Doha: Dr Hanan Al Kuwari appointed a new medical leadership team comprised of internationally respected experts to lead HMC’s transformation into a world-class academic health system. The new chief and five deputies will work very closely with the medical staff towards transforming clinical practice in HMC, a press release issued by HMC said.
Dr Hanan said: “As part of our ambition to become a top performing health care organisation in the region we have designed a new leadership model, one which is distinctively Qatari in its culture and values and which embraces the best of international practice and expertise.” She added: “We have invited the brightest and best to lead our medical profession in the continuous pursuit of high quality health care for our patients. This is an important step in our journey towards excellence. We will continue to search for talent within HMC, in Qatar and abroad as we transform the future of health care in Qatar.”
HMC aims to be a patient-centred health care provider that will develop to meet the health care needs of the expanding population of Qatar. Many recent improvements to medical care were driven by patients needing easy and more timely access to emergency and routine treatment.
For example, following the introduction of a telephone booking system, Hamad now aims to offer patients a convenient and timely referral to see a hospital specialist. Early results from six clinics across Hamad General Hospital (HGH) indicate that waiting times have reduced on average by 75 percent in the last year. Also in that period waiting times for MRI scans have been reduced by over 80 percent.
Chief of Medical, Academic and Research Affairs, Professor Ed Hillhouse, said: “Our drive to transform into an academic health care system supports Qatar’s journey of becoming a knowledge-based economy. It will ensure that the latest discoveries in science and medical technology can translate into patient benefit at the bedside as quickly as possible.” He also said: “Research is an integral part of our approach to deliver new technologies and treatments which will, in turn, support the evidence-based clinical improvements of the future. I am encouraged that our researchers were awarded $10m in research grants by Qatar National Research Funds last year.”
HMC’s health care education vision is led by Dr Abdullatif Al Khal, Deputy Chief of Education, who has gained extensive international health care management experience over more than 20 years. As well as being the Director of the Medical Education Department, Dr Al Khal was the previous Chair of the Department of Medicine, and the Chair of the Infectious Diseases Division and the Communicable Diseases Clinic at HMC. He is also the Manager of the National Tuberculosis Program and the Director of the Clinical Aids Programme.
Dr Al Khal said: “I joined HMC in 1989 as a graduate of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and my experience has led to a strong appreciation for the importance of high quality medical education and continued professional development. I take great personal pride in HMC’s development of a strong educational environment and a culture of learning that supports our academic healthcare aspirations.”
Professor Sten Lindahl, who joined HMC in early 2012, is a passionate advocate of the importance of integrating research & development into clinical practice to drive innovation in healthcare. Professor Lindahl was previously Professor of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care in Sweden at one of Europe’s largest academic medical centres and has held numerous Chief and Chair roles in Sweden and the USA. He has been chairman and vice-chairman of the Nobel Committee for the Nobel prize in Physiology or Medicine, and is a member of the Nobel Assembly.
The project is managed by another prominent Qatari doctor, Dr AbdulWahab Al Musleh, Deputy Chief, Clinical Informatics, who has extensive administrative experience, gained over 24 years at HMC.
The top team has been enhanced further by the arrival in the past month of Professor Michael Richmond and Dr Penelope Gordon.
Professor Richmond, Deputy Chief for Clinical Affairs, has extensive clinical and health management experience. An anesthetist by professional background, Professor Richmond was previously medical director at one of the top-rated teaching hospitals in the UK, where he radically improved clinical services. He will be reviewing and improve the quality of clinical services delivered at HMC.
Dr Penelope Gordon, Deputy Chief –for Professional Development, is an experienced Consultant Radiologist and hospital manager. Previously the Director of Medical Education in Portsmouth Hospitals, she has extensive experience in medical education and was awarded a Masters degree in Medical Education in 2003. She has been a Clinical Director of Radiology and then a Clinical Director in Portsmouth, with a special interest in chest radiology and breast radiology. Dr Gordon completed a NACT UK/Wyeth Travelling Fellowship to North Carolina University in 2008.
The Peninsula
