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Doha - Over 3,700 doctors, nurses and allied health professionals from around the region have attended a three-day conference on patient safety and quality improvement in healthcare, which was held last weekend at the Qatar National Convention Centre in Doha.
Organized by Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), in collaboration with American-based Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), the Middle East Forum on Quality and Safety in Healthcare (ME Forum) featured four keynote addresses from world-renowned experts, and included over 55 interactive workshops and lectures.
H.E. Dr. Hanan Mohamed Al Kuwari, the Minister of Public Health was in attendance, and toured the specially designed exhibition with members of her senior management team.
"The Middle East Forum provides a fertile arena for healthcare experts and frontline staff alike to convene together and discuss practical ways in which they can refine their procedures and processes, with the ultimate goal of raising the standards of healthcare in their hospital or clinical environment," said Mr. Ali Al-Janahi, Chief of Business Services Group at HMC.
"It was fantastic to see so many people from across the globe coming to the Forum, both to learn from what we are doing here in Qatar but also to share new innovations and join in our conversation about improving care for patients," Mr. Al-Janahi added.
An exhibition area called the Knowledge Zone featured stands from Hamad Healthcare Quality Institute (HHQI), the Ambulance Service, the Academic Health System (AHS) and a Social Media Hub that was extremely popular with delegates. The Ministry of Public Health participated with information submitted by the Qatar Council for Healthcare Practioners (QCHP) and the Accreditation and Licensing division. HMC's strategic partners, including teams from Primary Health Care Corporation, Qatar University, Sidra Medical and Research Center, Weill Cornell Medicine - Qatar, and the World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH), added to the rich diversity of information available for delegates.
IHI President and CEO, Derek Feeley, said Qatar was a leader in embracing quality improvement and patient safety movements.
"IHI has partnered with HMC for the past four years to develop the framework and embed the knowledge and thinking required to propel quality and safety improvement methodologies forward into real frontline successes," said Feeley.
"We are deeply proud of the achievements that HMC and the public healthcare sector in general in Qatar has been able to realize along their healthcare improvement journey and the IHI looks forward to supporting the continued growth and development of Hamad's healthcare quality improvements," added Feeley.
Themes for this year's conference centered on a transformative approach to improving healthcare delivery by inspiring innovation. A series of intensive pre-conference workshops on the day prior to the start of the conference included a half-day workshop on Quality Improvement Basics conducted in Arabic which was exceedingly well received by many local clinicians.
The conference was developed in accordance with the criteria set out by the Qatar Council for Healthcare Practitioners (QCHP) as a category 1 learning activity.
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About Hamad Medical Corporation
Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) is the main provider of secondary and tertiary healthcare in Qatar and one of the leading hospital providers in the Middle East.For more than three decades, HMC has been dedicated to delivering the safest, most effective and compassionate care to all its patients.
HMC manages eight hospitals - five specialist hospitals and three community hospitals - as well as the National Ambulance Service and has home and residential care.
In January 2016, HMC achieved the significant distinction of becoming the first healthcare system across the globe to have all its hospitals accredited by Joint Commission International under the Academic Medical Center accreditation program. Additionally, the National Ambulance Service, Home Healthcare Service, Stroke Service and Palliative Care, have all received this prestigious accreditation since 2011.
To meet the needs of a rapidly growing population, HMC has announced ambitious plans to expand capacity across its network through to 2030. This expansion plan includes four new hospitals in Hamad Bin Khalifa Medical City.
HMC is leading the development of the region's first academic health system - combining innovative research, top-class education and excellent clinical care - and is committed to building a legacy of healthcare expertise in Qatar. HMC collaborates with key partners who are experts in Qatar and beyond, including Weill Cornell Medical College-Qatar, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and Partners Healthcare, Boston.
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 visit: www.hamad.qa or contact Noimot Olayiwola, Media Project Manager Tel: (00974) 44390945; Mobile: (00974) 55568709; Email: nolayiwola@hamad.qa
© Press Release 2016
