DOHA, 24 May, 2015

Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) is gearing up to host the third annual Middle East Forum on Quality and Safety in Healthcare (ME Forum), where nearly 3,000 healthcare professionals from Qatar and the Middle East region will spend three days learning and discussing the latest quality and safety improvement practices.

The ME Forum is seen as an important professional development opportunity for nurses, doctors, allied health professionals, hospital administration, and medical students in Qatar and beyond, with the wide-ranging content contained across six keynote addresses and 33 interactive workshops to be presented by local and international healthcare experts.   

This year's forum content will focus on enhancing patient-centered care through enriching patient engagement practices, establishing better patient flows across healthcare delivery systems, implementing a range of specialized intervention programs, and showcasing improvement methodologies to deliver improved patient outcomes.

There will also be over 240 patient safety and quality improvement initiatives from across the GCC region exhibited in a poster and storyboard competition, and a Knowledge Zone that will feature a number of local quality and safety interactive displays from HMC, the Hamad Healthcare Quality Institute (HHQI), the Academic Health System (AHS) and the Ambulance Service.

Forum Co-Chair and HMC Chief of Planning and Performance, Mr. Gary Needle, said the forum has become a significant component of the GCC's healthcare calendar.  

"The Middle East Forum is becoming an important regional platform for healthcare professionals where quality and safety improvements are discussed openly; ideas are shared and challenges are highlighted.

"We are excited to see such a large collaboration of peers across numerous disciplines, who are all here with the ultimate purpose of learning about what they can do to provide safer and healthier outcomes for their patients," added Mr. Needle.

HMC has again partnered with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), a leading non-profit healthcare quality improvement organization based in the United States, to organize this year's forum. The ME Forum is a key component of HMC's Quality Improvement Strategy, which supports Qatar's National Health Strategy.

The Middle East Forum on Quality and Safety in Healthcare 2015 runs from 29 -31 May at Qatar National Convention Centre. Information on the ME Forum can be found at ihimeforum.hamad.qa   

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About Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC)
HMC has been the principal public healthcare provider in the state of Qatar for over three decades and is dedicated to delivering the safest, most effective and compassionate care to all patients.

HMC manages eight hospitals, incorporating five specialist hospitals and three community hospitals.  HMC also manages the National Ambulance Service as well as home and residential care, all accredited by Joint Commission International. While HMC continues to upgrade its facilities and services, it has also embarked on an ambitious expansion program, targeting the areas of need in our community.

HMC is leading the development of the region's first academic health system and is committed to building a legacy of healthcare expertise in Qatar. We collaborate with partners who are key experts in Qatar and beyond, including Weill Cornell Medical College-Qatar, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and Partners Healthcare, Boston.

We are 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 visit: www.hamad.qa or contact Noimot Olayiwola, Media Project Manager Tel: (00974) 44390945; Mobile: (00974) 55568709; Email: nolayiwola@hamad.qa

About Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI)
IHI is a leading innovator in health and health care improvement worldwide. For more than 25 years, we have partnered with an ever-growing community of visionaries, leaders, and front-line practitioners around the globe to spark bold, inventive ways to improve the health of individuals and populations. Together, we build the will for change, seek out innovative models of care, and spread proven best practices. When it comes to raising the quality of health for all, IHI sees boundless possibilities and while we see the walls in front of us, we will not rest until we reach the other side. Learn more at www.ihi.org

© Press Release 2015