Doha, January 23, 2007: Hamad Medical Corporation today announced that its hospitals have been accredited by (Joint Commission International) JCI, an international body that assesses medical centers across the world.
HMC Management decided to work towards the accreditation as part of its vision of being an internationally recognized medical centre of excellence.
The achievement follows three years of commitment and hard work from each and every member of the entire HMC team of 15,000 people, from the neurologists to the triage nurses, who have come together and brought HMC up to the global standards set by JCI.
JCI is a globally recognized body that accredits only those organizations that meet the high-level of standards specified. The body is a division of Joint Commission Resources (JCR), a subsidiary of the Joint Commission. The Joint Commission and its predecessor organization have been dedicated to improving the quality and safety of health care services for more than 55 years. The Joint Commission has accredited more than 20,000 medical centers across the globe. In the Middle East, HMC hospitals represent five of only 17 centers to be accredited.
In order to gain the JCI accreditation, HMC had to undergo rigorous audits and needed to ensure and prove that all of the criteria set by JCI were met or exceeded, including the coverage and quality of patient care from entry to discharge, the leadership responsibility, accountability and strategic management, adherence to standards for patient safety and risk reduction in clinical processes.
HMC constantly strives for improvement in the pursuit of excellence, and partners with leading expertise from around the world to help best address patients needs, and the development of specialist services
Dr. Latifa Al Houty, Chairperson of the HMC Board of Directors, commented on the achievement, Hamad Medical Corporation has been constantly guided by His Highness the Emir Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani and Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al-Missned and their vision of establishing a state-of-the-art, integrated healthcare system in Qatar. We have always operated with the aim of being an internationally recognized medical centre of excellence, particularly in an age when medical care is no longer limited by geography. Being a centre of excellence in partnership with some of the worlds leading specialists allows us to offer specialized services for things such as radiation oncology treatment, training of healthcare professionals on emergency and disaster preparedness and neonatal metabolic screening. The JCI accreditation is a great endorsement of the quality of work HMC delivers, and is just the beginning of our journey towards further growing our presence not only in Qatar but beyond.
The Corporation received numerous letters of congratulations from partners and suppliers on the achievement and is this week celebrating at the new Hamad Education Center with the staff from each of the organizations five hospitals.
Dr. Latifa today sent a letter to each and every individual member of staff at HMC, thanking them for their support, dedication and commitment to the patients.
Dr. Derick Pasternak, Managing Director of JCI Middle East spoke of the achievement at HMC, It gives me great pleasure to be here today to celebrate this success with the Hamad team. JCI is a globally renowned accreditation body that has assessed and accredited many organizations. The achievement we are here today to celebrate is testament to the management of Hamad and to the entire team of thousands of people who have made this happen. Id like to congratulate everybody involved.
H.E. Turki Al Khater, Managing Director of Hamad Medical Corporation commented on the accreditation saying, Today marks a spectacular accomplishment in the history of HMC. It is an accomplishment that has filled us with pride and with a new vision to achieve ever higher goals. The success marks a major milestone in our long and exciting journey, that has invigorated the corporation inside out and that has required tremendous dedication, commitment, and drawn upon the skills of everyone in our brilliant team. I would also like to congratulate every single person who has helped the Corporation get to today and Id like to say that this journey doesnt end here. It is our constant duty to continue with the same level of dedication and hard work in order to prove that our Corporation is truly a worldwide centre for healthcare excellence.
Dr. Hanan Al Kuwari, Assistant Managing Director for Operations, congratulated the HMC team at the announcement today at the new Medical Education Center, Today is a very wonderful day for us at Hamad Medical Corporation. I am so proud of the team of highly professional and dedicated staff that I work with, who have worked selflessly and wholeheartedly to make todays achievement possible. And I must also say that throughout the past two years of working towards this achievement, we have never lost sight of our ultimate goal, which is to constantly seek to improve our medical techniques and services with total dedication to the health of our patients.
While we are all celebrating todays achievement, we are also all well aware that the hard work does not stop here. We will continue to work toward our vision and strive to be a center of medical excellence, particularly as we will be constantly monitored by JCI. Dr. Hanan continued.
At the same time as HMC has been pursuing JCI accreditation, numerous developments have been taking place in Qatars health care system, including the building of Medical City, scheduled to open soon. It is the largest comprehensive medical facility in the Middle East, and will incorporate three specialized hospitals including a 320-bed childrens hospital, a 220-bed centre for bone diseases and a 350-bed centre for medical rehabilitation. The city will also house the offices of the NHA, 16 apartment blocks for nurses as well as a social and sports club for medical staff.
The Corporation also has a many new initiatives under way including plans for a new central laboratory which would integrate all laboratory services under one roof. A knowledge transfer program has also been put in place with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Centre to improve emergency medical care across all of HMCs emergency centers.
HMCs advanced diagnostic and interventional radiology services will soon be enhanced with a Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS). The Corporation is also developing a bone marrow transplant service in collaboration with Germany's University Clinics of Heidelberg (UCH), which will allow HMC to carry out bone marrow transplants, a very complex procedure and a service which patients would previously have had to travel abroad to receive. A unique neonatal metabolic screening service is also being introduced, which will help meet the need for rapid turnaround of the screening test for 32 metabolic diseases, many of which have a noted presence in the Gulf.
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About Hamad Medical Corporation
Hamad Medical Corporation is the largest employer of health care workers in Qatar. Its Hamad General Hospital has 616 beds covering all medical areas, with specialties in surgery, pediatrics, internal medicine, anesthesiology, laboratory medicine and pathology.
The Women's Hospital has 334 beds and a 71-bed neonatal intensive care unit. It conducts a comprehensive prevention and immunization program for newborns.
The 362-bed Rumailah Hospital is currently being renovated from a rehabilitation centre into a general hospital, although it will continue to serve as a centre for physical therapy with the most advanced equipment and techniques.
A pioneering centre for tumor diagnosis and specialized treatment of cancer, the Al Amal Hospital's services include early detection, treatment consultation, rehabilitation education and awareness services for patients and their families. It has equipment and staff to accommodate 3,000 to 4,500 patients per year.
The newest hospital, Al-Khor, opened in May 2005. It provides quality and integrated medical, health and diagnostic services to the people in the northern areas of Qatar. It houses a medical laboratory, a blood bank, an emergency unit specifically for children in addition to a regular emergency unit, 119 beds and eight state-of-the-art wings for surgical operations.
The Hamad Medical City Complex, scheduled to open soon, is the largest comprehensive medical facility in the Middle East. It will incorporate three specialized hospitals including a 320-bed childrens hospital, a 220-bed centre for bone diseases and a 350-bed centre for medical rehabilitation. The city will also house the offices of the NHA, 16 apartment blocks for nurses as well as a social and sports club for medical staff.
For more information kindly contact:
James Hawksworth
Hala Kassab
Asdaa Public Relations
Exclusive Affiliate of Edelman Worldwide in MENA
Doha Qatar
T: + 974 435 1113
F: + 974 435 1511
Email: j.hawksworth@asdaa.com
Email: h.kassab@asdaa.com
Press Release 2007
