Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates – Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City (SSMC), one of the UAE’s largest hospitals for serious and complex care and a joint-venture partnership between Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA) and Mayo Clinic, this week successfully hosted the “2nd Annual Complex Care at SSMC in Partnership with Mayo Clinic: A Case-Based Approach” conference. The conference highlights state-of-the-art treatments designed to give an in-depth overview of the SSMC Model of Care. Around 1,200 attendees from across the world gathered to learn about best practices in the field from experts at SSMC and Mayo Clinic and received insight into unique and complex case studies from various medical and surgical subspecialties at SSMC.

During the conference, several sessions were held dedicated to neonatal and pediatric medicine, internal medicine, maternal and women's health, and surgical care. Health care professionals were given the opportunity to learn how to manage complex cases through the lens of SSMC's integrated multidisciplinary model of care. Participants also had the chance to discover clinical practice significant advances, share innovative and stimulating ideas, make valuable connections, and acquire perceptions from members across different multidisciplinary areas.

Dr. Naser Ammash, Chief Executive Officer at SSMC, said: "As one of the UAE’s largest hospitals for serious and complex care, SSMC is committed to a unique, integrated medical experience delivered by multi-disciplinary teams of experts that lead in the three shields of practice, education and research. Through this conference, we want to share our learnings and expertise with the rest of the medical community in the Emirates and beyond to advance complex care across the United Arab Emirates and improve patient outcomes.”

Throughout the event, experts spoke on several complex case studies demonstrating SSMC's multidisciplinary approach and the utilization of advanced technology, including recent milestone successes, such as its first Zenker’s peroral endoscopic myotomy (Z-POEM) procedure on a female patient. A non-invasive procedure, Z-POEM is a method used to treat Zenker’s Diverticulum (ZD), a rare throat condition affecting less than 0.01% of people. Additionally, SSMC’s multidisciplinary team of experts was also able to treat a patient who suffered from four different viral infections, causing destruction of his lips and mouth. The patient required complex and extensive surgery to remove infected tissue, while the team also delivered expert management to address multiple complications.

Dr. Matthew Gettman, Chief Medical Officer at SSMC, said: “We are very pleased with the success of the conference, where we’ve been able to showcase innovative treatment methods taking place at SSMC that are transforming the delivery of care in Abu Dhabi. It is also an exciting time for us as we continue to expand our services and progress further on our journey to becoming a destination medical center in the UAE and the wider region.

Dr. Deanne Kashiwagi, Deputy Chief Medical Officer at SSMC, said: “Our mission for this year’s Complex Care conference edition was to deliver in-depth case discussions about some of the rarest, most serious and complex cases treated at SSMC and show how they were successfully managed through an integrated, multispecialty model of care approach. Not only has the conference achieved that, but it has also provided unique opportunities in education and research and led to valuable and stimulating discussions on breakthroughs in clinical practice, helping address care gaps in the region.”

-Ends-

About Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City (SSMC)

Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City (SSMC) is a joint venture between Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA), the UAE’s largest health care network, and Mayo Clinic, a non-profit global leader in medical care, education, and research headquartered in the United States of America. Established in 2019, SSMC is one of the largest tertiary hospitals in the UAE. SSMC serves to elevate the provision of health care services and standards by bringing to the UAE and broader region Mayo Clinic’s unique model of care, founded on the three shields of practice, education and research.

As the UAE’s leading tertiary facility, SSMC has 732 patient beds, 18 operating theatres, including a hybrid operating room and a 26-bed neonatal intensive care unit. Supported by the latest diagnostic and treatment modalities available, SSMC offers care in 34 specialties, bringing advanced and trusted quality care closer to the UAE and the wider region.

A team of locally and internationally trained physicians and allied health staff work seamlessly together to provide integrated human-centric and compassionate care, while promoting comprehensive interdisciplinary learning. SSMC is committed to becoming a regional destination medical center for complex care and a Category of One provider in health care.

For more information on Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City, or to book an appointment, please visit ssmc.ae.

About SEHA

The Abu Dhabi Health Services Company PJSC–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.

SEHA is part of ADQ, one of the region’s largest holding companies with a broad portfolio of major enterprises spanning key sectors of Abu Dhabi’s diversified economy.

SEHA is committed to continuous improvement of customer care to recognized international standards and providing the community with world-class healthcare. SEHA operates 13 hospitals with 3,385 beds, 70 ambulatory care, family care, and urgent care centers and 2 blood banks. Its facilities accommodate 117,162 inpatients annually and conduct 43,262 surgeries, as well as treating more than five million outpatients. SEHA is one of the largest integrated healthcare providers in the Middle East with more than 18,000 doctors, nurses, ancillary care, and administrative personnel. Learn more at www.seha.ae.

About Mayo Clinic 

Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education, and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news.