UAE,  Sheikh Khalifa General Hospital (SKGH) – Umm Al Quwain, governed by The Medical Office, a subsidiary of PureHealth, the largest healthcare group in the Middle East, has been awarded the Pathway to Excellence® Certification with Distinction from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). This recognition, from a subsidiary of the American Nurses Association, marks SKGH as the first healthcare organisation outside the United States to receive the highest-level accreditation for nursing excellence.

The Pathway to Excellence® Certification with Distinction is granted exclusively to the world’s top-performing healthcare institutions, recognising their role as global models of nursing excellence and positive practice environments. This places SKGH among a select group of healthcare organisations worldwide that demonstrate exceptional commitment to supporting and empowering their nursing professionals. With this achievement, SKGH becomes the 19th hospital outside the United States to earn the Pathway to Excellence® designation, and the first outside the United States to achieve it with Distinction.

This certification underscores SKGH’s unwavering commitment to nursing excellence where clinical leadership, continuous professional development, and a culture of safety are embedded into every aspect of care delivery. It follows an 18-month comprehensive and rigorous review process, during which the hospital demonstrated exceptional and sustained levels of excellence in leadership, staff empowerment, and patient safety, fulfilling the programme’s six core standards: quality, professional development, safety, leadership, shared decision-making, and well-being.

Commenting on this achievement, Dr. Aref Al Shehhi, Chief Executive Officer of The Medical Office at PureHealth, said: “This remarkable accomplishment reflects the dedication and professionalism of our nursing teams and the spirit of collaboration that defines all departments across the hospital. It also demonstrates our commitment to providing integrated, high-quality healthcare services to the communities of Umm Al Quwain and the Northern Emirates, while advancing PureHealth’s vision of elevating healthcare excellence across the UAE and reinforcing its position as a global leader in patient safety and workforce development.”

For his part, Dr. Salah Aqtash, Chief Nursing Officer at The Medical Office, said: “This achievement is a true badge of honor that celebrates the excellence of our nursing workforce and stands as a testament to our strong organisational culture and ongoing focus on developing capabilities and fostering a supportive work environment that enhances belonging and professional commitment. It also reflects the exemplary nursing environment we strive to foster across all our facilities, one built on collaboration, continuous learning, and empowerment, enabling nurses to deliver the highest standards of care. This international recognition represents the outcome of sustained investment in human capital and our determination to keep nursing at the heart of our journey toward excellence and innovation in healthcare.”

This milestone aligns with the UAE National Strategy for Nursing and Midwifery 2026, which aims to strengthen the nursing profession as a cornerstone of the nation’s healthcare system. Given that nurses constitute nearly half of the UAE’s healthcare workforce, the strategy focuses on enhancing education, building leadership capabilities, developing regulatory frameworks, and promoting workforce sustainability to advance national health priorities.

The Pathway to Excellence® Certification recognises sustained excellence in nursing practice, with Distinction representing the highest level of achievement under the programme.

About PureHealth:

PureHealth is the largest healthcare group in the Middle East with an ecosystem that challenges lifespans and reimagines health spans. With 110+ hospitals, 316+ clinics, multiple diagnostic centres, health insurance solutions, pharmacies, health tech, procurement, investments and more, its groundbreaking innovations are at the forefront of healthcare as the company is on a mission to unlock time for humankind. By advancing the Science of Longevity, PureHealth is introducing the healthcare of the future from the United Arab Emirates to the rest of the world.

PureHealth’s network comprises: 

  • SEHA – One of the largest healthcare networks of hospitals and clinics in the UAE
  • SEHA CLINICS - Delivering comprehensive community-based healthcare services
  • Daman (The National Insurance Company) – The UAE’s leading health insurer
  • The Medical Office – Overseeing Sheikh Khalifa Hospitals and healthcare facilities established under the initiatives of H.H. The President of the UAE
  • Rafed – The UAE’s largest healthcare Group Purchasing Organisation
  • PureLab – Managing and operating the largest network of laboratories in the region 
  • One Health – A network that provides end-to-end medical solutions to a base of over 300 healthcare service providers
  • The Life Corner – Abu Dhabi’s first holistic pharmacy, serving the health and wellness establishment
  • Ardent Health Services – The fourth largest privately held acute care hospital operator in the US
  • Circle Health Group – The largest independent operators of hospitals in the UK
  • Hellenic Healthcare Group (HHG) - the largest private healthcare provider in Greece and Cyprus
  • PureCS - A leading cloud and technology services provider, specialising in IT management and consulting solutions, cybersecurity, cloud services and AI information systems
  • Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City (SSMC) – The UAE’s largest healthcare complex, delivering integrated complex care

To learn more, please visit www.purehealth.ae

About The Medical Office

The Medical Office, a Pure Health Company, is responsible for the governance of a network of specialist and general hospitals across the UAE including the Northern Emirates.

The Medical Office is at the forefront of the implementation of the UAE Government initiatives, ensuring that the healthcare system design and operations are optimized to deliver world-class healthcare to the communities it serves.

The Medical Office partners with global leaders in healthcare to ensure excellence in patient care and operations, and to build local capacity through transfer of advanced clinical and management skills into the UAE.

To learn more, please visit https://tmo.ae/