and visitors.

References:

1. “Planting a Seed: Heart-Healthy Food Recommendations for Hospitals.” American College of Cardiology, 2017. https://www.acc.org/membership/sections-and-councils/prevention-of-cardiovascular-disease-section/about-us/section-sub-groups/features/hospital-food-program 2. Jencks S, Williams M, Coleman E. Rehospitalizations among Patients in the Medicare Fee-for-Service Program. Journal of Vascular Surgery. 2009;50(1):234.

3. Cms.gov. Readmissions Reduction Program - Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services 2015. https://www.cms.gov/medicare/medicare-feefor-service-payment/acuteinpatientpps/readmissions-reduction-program.html.

4. https://www.pcrm.org/healthy-hospital-program#:~:text=In%20 2017%2C%20the%20American%20Medical,processed%20meat%20 from%20hospital%20menus

Claire Smith