New service offered in cooperative effort between two SEHA HealthSystem facilities
Abu Dhabi - UAE: A world-class partnership for parental counselling and medical intervention in pregnancies has been formed by Corniche Hospital, which is managed by Johns Hopkins Medicine International; and by Sheikh Khalifa Medical City (SKMC), which is managed by Cleveland Clinic. The monthly clinic, located at Corniche, is the first of its kind in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi to offer multi-disciplinary services of experts in prenatal medicine. Corniche Hospital and SKMC are part of the SEHA HealthSystem and are owned and operated by Abu Dhabi Health Services Company PJSC (SEHA), which is responsible for the curative activities of all the public hospitals and clinics in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
At the Fetal Neuro Clinic, mothers- and fathers-to-be will have the opportunity to discuss pregnancy, labor management and postnatal care with Dr. Gowri Ramanathan, obsetrician and fetal medicine specialist at Corniche Hospital; Dr. Andrew Meeks, head of neonatology at Corniche Hospital, and Dr. Dominic Venne, head of neurosurgery at SKMC.
Clyde Eder, Chief Operating Officer for SEHA stated, "Opening the new clinic is a crucial expansion that provides full medical and surgical care to mothers who have high-risk pregnancies and newborn babies suffering from neurologic disorders in the UAE. Based on the population demographics of the United Arab Emirates, around sixty babies are estimated to be born annually with spina bifida, of which most of them will require an urgent surgery to save and improve their lives. SKMC's and Corniche Hospital's new Fetal Neuro Clinic will help us meet the needs of a large number of these children affected in the UAE. This partnership between SKMC and Corniche Hospital demonstrates the commitment of SEHA and its facilities to provide medical care that is advanced and meets internationally recognized standards of excellence."
"We are pleased to announce the launch of the Fetal Neuro Clinic at Corniche Hospital and to be able to partner with SKMC in this project," says Ronald Lavater, CEO of Corniche Hospital. "With more than 700 babies born every month at Corniche Hospital, it is essential for us to be able to deliver this multidisciplinary service to the patients in the UAE and the region. At the clinic, a team of experts perform complex tests and couples receive counselling that includes planning for delivery, postnatal care at the Corniche Hospital's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), and a possible surgery at SKMC."
Dr. Tej Maini, CEO of SKMC said, "Currently, a large number of babies born with congenital spinal defects in the UAE who are in need of surgery are operated in SKMC by Dr. Dominic Venne and the neurosurgery team. With this multidisciplinary clinic, we aim to centralise the care of babies with spina bifida which leads to an improvement in the outcome and quality of life of these children. They will also enter a larger "Spina Bifida Program" which has been in place since 2002 at SKMC."
Dr. Dominic Venne explained, "Pregnant ladies diagnosed with fetus having neurologic abnormalities (spina bifida, cerebral anomalies, hydrocephalus...) are initially referred to Dr. Gowri Ramanathan in the Fetal Medicine Unit at Corniche Hospital. Once the malformation is confirmed, the mother would be seen at the Fetal Neuro Clinic at Corniche Hospital and comprehensive counselling is given. Babies requiring neurosurgery will be scheduled for urgent procedures at SKMC even before birth. This recent concept is extremely important since surgeries performed early after birth can improve the prognosis or can even save the life of these babies. These procedures include insertion of shunts (for hydrocephalus), cerebral endoscopy, and closure of the spinal defect."
Dr. Gowri Ramanathan, M.D., further added, "Over 300,000 newborns a year are diagnosed with malformations involving the brain or the spinal cord worldwide. Spina bifida, where the spinal cord protrudes through a defect in the vertebra of the back, occurs in one in every 1,000 births. This rate can be reduced by up to 75 percent when daily folic acid supplements is taken by the mother three months prior to conception. Therefore, we encourage all women who are preparing for pregnancy to take folic acid supplements daily after consulting with their physician."
"A detailed ultrasound scan performed by a fetal medicine specialist can diagnose spina bifida in up to 99 percent of cases. Although there is no cure for nerve damage due to spina bifida, it is important for early closure of the defect to prevent further damage of nerves tissue. Our combined clinic allows parents to discuss this before their child's birth in order to optimize all aspects of their baby's care including the best time for delivery. Our clinic in partnership with SKMC truly benefits mothers and newborn babies," Dr. Andrew Meeks said.
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About Corniche Hospital
Corniche Hospital is a Joint Commission International-accredited health care facility. The largest maternity hospital in the UAE, it provides facilities for more than 10,000 births and 216,000 outpatient visits a year. Under a management agreement with Johns Hopkins Medicine International and SEHA in September 2008, a Johns Hopkins management team has day-to-day oversight of the 235-bed hospital.
Corniche is one of the three hospitals in the UAE under the management of the Baltimore, Md.-based JHI. Tawam Hospital, a 477-bed tertiary care facility in Al Ain, and Al Rahba Hospital, a 135-bed community facility just outside Abu Dhabi City, also are managed by Johns Hopkins Medicine International and are accredited by the Joint Commission International.
About Johns Hopkins Medicine
Johns Hopkins Medicine unites physicians and scientists of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine with the organizations, health professionals and facilities of the Johns Hopkins Health System. The mission of Johns Hopkins Medicine is to improve the health of the community and the world by setting the standard of excellence in medical education, research and clinical care.
Diverse and inclusive, Johns Hopkins Medicine has provided international leadership in the education of physicians and medical scientists in biomedical research and in the application of medical knowledge to sustain health since The Johns Hopkins Hospital opened in 1889.
About Johns Hopkins Medicine International
Johns Hopkins Medicine International (JHI) facilitates the global development of the Johns Hopkins Medicine mission: to improve the health of the community and the world by setting the standard of excellence in medical education, research and clinical care. As the international access point to thousands of Johns Hopkins experts in medicine, nursing, public health and health care administration, JHI coordinates treatment for out-of-town patients who travel to Baltimore and for local patients with limited English proficiency. It also provides services in hospital management, health care consulting and clinical education through strategic alliances and affiliations in the Middle East, Latin America, North America, Europe and Asia.
About SKMC
Sheikh Khalifa Medical City (SKMC) is located in Abu Dhabi City, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, and operates under the management of Cleveland Clinic, consistently named by U.S. News and World Report as one of the nation's best hospitals in its annual "America's Best Hospitals" survey. SKMC is owned by SEHA, the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company, recently established to oversee operations of all public hospitals in the Emirate. SKMC is the flagship institution for the public health system in Abu Dhabi and has several 'Centers of Excellence', and aspires to practice contemporary medicine comparable to the best hospitals and medical centers in the world. SKMC provides comprehensive healthcare services in all of the disciplines relevant to the needs and priorities of the community to attain the highest levels of patient satisfaction.
SKMC consists of 568-bed Tertiary Hospital, 14 outpatient specialty clinics and Abu Dhabi Blood Bank, all of which are accredited by the Joint Commission International (JCI). SKMC is also accredited as a Cycle III Chest Pain Center with Primary Angioplasty Intervention. In addition, SKMC manages a 125-bed Behavioral Sciences Pavilion, 6 Family Medicine Clinics, 2 Walk-in Clinics, 2 Dental Centers, and an Urgent Care Center distributed over the city of Abu Dhabi. For further information, please contact us at marketing@skmc.gov.ae or call +971508128892.
About Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland Clinic, located in Cleveland, Ohio, is a not-for-profit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. Cleveland Clinic was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. U.S. News & World Report consistently names Cleveland Clinic as one of the nation's best hospitals in its annual "America's Best Hospitals" survey. About 2,000 full-time salaried physicians and researchers and 7,600 nurses at Cleveland Clinic represent more than 100 medical specialties and subspecialties. In addition to its main campus, Cleveland Clinic operates nine regional hospitals in Northeast Ohio, Cleveland Clinic Florida, Sheikh Khalifa Medical City in Abu Dhabi the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas and Cleveland Clinic Canada. In 2008, there were more than 4.2 million visits throughout the Cleveland Clinic health system and 165,000 hospital admissions. Patients came for treatment from every state and from more than 80 countries. Visit Cleveland Clinic at clevelandclinic.org
About the SEHA HealthSystem 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 world class healthcare. SEHA has partnered with internationally recognized hospital managers to achieve these goals. These include Johns Hopkins Medicine International, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, VAMED, Vienna Medical University, Bumrungrad International and Fresenius Medical Care. SEHA owns and operates 12 hospitals with 2,644 beds, 62 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 16,500 doctors, nurses, ancillary care and administrative personnel in its employ. Visit our website at www.seha.ae.
© Press Release 2011
