Transformation of academic health centres under spotlight
Gulf Medical University event brings together member academic health centre leaders in the region, emphasising their commitment to support innovation and growth
Gulf Medical University (GMU), a leading private academic health center in the region, hosted the AAHCI Middle East and North Africa Regional Meeting. The event, held on Oct.1-2, 2022, brought together member academic health centre leaders in the region, emphasising their commitment to support innovation and growth. Members also focused on opportunities in the POST-COVID-19 recovery and the integrated resilience of academic health centres.
Under the theme Transforming Academic Health Centres: Innovation and Resilience, the event provided key players in the health professions education sector an opportunity to discuss and debate the future drivers of growth.
Sessions included: Evolving Clinical Care: transforming focus to the patient experience; Investment in Biomedical Research; Resilience of Academic Health Centres: what does it mean? Adaptations in Health Professions and Medical Education; and Partnerships and Community Outreach.
With more than 200 atendees, including visionary leaders and faculty from across the globe, the event included five keynotes from multidisciplinary speakers, panel discussions, and research-based presentations – all coming together to help accelerate the adoption of innovative solutions across academic health centers.
Professor Hossam Hamdy, chancellor of Gulf Medical University, said, “We are very pleased to host the AAHCI Middle East and North Africa conference about the potential growth opportunities that lie in transforming academic health centers through innovation and resilience.
“It reflects our commitment to accelerate the next phase of growth, and the conference is an ideal plaform for influential contributors from the health professions education and the field of medicine to come together and drive ideas forward.
“The Gulf Medical University will continue to provide the best environment to help shape the future of health professions education, playing our part in creating an environment that is conducive to growth, built on a clear, stable and internationally competitive ecosystem.”
Formally welcoming all the atendees, Akbar Moideen Thumbay, vice president of Thumbay group’s Healthcare division, highlighted how private teaching hospitals are uniquely positioned to address the challenges in training of next generation of doctors and nurses.
“Thumbay University Hospital is dedicated in its pursuit to provide valuable clinical experience to health professions students, enabling them to broaden their perspectives in terms of research, education, and care. Our graduates leave well-positioned and prepared to make a bigger difference,” he added.
Dr Naser Ammash, Chief Executive Officer of Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City (SSMC), said, “As a member of the Scientific Commitee of this edition of AAHCI’S MENA regional meeting, I am thrilled to be moderating a panel session on the Evolution of Clinical Care: Transforming Focus to the Patient Experience, a topic that is integral to SSMC’S mission and vision. With the patients’ ever-changing needs and expectations, health care centres must continue to innovate care delivery to be value-driven, human-centric, team-based, learning from Health System data. Our mission at SSMC, in partnership with Mayo Clinic, is to set a new regional benchmark in trusted and patientcentred care with a ‘Category of One’ service delivery mentality.”
Dr Mohamed H. Sayegh, AAHCI MENA Regional Office Ambassador, commented, “The importance of this conference is that it brings together regional and international leaders to discuss and share ideas about novel concepts on the evolution of academic health care centres.”
Recently, Gulf Medical University’s new batch of students under six colleges of Gulf Medical University, owned and run by Thumbay Group, were welcomed into their healthcare professions through a white coat ceremony organised by the university, receiving their first white coats as they participated in the time-honored tradition.