SKMC Continues to Receive Multiple Recognitions and Meets International Standards
Abu Dhabi - UAE: Sheikh Khalifa Medical City (SKMC) managed by Cleveland Clinic has earned a re-accreditation from Joint Commission International (JCI) for its Medical Pavilion; Surgical Pavilion; Outpatient Specialty Clinics; Khalidiyah and Al Ettihad Urgent Care Centers; and Abu Dhabi Blood Bank effective April 2011 for three years. JCI is recognized to be a worldwide leader for the improvement of quality in healthcare. SKMC is part of the SEHA HealthSystem and is owned and operated by the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA), which is responsible for the curative activities of all the public hospitals and clinics in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
SKMC was accredited by the Joint Commission International for the first time in 2008. This prestigious accreditation must be re-earned and revalidated every three years. Consequently, SKMC management was keen to attain a re-accreditation for another three years. A very successful official Re-Accreditation Triennial Survey was conducted from April 10-14, 2011. The JCI Surveyors underwent a 5-day survey, covering SKMC Acute Care Hospital (Surgical and Medical Pavilions), Emergency Department, Outpatient Specialty Clinics, Diabetes Center, Abu Dhabi Blood Bank and both Urgent Care Centers (Khalidiya and Al Ettihad).
Based on the findings of the Triennial Hospital Accreditation Survey of 10-14 April 2011, JCI granted Accreditation status to SKMC, recognizing SKMC's commitment to provide quality and safety of care on an ongoing basis.
Commenting on this bestowed achievement, H.E. Saif Bader Al Qubaisi, SEHA's Chairman stated "This is in keeping with our mission to continually improve customer care to recognized international standards and with our vision to be provide world-class healthcare to our customers and communities served. We are very proud of this accomplishment and would like to congratulate our SEHA employees at SKMC whose hard work and dedication to excellence helped achieve this honour".
Carl Stanifer, CEO of SEHA added, "Re-accreditation is much more difficult to achieve than initial accreditation from JCI. So this is a true endorsement of excellence for SKMC. The re-accreditation process has played a vital role in monitoring patient care services delivery at SKMC. The accreditation status granted from the Joint Commission International for the second time ensures that SKMC is consistently delivering the highest standards of quality services and has attained a high level of patient satisfaction."
Dr. Tej Maini, Chief Executive Officer at SKMC, believes that SKMC achieved the JCI accreditation for the second time because of the on-going commitment of many professional groups at SKMC. Their continuous collective and collaborative efforts fulfill a wide set of stringent criteria that ensures the delivery of care to SKMC patients is of the highest standard.
Emphasizing the value of the accreditation process for the whole organization, Dr. Maini further added, "The process of this accreditation allowed for an external reviewer to validate our performance and recognize our areas of excellence. The surveyors met and interviewed the Senior Management of SKMC as well as physicians and nurses from several specialties. Moreover, they have interviewed patients and their families who were asked about their understanding of the received care, their feelings about the quality of care/service, and their level of understanding of their role in the care and treatment process."
"Our team was pleased with the feedback received from the surveyors about the satisfaction of the patients and their families who were treated at the Medical City. We are honored to receive the JCI "Gold Seal" again," Dr. Maini added.
Dr. Samer Ellahham, Chief Quality Officer at SKMC commented, "Feedback from JCI was outstanding and noted that amongst the surveyed areas, quality, infection control, patient and family rights as well as leadership were "flawless". Additionally, of the 1,200 measured areas, the survey found only 13 areas of improvement that have since been addressed by our management."
"Our team has always worked very hard and closely to raise the standards bar of excellence in all our facilities. We are so proud to receive such a renowned accreditation for the second time which is evidence to our commitment in providing our patients with the utmost quality services," Dr. Ellahham stated.
"Healthcare organizations around the world want to create environments that focus on quality, safety and continuous improvement," says Ms. Paula Wilson, the president and CEO, Joint Commission International. "Accreditation meets this demand by stimulating continuous, systematic improvements in an organization's performance and the outcomes of patient care. The community should be proud that SKMC has made a commitment to quality and safety."
Joint Commission International is dedicated to improving the quality of health care through voluntary accreditation. Joint Commission International's uniform, high standards for patient care and safety are designed to be adaptable to local needs, thus accommodating legal, religious and cultural factors within a country.
Standards focus on the areas that most directly impact patient care. These include access to care, assessment of patients, infection control, patient and family rights, and education. Standards also address facility management and safety, staff qualifications, quality improvement, organizational leadership, and management of information.
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About SKMC managed by Cleveland Clinic
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, the largest hospital and medical city in the UAE, 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; and is accredited by the College of American Pathologists (CAP) for its Main Laboratory and the Abu Dhabi Blood Bank. In addition, SKMC manages a 125-bed Behavioral Sciences Pavilion, 6 Family Medicine Clinics, 2 Dental Centers, and 2 Urgent Care Centers distributed over the city of Abu Dhabi. For further information, please contact us at marketing@skmc.gov.ae or visit www.skmc.ae.
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 providing high quality, cost effective healthcare in a socially responsible way on par with international standards measured through accessibility, affordability, choice and satisfaction. 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 and Bumrungrad International. 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.
Media Contact
Farah Al Alami
Tel.: +971508128892
Email: marketing@skmc.gov.ae
© Press Release 2011
