Stands out as first public hospital in the UAE to receive JCI Accreditation

Achievements attributed to continued efforts of Al Rahba and SEHA to provide quality healthcare services

Abu Dhabi, September 24, 2013: Al Rahba Hospital, the first public hospital in the UAE to receive the prestigious Joint Commission International (JCI) Accreditation, announced the completion of 10 years of operations in Abu Dhabi, setting new standards of excellence in patient care.

Mr Timothy Dentry, Chief Executive Officer of Al Rahba Hospital, attributed the hospital's achievements in the last decade to the continued efforts of Al Rahba staff and Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA) to providing quality healthcare services.

Established in 2003 with a mission to improve the healthcare of the residents of Abu Dhabi and surrounding locations by setting new standards of excellence in patient care, Al Rahba Hospital currently has 708 employees including 116 doctors, of which 6 are Emiratis.

"At Al Rahba, we have a family of qualified and experienced staff hailing from more than 30 countries who contribute to our efforts to provide a patient-centered environment.  Teamwork, striving for perfection, respect, collegiality and creativity are the core values that we truly live by at Al Rahba Hospital. We hold dear these values in everything we do for our patients and our staff members," said Dentry.

Al Rahba, as a community hospital, has done its part to meet the healthcare demands of those it serves. Also, in terms of expansions and service improvements, Al Rahba Hospital has recently expanded its intensive care unit (ICU) and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) by adding 27 new beds - 10 in the ICU, and 17 in the NICU.  Two new VIP suites and a specially designed playroom for children as well as a new coffee shop and florists were also opened. With outpatient pharmacy services being offered round the clock, customer waiting time has been cut from . Other space improvements have included OB/GN clinic, Al Ri'aya Emergency Service for national women and children, pharmacy drug prep room and family lounges.

In the last 5 years, Al Rahba has opened medical and surgical programs to meet the needs of patients. These services include nephrology, dermatology, diabetic care, neurosurgery, vascular surgery, rheumatology, gastroenterology, ophthalmology, and cardiology. As a community hospital, Al Rahba has a special relationship with the other SEHA hospitals for referrals to a more complex level of care.

Over the years, the hospital has made major strides in disaster preparedness and trauma system management.  As part of efforts to set up a specialized trauma center, the hospital organized two workshops on 'Trauma Registry' and 'Trauma Outcomes & Performance Improvement' with the aim of expanding the scope of the practice.

"Al Rahba is an integral part of the overall trauma delivery system of Abu Dhabi, and as more effort goes into developing an even more comprehensive system, Al Rahba will play a major role in trauma care to the community," said Dentry.

The hospital has displayed its expertise and capability to deal with emergency situations on multiple occasions. For example, on April 2nd 2011 when a major accident involving 127 cars occurred on the Abu Dhabi-Dubai highway, between Shahama and Ghantoot, the incredible teamwork and professionalism showed by the entire team at Al Rahba Hospital helped save the 52 lives of people presented to the hospital that morning.

Al Rahba Hospital keeps current with state of the art healthcare technology and improved imaging services with new MRI and CT, digital mammography and bone densitometry as well as fluoroscopy in 2012

Another unique project undertaken by the hospital was the establishment of a new Learning Centre for patients and staff. As part of this initiative, the Learning Centre website was launched, offering online subscriptions to journals and research materials. The website also serves as a platform for webinars, and Health Authority-Abu Dhabi (HAAD) accredited online programs for Continuing Medical Education and Continuing Nursing Education. The Learning Centre allows videoconferencing sessions with Johns Hopkins Medicine on a regular basis covering topics such as patient safety, nursing leadership, infection prevention and pharmacy management.

In line with 'Tawteen' campaign and SEHA's initiative 'Intilaqa', Al Rahba Hospital increased its national workforce by 30 employees in 2012 to a total of over 140 individuals, from accountants to engineers to nurses to patient relations staff to IT professionals.

Al Rahba Hospital is owned and operated by SEHA and managed by Johns Hopkins Medicine International.

About Al Rahba Hospital
Established in 2003 with a mission to enhance health services for Abu Dhabi residents through the highest standards of excellence, Al Rabha Hospital is a 190-bed advanced secondary care general facility. Strategically located close to the major highway between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, it is part of the SEHA Health System and is owned and operated by Abu Dhabi Health Services Company PJSC, which is responsible for the curative activities of public hospitals and clinics in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. Since June 2008, the hospital has been managed by Johns Hopkins Medicine International (JHMI).

Key milestones include Al Rahba being the first public hospital in the UAE to be accredited by the highly respected Joint Commission International (JCI) organization, in 2006. The hospital was awarded 'Best Rated for Quality Services' in 2008 and 'Best Public Hospital in Abu Dhabi Emirate' according to Daman's Customer Satisfaction Rate in 2009. The hospital continually strives to be the healthcare provider and employer of choice and was granted JCI re-accreditation in 2009 and 2012, confirming its credentials, facilities and professionalism.

In its capacity as a world-leading and forward-thinking health service provider, the hospital employs only the highest standard, internationally qualified physicians and nursing staff, from more than 30 countries, each working diligently to provide expert healthcare services to the general public.

Al Rahba Hospital provides a full and comprehensive array of clinical and medical care, primarily in the areas of Emergency Medicine, Trauma, Dialysis, Women's Health, Dentistry, Dermatology, Dietetics, ENT, Emergency Medicine, Endocrinology, Gastroenterology, General Surgery, Internal Medicine, Nephrology, Neurosurgery, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Ophthalmology, Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Orthopedics, Pediatrics, Physiotherapy, Speech Therapy, Trauma, Vascular Surgery and Neonatal Intensive Care, as well as providing special screening programs for patients.

For more information please visit our website www.alrahba.ae

About the SEHA Health System and the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company PJSC (SEHA)
SEHA is health in Arabic.  The Abu Dhabi Health Services Company PJSC- whose marketing identity is SEHA - is an independent, public joint stock company created to develop the curative activities of the public healthcare system in Abu Dhabi. The company owns and operates all the public hospitals and clinics of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi which together make up the SEHA HealthSystem.  SEHA is committed to continuous improvement of customer care to recognized international standards and providing our customers and communities served world-class healthcare.  SEHA has partnered with internationally recognized hospital managers to achieve these goals.  These include Johns Hopkins Medicine International, Cleveland Clinic Foundation and Fresenius Medical Care.  SEHA owns and operates 12 hospitals with 2,644 beds, more than 60 ambulatory care, family care and urgent care centers and 2 blood banks.  SEHA is one of the largest integrated healthcare providers in the Middle East with more than 17,000 doctors, nurses, ancillary care and administrative personnel in its employ.  Visit our website at www.seha.ae.

For media information contact:
Iman Saeed
Marketing & Communications Officer
Al Rahba Hospital
T: 02-5064055
E: isaeed@alrahba.ae

Reem Diab
ASDA'A Burson- Marsteller
T: +971 2 6334133
E: reem.diab@bm.com

© Press Release 2013