Doha, 16 January 2014
Hamad Medical Corporation's (HMC) efforts to provide the best healthcare services for children in Qatar received a boost with the accreditation of its Pediatrics Residency Program by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education International LLC (ACGME-I).
Leaders and staff from HMC's Pediatrics and Medical Education Departments as well as representatives from partners Sidra Medical and Research Center (Sidra), Weill Cornell Medical College-Qatar (WCMC-Q) and the HMC/SickKids team recently gathered at Hajar Auditorium to celebrate achieving the accreditation.
The Pediatrics Residency Program is one of HMC's many graduate medical education (GME) programs seeking individual, advanced specialty accreditation following institutional accreditation of HMC by the ACGME-I in 2012. The ACGME-I is the international arm of the ACGME, the body responsible for accrediting the majority of graduate medical training programs for physicians in the United States.
"The Pediatrics Department team led the way many years ago in putting together a curriculum for medical education that was very consistent with what the ACGME-I will require even before we considered ACGME-I accreditation. Each and every member of our team was of great importance to this success because of their enthusiastic involvement and passion for having a sound, accreditable program that we are all proud of," said Dr. Ibrahim Janahi, Program Director of the Pediatrics Residency Program. He said the next step is the process of aligning the Pediatrics fellowships to the ACGME-I standards which started last year.
Dr. Al Anoud Al Ansari, Chairman of the Pediatrics ACGME-I Preparedness Committee said ACGME-I accreditation aims to ensure the training and graduation of competent physicians who have met international standards, been regularly assessed using valid instruments, and trained as professional, humanitarian physicians in a positive learning environment.
"Working towards accreditation is part of our efforts to provide the best pediatricians and the best care possible for children," said Dr. Mohammad Janahi, Chairman of HMC's Pediatrics Department, who also congratulated and thanked the team responsible for the accreditation.
In a recognition ceremony conducted as part of the celebration, Dr. Al Ansari announced the names of core members of the team who played crucial roles in the accreditation efforts. The members received plaques and certificates of appreciation from Dr. Ibrahim Janahi, Dr. Mohammad Janahi, and Dr. Abdulla Al Kaabi, formerly Chief of Pediatric Nephrology at HMC and now Executive Vice-Chief Medical Officer at Sidra.
ACGME-I accreditation ensures newly specialising doctors are well-trained and equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to provide excellent care by the time they finish their training. Under the ACGME-I structure, each doctor undergoes structured specialist training supervised by dedicated senior clinicians. It is strictly assessed for six general competencies, including medical knowledge, patient care, practice-based learning and improvement, systems-based practice, professionalism, and interpersonal and communication skills.
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About HMC:
Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) is the principal public healthcare provider for the State of Qatar. The Corporation manages eight hospitals along with further specialist clinical, educational and research facilities, and is growing in capacity each year around the diverse needs of the evolving population. HMC's ambition is to become an academic health system; a world leading center of excellence in clinical care, medical education and research that transforms into significant clinical advancements.
HMC believes in excellence in healthcare, education and research with each supporting the other to provide world-class quality patient care in a safe and healing environment.
As well as three general hospitals situated in the most densely populated areas of Qatar, HMC also manages five specialist hospitals, looking after patients with the most prevalent conditions, including cancer, heart conditions, rehabilitation, and a hospital providing specialist treatment for women. HMC also operates the national Ambulance Service and a home healthcare service.
The Corporation was the first public healthcare system outside the United States to achieve Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditation for all hospitals simultaneously. JCI accreditation is based on quality and safety across all clinical and management functions. HMC is also the first hospital system in the Middle East to achieve institutional accreditation from the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education - International (ACGME-I), which demonstrates excellence in the way medical graduates are trained through residency, internship and fellowship programs.
For more information, please contact:
Joan Pauline Acevedo at jacevedo@hmc.org.qa
Corporate Communications Department
Hamad Medical Corporation
© Press Release 2014
