Doha, 10 February 2014
The importance of teamwork among multidisciplinary professionals providing care to severely injured patients was highlighted at the first Trauma Multidisciplinary Critical Care Educational Day held by the Trauma Center at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC).
The event provided an opportunity for about 70 healthcare professionals to discuss international best practices in the care of severely injured patients, and to learn from experts such as Dr. Hassan Al Thani, Head of Trauma and Vascular Surgery and Dr. Ahmad Zarour, Consultant General/Trauma and Critical Care Surgeon and Director of Trauma Critical Care at HMC, and Dr. Alasdair Conn, Medical Director of Massachusetts General Hospital's (MGH) Inpatient Access and Transfer Center and Chief Emeritus of MGH Emergency Services.
"I am grateful for the teamwork that has led our Trauma Center to many important achievements," said Dr. Hassan Al Thani, who commended each member of the team in his welcome remarks. "In Qatar where trauma is a leading cause of death, the Trauma Center has gained international recognition for its role in improving care for severely injured people in the country."
"A trauma center - appropriately equipped and staffed and linked to an organized pre-hospital system - can lead to a significant decrease in deaths in severe traumatic injury," said Dr. Alasdair Conn. Dr. Conn was part of a team of evaluators from Partners Healthcare International who recently visited HMC to assess the capacity of the Trauma Critical Care Units on various criteria such as strength of manpower, operations, equipment and patient care.
"The Trauma Center at HMC is working towards verification as a Level 1 Trauma Center, which provides the highest level of trauma care available and is capable of providing total care for every aspect of injury, from prevention through rehabilitation," said Dr. Ahmad Zarour, who spoke on the significance of building multidisciplinary teams and the importance of teamwork in achieving best practices in patient care.
Presentations were also made by Dr. Ashok Parchani, Associate Director of the Trauma ICU on the care of patients with head injury and brain death criteria; physiotherapist Mohamed Haneef on spinal cord injury and positioning; Bindhu Mathew, Staff Nurse at the Trauma Ward on the care of patients on total parenteral nutrition; and Dhouha Hamdani Ep Jallali, Infection Control Practitioner on infection prevention and control practices.
Dr. Ruben Peralta, Senior Consultant and Director of HMC's Trauma and Critical Care Fellowship Program which won recognition from Arab Health in 2012, highlighted the role of advanced medical education in improving patient outcomes in Qatar. "Advanced post-graduate education in trauma and critical care medicine in Qatar has significantly contributed to patient safety and outcomes for critically injured patients, particularly in the reduction of deaths and decreased length of stay in the hospital among severely injured patients. It has enhanced the overall performance of HMC's trauma service and increased staff professional satisfaction."
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About HMC:
Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) is the principal public healthcare provider for the State of Qatar. The Corporation manages eight hospitals along with further specialist clinical, educational and research facilities, and is growing in capacity each year around the diverse needs of the evolving population. HMC's ambition is to become an academic health system; a world leading center of excellence in clinical care, medical education and research that transforms into significant clinical advancements.
HMC believes in excellence in healthcare, education and research with each supporting the other to provide world-class quality patient care in a safe and healing environment.
As well as three general hospitals situated in the most densely populated areas of Qatar, HMC also manages five specialist hospitals, looking after patients with the most prevalent conditions, including cancer, heart conditions, rehabilitation, and a hospital providing specialist treatment for women. HMC also operates the national Ambulance Service and a home healthcare service.
The Corporation was the first public healthcare system outside the United States to achieve Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditation for all hospitals simultaneously. JCI accreditation is based on quality and safety across all clinical and management functions. HMC is also the first hospital system in the Middle East to achieve institutional accreditation from the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education - International (ACGME-I), which demonstrates excellence in the way medical graduates are trained through residency, internship and fellowship programs.
For more information, please contact:
Joan Pauline Acevedo at jacevedo@hmc.org.qa
Corporate Communications Department
Hamad Medical Corporation
© Press Release 2014
