DOHA, Qatar - Thursday, April 17th 2014 [ME NewsWire]

 Dan Heath, leading author and Senior Fellow from the Duke University CASE School of Business in the USA, has been confirmed as the keynote speaker at the forthcoming 2014 Middle East Forum for Quality and Safety in Healthcare, scheduled to be held here from 25 to 27 April.

Mr Heath, co-author of Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard, which debuted at number 1 on the New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists, will also hold a lecture similarly titled “Switch: How to Change When Change is Hard”. At the end of the session, delegates will be able to identify the mechanics of human behavior that could help them make an important change.

The Forum, to be held at the Qatar National Convention Center, is a product of the continued collaboration between Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) and US-based Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) - a leading organization for health and healthcare improvement globally.

An estimated 3000 healthcare professionals, comprising healthcare administrators, executives and senior leaders, practicing physicians, patient and family advisors, as well as nurses are expected to attend the forum.

The targeted sessions are built around the conference theme, which is “Empowering Patient Care Improvement” and will be conducted by some of the world’s leading experts in the science of improvement in healthcare settings globally.

“The richness and diversity of the program for this year’s conference will prove to be inspirational for a wide group of local and regional healthcare professionals, as they will not only have an opportunity to network with like-minded individuals, but also learn the many processes and methodologies that professionals around the world have adopted to bring positive and lasting improvements in their healthcare environment,” said Dr. Abdullatif Al Khal, Deputy Chief of Medical, Academic and Research Affairs – Medical Education at HMC.

A variety of sessions will be of particular interest to senior leaders and executives eager to cultivate a culture of improvement within their organizations. Among other international speakers are IHI Vice President Kedar Mate, MD and Lynne Maher, MD, Director of Innovation at Ko Awatea in New Zealand, who will be talking about building sustainable improvement and engaging in a process of continued evaluation to ensure the gains made are retained.

Mate oversees the development and implementation of innovative high-quality healthcare programs within the US and other resource-limited countries globally.  Dr Maher has over 19 years of experience in leading several innovative improvement programs in many countries including US, Canada, Sweden and Saudi Arabia.

Several sessions will be exciting for surgeons and practicing physicians, such as a session by Dr Uma Kotagal, which will highlight management by prediction.

Vice President for Quality, Safety, and Transformation and Executive Director of the James M Anderson Center for Health Systems Excellence at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Dr Kotagal has been a tireless advocate for the development of high reliability principles across clinical practice. Her session will remind clinicians to be mindful about obstacles that might arise in daily practice and emphasize proactive solutions for risk situations.

A number of sessions will be significant for nurses and front-line staff aspiring to be better leaders at all levels of healthcare, including a workshop on leadership skills, conducted by IHI Quality Improvement Consultant and Faculty Annette Bartley and HMC’s Nursing Executive Director Professor Ann-Marie Cannaby.

At the session, nurses will be able to identify different kinds of leadership theories, strategies and methods, as well as learn how to incorporate these in delivering excellence in nursing care.

The conference aims to empower delegates to reflect on current challenges within the system in which they operate, the role they can play in enhancing the system through innovative thinking and adopting effective strategies, and how to best develop durable plans to be able to deliver the best possible care to patients.

More information on other workshops and lectures at the conference can be found at: http://ihime2014.hamad.qa

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.

About The Institute for Healthcare Improvement

IHI is a leading innovator in health and health care improvement worldwide. For more than 25 years, we have partnered with an ever-growing community of visionaries, leaders, and front-line practitioners around the globe to spark bold, inventive ways to improve the health of individuals and populations. Together, we build the will for change, seek out innovative models of care, and spread proven best practices. When it comes to raising the quality of health for all, IHI sees boundless possibilities and while we see the walls in front of us, we will not rest until we reach the other side. Learn more at www.ihi.org.

Contacts
Corporate Communications Department
Hamad Medical Corporation
+974 4439 8919
www.hamad.qa

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