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HEALTHMiddle East

Serving the Middle East for more than 30 years November-December 2011

www.MiddleEastHealthMag.com SUPPLEMENT

NorthAmericanAcademicMedical Centres

Global leaders in medical innovationProviders of the worldʼs

most advanced healthcare

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United States Academic Medical Centres

For decades, patients from Arab countriesand around the world have travelled toacademic medical centres (AMCs) in theUnited States seeking medical care. Notonly do the AMCs welcoming thesepatients shy away from the term “medicaltourism” – they are often keen to distancetheir programmes from what has recentlyemerged as the medical tourism industryaround the world.

Reasons for this distinction includeperceptions of commercial medicine, motiva-tion of market players, and the lack ofindustry guidelines, standards and regulation.

The number of inbound patients to theUnited States is currently estimatedaround 22,000 “inpatients” annually, withat least one-third originating from theArab world. However, the activity isconcentrated a few top-tier AMCs and inincreasingly complex specialties.

Attracting international patientsPatients from the Arab world have had anaffinity to American healthcare providers fora host of clinical and non-clinical reasons.

First, American healthcare, despite itscost, is arguably at the forefront of medicineand offers some unique advantages notfound in other countries, including many inthe West. The American system has, forexample, a large number of AMCs, a heavilyprivate provider base with significant non-profit participation, and intense regulation.These elements provide patients with accessto clinical excellence based on the latestadvancements in research and technology,

in an environment where they are protectedby regulations that were until recentlyuncommon in many other countries.Patients often comment that the challengesof navigating the American system are offsetby the professional and institutionalaccountability, not to mention the overallquality of patient care.

A second key attraction is the fact thatcoordinated care enhances the experienceof both patients and providers, and in doingso, secures patient loyalty. Marketing abrand away from its local hub is costly anddifficult; therefore, the quality of servicedelivery is key. At AMCs, therefore, aneffort must be made to deliver an excellentexperience for patients who tend to requirea high level of guidance and coordination.

Expanding the International ModelSeveral American AMCs were pioneers increating a non-clinical managementsystem for international patients, and theyhave continued to refine and expand theirservice models. The best programmes havenot only established a dedicated singlepoint of access and coordination, but havealso customised and personalised everypossible process and service to meet theneeds and expectations of internationalpatients. In a typical international patientcentre, services range from travel andconcierge assistance to language interpre-tation and financial counselling. Patientsare often assigned a personal coordinatorto personally guide them and their familythrough every aspect of the experience in aculturally appropriate manner.

The experience and efforts surroundinginternational patient care have positivelyimpacted the entire customer service atmany AMCs. International programmesoften serve as pilots or models for personal-ising the patient experience and improving

At the forefrontof medicine

customer satisfaction for the domesticpatient population. Language assistance,cultural awareness and education initiativesthat were initially designed for the interna-tional population have proved relevant andmuch needed across organisations and arenow frequently integrated into generalorientations and service programmes.

Inbound travel to AMCs: Present and futurePast successes aside, inbound travel to theUnited States is unlikely to grow signifi-cantly in the near future, even thoughmedical travel around the world is increasing.Reasons for this include increased improve-ments in local capacity and healthcarequality, increasing choices regionally andworldwide, and greater price sensitivity asmore countries privatize the payer system.

However, patient volume from the Arabworld at leading providers in the UnitedStates is likely to remain stable, especiallyin highly specialised areas, as medicinecontinues to advance and patients gaingreater access to information. This will beespecially true at AMCs that have a longhistory with the Arab world, that have astrong focus on international development(even if this focus lies in other areas suchas education), that have an appreciation ofthe value of diversity for the organisation,and that offer excellent patient services.

Institutional partnerships and operations managementAs evidenced by the entry of prominentAmerican healthcare groups into severalcountries in the GCC and other regions,interest in partnering with US healthcaregroups continues to grow.

Partnerships Past and PresentHistorically, global outreach initiatives by

By Ruthy Khawaja and Harris BennyManaging Partners and Founders of MedpointHealth Partners, a global healthcare manage-ment and advisory services company. Khawajapreviously served as VP of MethodistInternational and Benny as CEO of JohnsHopkins Medicine International.



The experience and effortssurrounding internationalpatient care have positivelyimpacted the entire customerservice at many AMCs.International programmesoften serve as pilots ormodels for personalising thepatient experience andimproving customersatisfaction for the domesticpatient population.

AMCs have been directed toward specificdiseases and public health issues, ratherthan institutions and secondary andtertiary healthcare. In recent years,however, the combination of educated,Internet-savvy consumers, highly trainedphysicians, and advances in communica-tion technology have prompted manyhealth organisations to seek out partner-ships with American counterparts.

Generally, these partnerships can takeone of three forms. In a consulting arrange-ment, the local organisation may simplyrequire outside expertise to achieve aspecific goal, such as JCI accreditation orspecific quality or safety objectives.Affiliations, which in the past were littlemore than “friendships” between interna-tional organisations, now more closelyresemble a franchise relationship, includingname and logo usage. The AMC may alsobe invited to assume management of alocal hospital, which typically includescontrol over quality and branding. Thisarrangement allows investors or entitieswith little healthcare experience to build ahospital with the confidence that its levelof quality will compare favourably withthat of a Western facility.

Expectations and outcomesThus far, these relationships have received“mixed reviews” on both sides. Some localorganisations have been disappointed bytheir US relationships in both themethods and the outcomes of theirconsulting, affiliation, and managementarrangements. Many reputable US brandshave been unable to replicate theirdomestic models internationally for a hostof reasons, and some international clientsperceive a lack of commitment from theirAmerican counterparts. Another point ofdisillusionment has been the inability ofany one institution to fully provide excel-lence in all specialty areas or in all areas ofhealthcare delivery, such as medicine,nursing, public health, etc.

Brand and resource alignment has alsobecome an issue for many clients. Thenumber of international institutionswanting to grow their own brands isincreasing. An American brand will typi-cally help an international healthcaregroup to maintain or grow its market pres-

ence, which can assist in transforming thelocal brand into a regional or interna-tional brand. However, it is critical thatthe local brand is not overwhelmed by itspartnership with the US institution. Putanother way, the local brand must, atsome point in time, be recognised as apreeminent brand of its own.

Resource constraints on the part ofAmerican AMCs, particularly at thefaculty level, have left many internationalclients less than satisfied. Perhaps mostimportant has been the misalignment ofthe core mission of American institutionswith the expectations of the internationalhospital clientele. AMCs also face signifi-cant challenges on the ground. They oftenlack the ability to control the systems andresources (such as staffing, financial) thatthey believe necessary for effective knowl-edge transfer, organisational change andsustainable quality.

Looking to the futureOver the next few years, the number ofalliances between top tier US AMCs andinternational healthcare groups will prob-ably continue to grow. As brand recogni-tion of these international groupsincreases, the focus of their Americanpartnerships may shift towards educationand research, with the goal of expandingoutside their immediate geography andbecoming regional players. Over time,international groups will have more of ashared platform with US groups, whichwill require a significant shift in the mind-sets of their American partners if thesesuccessful alliances are to continue.

HEALTHServing the region for more than 30 years | Nov-Dec 2011

Middle East

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Children’s Hospital Boston

members of the Institute of Medicineand nine members of the Howard HughesMedical Institute. Current initiativeshave attracted a record $225 million inannual funding, with more federal fundingthan any other paediatric facility.

Hundreds of laboratory researchers andphysician investigators search for answersto some of the most perplexing diseases inChildren’s John F. Enders PediatricResearch Laboratories, named forChildren’s Nobel Prize-winningresearcher who cultured the polio andmeasles viruses as well as the Karpbuilding laboratories. Through the years,scientists at Children’s have set the pacein paediatric research, identifying treat-ments and therapies for many debilitatingdiseases, including those of adulthood.

International Health Services atChildren’s is dedicated to meeting thespecial needs of international patients,their families and referring physicians andis committed to making top quality care

easily accessible to patients from aroundthe world. Whether requiring acute careservices or access to clinical research,patients will benefit from state of the arttechnology and the latest research proto-cols. Offering full service assistance, theInternational Health Services programcan help with scheduling appointments,securing lodging and arranging for inter-pretation services, facilitating hospitaladmission and financial transactions.Because follow up is vital to health andhealing, the programme’s dedicatedprofessionals also ensure all pertinentinformation reaches the patient’s physi-cian in their home country. From themoment international patients arrive totheir discharge and beyond, they can feelconfident that Children’s will providecompassionate and life-changing care.� For more information aboutChildren’s Hospital Boston and ourInternational Health Services, visitwww.childrenshospital.org/ international/me

Children’s Hospital Boston has a long anddistinguished history of service to patientsfrom all over the world. With a globalreputation and deep roots in Boston’sethnically diverse community, Children’shas been rated among the top medicalinstitutions in the United States.

Children’s Hospital Boston is an affili-ated teaching hospital of the HarvardMedical School and is a 396-bed compre-hensive centre for paediatric health care.As one of the largest paediatric medicalcentres in the United States, Children’soffers a complete range of health careservices, including foetal interventions.Children’s records approximately 25,600inpatient admissions each year, and our228 specialised clinical programmesschedule more than 543,100 visits annu-ally. Additionally, the hospital performs25,800 surgical procedures and 200,000radiological examinations every year.

In the 2011-12 edition of Best Children’sHospitals by U.S. News & World Report,Children’s Hospital Boston ranked first inmore specialties (Cardiology & Heart

Surgery, Neurology & Neurosurgery,Cancer, Orthopaedics, Urology andNephrology) than any other children’shospital in the US . Children’s additionalrankings include second in Diabetes &Endocrinology, Neonatology andGastroenterology, and third inPulmonology. Children’s is the only hospitalto rank in the top three in all 10 rankedspecialties. Since the magazine beganranking hospitals over 20 years ago,Children’s has always been ranked as one ofthe top paediatric hospitals in the countryand is identified in the honour roll of the 10hospitals that rank in all 10 specialties.

ResearchChildren’s is home to the world’s largestresearch enterprise based at a paediatrichospital. More than 1,100 scientistscomprise the research community,including nine members of the NationalAcademy of Sciences, 11 on-staff

Serving patients fromaround the world



Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

research advances are already benefitingpatients at CHOP. The Hospital’s CancerCenter is home to an extensiveprogramme of experimental therapeuticsthat tailors innovative treatments to eachpatient’s unique condition.

In 2008, scientists at CHOP’s Centerfor Childhood Cancer Researchannounced the discovery of a gene variantfor neuroblastoma, a deadly childhoodcancer of the peripheral nervous system.Within just 12 months of the announce-ment, CHOP was enrolling patients in aclinical trial based on that discovery – anuncommonly rapid pace for translationalcancer research.

Even more recently, John M. Maris,M.D., chief of the Division of Oncologyand Stephan A. Grupp, M.D., Ph.D.,director of translational research for theCenter for Childhood Cancer Research,were part of a group of scientists whofound that a new type of antibodyimmunotherapy improved two-yearsurvival rates in patients with high-riskneuroblastoma by 20%. This representsthe first significant increase in neuroblas-toma cure rates in more than a decade.

Dr Grupp is currently leading anotherclinical trial – a collaboration betweenCHOP and the neighbouring University ofPennsylvania – evaluating T-cellimmunotherapy as a new treatment optionfor paediatric cancer patients. Long consid-ered promising in theory, this approachbecame reality when Dr Grupp and hiscolleagues at Penn were able to developtechniques to make an adequate quantityand quality of modified T cells that are thenused to target cancer cells in the body.

CHOP strives to have the best and mostcomprehensive family-centred carepossible for common childhood cancers,but also to provide unique, innovativeapproaches to uncommon or refractorycancers, allowing for multiple creativetherapeutic options when few may existelsewhere.

The resources of Children’s Hospitaland the commitment of its research staffare steadily making new and innovativetherapies available to children. CHOP isable to attract the best and brightestscientific minds, visionaries who knowthey will be supported in pursuing theirresearch agendas.

Children and families come from aroundthe world to The Children’s Hospital ofPhiladelphia (CHOP), seeking advancedtherapies for the most serious and complexchildhood conditions. CHOP is able tooffer these advanced treatments – oftennot available at other institutions – inalmost every area of paediatrics.

But every treatment that is today aproven therapy began as an idea that had tobe meticulously tested before it could beapplied in patients. One reason CHOPremains at the forefront of treatmentadvances is due to its on-going commitmentto paediatric research. The Children’sHospital of Philadelphia Research Instituteis seamlessly interwoven with the Hospital’sclinical enterprise.

Here, more than 450 investigatorspursue answers, unlocking the mysteries ofchildhood disease. The focus of theInstitute is translational research –bringing scientific discovery from benchto bedside as rapidly as is safely feasible.

OncologyOncology provides just one example of afield in which exciting translational

Translating discoveryinto treatment

Among the many other areas in whichlife-changing research is taking place atCHOP:� The Center for Mitochondrial andEpigenomic Medicine, led by Douglas C.

ResearchWallace, Ph.D., a founder of mitochondrialgenetics. The centre is investigating thesignificant role mitochondria, tiny powerplants of human cells, play in many meta-bolic and degenerative diseases, such asdiabetes, epilepsy and Parkinson’s disease.� The Center for Cellular andMolecular Therapeutics, led by Katherine

High, M.D., which produces novelapproaches to gene therapy forpatients suffering from geneticdiseases such as haemophilia.� The Center for AppliedGenomics, led by Hakon

Hakonarson, M.D., whichhouses the world’slargest database ofpaediatric DNA

samples. The centre is conducting break-through research that has alreadydiscovered genes involved in autism,inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes,neuroblastoma, obesity and asthma. Byuncovering the genetic origins of theseand other devastating childhooddiseases, researchers at CHOP areworking to develop targeted and effec-tive therapies for them.� To learn more about these andmany other research endeavours atThe Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia,visit www.chop.edu/research� To learn more about CHOPInternational Patient Services, visitwww.chop.edu/internationalor call 001-267-426-6298.



Methodist Hospital

Leading-edge researchThe Methodist campus hosts theMethodist Institute for Technology,Innovation and Education (MITIE). Asthe first facility of its kind and one of thelargest simulation centres in the world,MITIE occupies more than 3,000 squaremetres of research space dedicated toprocedural skills training and the devel-opment of image-guided technology,medical robotics and new proceduraltechniques. A surgical training centreand virtual hospital provides on-goingphysician training on the latest surgicaltechniques in a safe and effective envi-ronment. Many of their internationalpartners have collaborated withMethodist to create similar trainingprogrammes in their local regions.

They also host the Methodist Academy,a scholarly partnership between TheMethodist Hospital Research Institute(TMHRI), Weill Cornell MedicalCollege, and the Weill Cornell GraduateSchool of Medical Sciences, to developeducational and research partnershipsthat foster medical innovation. TMHRIbrings together collaborative teams ofprofessionals to translate scientific discov-eries into new diagnostics, therapies andtreatments.

Methodist InternationalMethodist International providescustomised patient services to all interna-tional guests of The Methodist Hospital.Methodist International begin coordi-nating patient visits before patients leavetheir homes by assigning a patient liaisonto help arrange travel and appointmentscheduling, and to provide any assistancethey may need during their stay.

Methodist is a culturally sensitive envi-ronment, where each team memberunderstands the unique challenges facedby international patients. That’s why theyoffer expedited service with the HoustonAirport System and support for a diverserange of spiritual needs, including an on-site mosque and Friday prayers.

Methodist International provides 24/7language interpretation, financial coun-selling, consolidated billing and assistancewith other needs for internationalpatients. They also maintain a fully-staffed office in Dubai, UAE to assist theirpatients in the Middle East region, and tocarry out the mission of MethodistInternational.

Partnering across bordersMethodist International providesconsulting advisory services, managementand affiliations, as well as education andtraining programmes for their interna-tional partners. Their team of advisors hascompleted several successful projects withnumerous healthcare organisations andgovernments in the Middle East andNorth Africa region focused on quality,nursing excellence and clinical collabora-tions.

Methodist International also offerstraining and education programmes forhealthcare professionals around the world.Through observerships, training courses,video lecturing and Continuing MedicalEducation opportunities, healthcareprofessionals have the opportunity toobtain leading-edge clinical knowledgefrom world-renowned experts.

Leadership for today and tomorrowExceptional service. Personalised expe-

rience. Top expertise. Their experiencehas established The Methodist Hospital asa worldwide leader in patient care, andthe successes of their consulting and advi-sory services in the Middle East regionhave allowed them to build a global repu-tation for healthcare excellence. From thepatients who seek their care to the part-ners who seek their expertise, theycontinue to exceed expectations on aglobal level.� To learn more about their outstandingservice and expertise, visit their Dubaioffice in Dubai Healthcare City, Building26, Suite #104 (phone +971 4 3754676)or online at www.methodisthealth.com.

A legacy of excellenceFor more than 90 years, patients fromaround the world have sought out theunparalleled expertise and compassionatecare found at The Methodist Hospital. The2011 “Best Hospitals” US News & WorldReport ranks The Methodist Hospitalamong the United States’ top hospitals in11 specialties, more than any other hospitalin Texas, as well as #1 in Houston, home ofthe world’s largest medical centre. Thereport recognises Methodist for excellencein the specialties of cardiology & heartsurgery, diabetes & endocrinology, ear, nose& throat, gastroenterology, geriatrics,nephrology, neurology & neurosurgery,ophthalmology, orthopaedics, pulmonology,and urology.

Patient-focused clinical careOne of Methodist’s patient liaisonsdescribes the patient experience atMethodist this way: “We build relation-ships with our patients. They feel like theyare family to us, and we feel like we arefamily to them. That’s what makes thedifference.”

At The Methodist Hospital, theirmission is threefold, encompassing clin-ical care, research and education. Theirvalues-based culture – recognised by theirtop ranking in employee satisfaction byFortune 500 and their high ranking inpatient satisfaction by the UniversityHealthcare Consortium – drives theauthenticity of their enhanced patientexperience.

The unique patient experience atMethodist focuses on the needs and pref-erences of each individual patient. Theirnew Outpatient Center was built aroundthe idea of creating a personalised, excep-tional patient experience, and this prin-ciple extends throughout all areas of TheMethodist Hospital. Their team memberstake the time to learn each patient’s likesand dislikes, what makes them comfort-able, and other details that help us putthem at ease in what can be a stressfulsituation.

World-class healthcarewith a personal touch



Stanford Hospital & Clinics

Stanford International Medical ServicesTo support the clinical staff, the Stanfordhospital guest services ensure that eachpatient has a unique experience. Specificprogrammes have been designed for thispurpose, such as: � Executive Health ProgramComprehensive personal health assess-ments and proactive health managementcustomised to each patient’s needs.� Special Patient ServicesA medical concierge team providespersonalised service and unparalleledsupport to the patients and their familiesat times of important healthcare needs.� International Medical ServicesGlobal patient navigation professionals offerthe highest level of service and access. TheStanford Hospital and its internationalnetwork are available with one call.� Stanford Health Library Custom health research services, proprietarycontent and advanced medical databases areused to address pressing healthcare questions.The library provides scientifically-basedmedical information, for free, worldwide.

At Stanford International MedicalServices we are specifically ready to meet

We at Stanford University MedicalCenter extend our greetings to the readersof the Middle East Health magazine.

In the United States Stanford Hospital& Clinics (SHC) consistently ranksamong the top institutions in the U.S.News & World Report annual list of“America’s Best Hospitals”. The reasonsfor this remarkable achievement are multi-faceted: quality of medical staff and patientservice, advanced technologies, and thelink between SHC and StanfordUniversity which provides unique researchand teaching opportunities to our practi-tioners.

The Hospital is internationally recog-nised and has 613 licensed beds, and astaff of over 7,000 that serves over500,000 patients per year.

SHC has established six Centres ofExcellence for the treatment of complexdisorders as follows:

Pioneering advances in medicinepatients’ needs:� We have been in existence for over 30 years� Our staff speaks 16 languages� We handle all the requests and require-ments of patients: logistics, registration,appointments’ coordination, paymentcollection, escorting patients to all pointsof care and comprehensive medical reportcompilation

In conclusion, Stanford Hospital &Clinics welcomes patients, from any partof the world, who require healthcare atthe highest level.� For more information:

Call: +1 650 723 8561Email: [email protected]

Throughout its history, SHC and the StanfordSchool of Medicine have pioneered medicaladvances that save lives and protect againstdisease. For example:� 1960: First kidney transplant in California� 1964: First successful clinical application oflaser photocoagulation to treat detached retina� 1964: Development of the first sleep apneamonitor for newborn infants� 1968: First adult human heart transplant inthe USA� 1981: First combined heart-lung transplant inthe world� 1983: Development of the first humanmonoclonal antibody for treating septic shock(with UC-San Diego)� 1992: Development of a genetically engi-neered vaccine to enhance patients’ immunolog-ical response against B-cell lymphoma� 1993: First functional image using time-resolved optics� 1994: Development of a new diagnosticinstrument for rapid bedside screening ofhaemolysis in jaundiced newborns� 1995: First optical imaging of infection in vivo� 1997: First optical imaging of gene expressionin vivo� 2000: First use of gene expression profiling todistinguish cancer sub-types� 2002: First use of gene expression profiling topredict cancer outcomes� 2007: Application and extension of optoge-netics, a technique to control brain cell activitywith light� 2008: Development of a new type of imagingsystem that can illuminate tumours in livingsubjects, getting pictures with a precision ofnearly one-trillionth of a meter� 2008: Development of a test that reducesthe risks in testing for chromosomal disorderssuch as Down syndrome� 2010: For the first time researchers use ahealthy person’s complete genome sequence topredict his risk for dozens of diseases

� Radiation therapy� Surgery� Chemotherapy and biological agents� Robotic surgery for urologic

cancers� Multidisciplinary clinics and

tumour boards� Liver cancer centre� Genetic counselling� Fertility conservation approaches

Stanford Comprehensive Cancer Center

� Adult congenital diseases� Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy � Marfan syndrome and related aortic

disorders � Women’s heart health

Heart Center

� Cyberknife� Multiple sclerosis � Epilepsy� Stroke� Aneurysms� Neuromuscular disorders� Memory loss

Neurosciences

� Arthritis and joint replacement� Sports medicine� Physical medicine and rehabilitation� Paediatric orthopaedic service� Trauma service� Musculoskeletal tumour service

Orthopaedic Surgery

� Emergency medicine � General surgery � Plastic & reconstructive surgery � Vascular surgery

Surgical Services � Blood and marrow transplant � Kidney and pancreas transplant � Liver transplant � Heart and heart/lung transplant � Transplant diabetes program

Transplantation

By Sheila TostBusiness Development Manager,International Medical Services,Stanford Hospital & Clinics



The Nebraska Medical Center

In its on-going strategies to develop suchtraining programmes and to build strongerprogrammes with its 119 collaborations in44 countries, the International HealthcareServices at the Nebraska Medical Center(TNMC) inaugurated a series of customisedhealthcare training programmes for theKing Fahd Specialist Hospital in Dammam(KFSH-D), Saudi Arabia.

In the making for over a year, the lead-ership at both TNMC and KFSH-Dworked diligently to formulate theirconcepts into reality. Each party’s profes-sional teams visited the other on numerousoccasions throughout the development ofthe programme. The collaboration wasfinalised in 2010, forming a five-year coop-eration for customised healthcare trainingof KFSH-D personnel at TNMC and on-site at KFSH-D.

The primary objective of this collabora-tion was to develop viable customisedtraining curriculums, adapted for thespecific needs of KFSH-D and its selectedtrainees. Programmes were developedprimarily in the areas of pathology, phar-macy, transplant nursing, and secondarilyin social services, dietary therapy, logis-tics, clinical engineering, management,and standards and practices for the devel-opment of continuous improvement ofhealthcare staff processes and implemen-tation. The duration of the trainingvaried from one month up to eighteenmonths. The secondary objective was tocreate a healthcare network between thetwo institutions.

Administrative and logistical matterswere successfully addressed before thetrainee’s arrival in Nebraska. While this isa painstakingly laborious process, utmostcare was taken to make sure that everyaspect of a candidate’s training andpersonal needs were fully addressed. Thefirst group of 29 KFSH-D healthcare

professionals launched the progressivetraining programme.

The Process Personnel from various departments atKFSH-D are selected and screened for thetraining by the international educationoffice at KFSH-D, based on the needs oftheir facility. Selected candidates and theirdepartment heads are asked to submit anapplication that includes the candidate’straining and educational objectives, whythis experience is important to them, andhow they plan to use the training oncethey return to KFSH-D. This ensures thatthe goals of KFSH-D and the participantsare in alignment.

TNMC’s leadership in the acceptedcandidate’s designated field of trainingdevelops a customised training curriculumto meet the needs of each individualstudent. The international office atTNMC provides the planning and logis-tical support throughout the process thatincludes assistance for obtaining the USvisa, helping with living arrangements,special meals, a variety of other servicesand on-going coordination.

Upon arrival at TNMC, candidates areoriented to the hospital and various depart-ments; all mandatory safety and regulatorytraining is completed before they begintheir specialised training. Progress reportsfor each participant are prepared by theirdirect supervisor every 4-6 weeks and sentto KFSH-D and the international offices.The reports also include an assessment oftheir interpersonal skills, accountability,and development.

On a quarterly basis, the programmecoordinators, Chairs of respective depart-ments, Executive Director of InternationalHealthcare office and representatives ofKFSH-D international office participate ina teleconference to stay up-to-date on the

Until recently, traditional thinking inhealthcare training has been focused solelyon the areas of concentration that areavailable at the host institution. That is, inadopting a new process for training health-care professionals, most institutionsdeduce that what is being practiced attheir home institution will suit the needsand objectives of the guest healthcareprofessional trainees and their organisa-tion. This training process has huge limita-tions and rarely serves as complete health-care training solutions.

It is becoming increasingly important forhealthcare institutions planning toprovide training and education to developcustomised training programmes, atdepartmental levels, that would fulfil theneeds of the guest trainee as well as thecollaborating guest institution. Suchpersonalised programmes should be under-taken as team projects, whereby, multipledepartments and specialties within thehost organisation develop and coordinatea comprehensive curriculum.

In order to accomplish this, healthorganisations must assimilate this conceptof customised training and its inherentnew processes into the current environ-ment. This often requires a variety ofchanges in the structure or ways of working– between and within departments. Thesechanges invariably require a formal deci-sion-making process, evaluation phases, aswell as planned and sustained efforts, bothat implementation and throughout thetraining period.

Consequently, these varying phases ofthe customised adoption process requirethat the leadership at each departmentlevel become part of the process.Department heads must help initiatevarious team-based opportunities in orderto facilitate the best and most specialisedtraining experiences.

The future of professionalhealthcare training:Customised adoptions



progress of the candidates and for futureplanning.

The programme is augmented by regulartele/video conferencing of grand roundsand monthly department evaluationconferences at Nebraska.

The collaboration has proven to betechnically and culturally enriching forTNMC, KFHS-D and the participatingcandidates. The candidates have inte-grated well into the programme and theirassigned clinical departments.

“The development of a customisedinternational training programme was verychallenging, but it has been extremely

rewarding for both KFSH-D as well asTNMC healthcare professionals,” saidNizar Mamdani, Executive Director of theInternational Healthcare at TNMC andthe architect of this training programme.

KFSH-D is a tertiary referral hospital situ-ated in Dammam, Saudi Arabia and it iscommitted to serving the healthcare needsof the eastern province in Saudi Arabia.KFSH-D has the current capacity of 450patients’ beds with over 120 specialists andover 800 nurses. It provides a variety ofspecialty services including oncology,haematology, transplant and neurology.

The collaborative efforts help provide

KFSH-D the protocols and programmes ofthe highest international calibre andprominence. The efforts also help todeliver the best available international-standard patient care to the patients inSaudi Arabia and neighbouring countries.The joint programmes assist KFSH-D indeveloping and administering one of thebest Cancer Care, Transplantation,Pathology/Pharmacy and Neurologyprogrammes in Saudi Arabia. Theprogramme will utilise the latest protocolsand technology, while providing on-going,sustainable and effective administrativeand patient care support.

Dr Mohammed Al-Saghir, MD, aTransplant Surgeon and Director of theInternational Collaboration Office atKFSH-D said: “The programme was a newconcept to our hospital and the depart-ments in our area. It did excel in the areasrelated to lab training, pharmacy andtransplant nursing. Also, the programmeprovides opportunities for our fellows toget training in pathology.”

International Healthcare Services atTNMC assists in the management of patientcare through the development of collegialrelationships that know no boundaries.TNMC’s global collaborations include theircountry’s leading cancer and medical centresin the private and public sectors.

“We form a very important network ofinternational professionals dedicated toexcellence in patient care, education andresearch. I’m confident that ourcustomised training and educationprogrammes will enable the patients intheir home countries to be the ultimatebeneficiaries,” says Mamdani. “Ourprogramme with KFSH-D can be a modelfor many other healthcare facilities thatare seeking global training opportunities.”� For more information, please visit: www.unmc.edu/international www.kfsh.med.sa

Nadyah Al Turki, one of the trainees inthe Pathology department, said: “Wequickly overcame the stress related tolong hours of travel and airport proce-dures, we were warmly welcomed by thesisters and brothers at the Med Center,which gave us a feeling that we are athome. Everyone is going out of their wayto make our stay comfortable and ourgoals achieved. We had no cultural issuesat all, and our colleagues expressedrespect to our religious and culturalneeds. They even reserved a prayer roomand provided copies of the Holy Quranand prayer rugs. My nine-year-olddaughter who is accompanying me duringmy stay is going to daycare and happilylearning new things.”

Abdalla Bajawi added: “We are soimpressed with advanced technology andthe state-of-the-art medical advancementhere; I feel I’m lucky to have this uniqueopportunity. I’m training on the HBLCmodern equipment in the lab and willtransfer the knowledge to my colleagueswhen I go back. My son goes to school hereand we are constantly communicating with

our hospital and family back home.”Dawa Al Dossary got her driver’s

license and she’s exploring Omaha anddriving her friends around. “It’s a verynice, quiet city and Omahans are sofriendly,” she said. “I’m learning aboutstem cell technology and will be welltrained and ready when the stem cell labopens in KFSH-D next year.”

Arwa Al Saber said she’s quicklylearning new procedures and techniquesand appreciates the assistance of theInternational Healthcare office staff thatmet her at the airport and coordinatedher communications with the SaudiCultural Mission.

Ebtessam Al Ghawi and Nihad AlAhmed trained in Dietary Therapy. Theysaid that they sensed from the first daythe advanced level of experience of theircolleagues in the department. Theyappreciated how the schedules andcurriculum were customised to meet theirneeds. They were impressed with thelevel of dedication toward patients andexpected to get a lot of benefit from thisexperience.

A word from the trainees

From left to right: Dr Raidah Al-Baradi, Pediatric Neurologist; Deborah Andersen, Director of Transplant Services; Dr Sanjay Singh, Director of Epilepsy; DrDavid Mercer, MD, Transplant Surgeon; David Muirhead, Director of Anatomic Pathology; Nizar Mamdani, Executive Director, International Healthcare Services;Dr Khalid Al Shaibani, MD, CEO; Dr Mohammed Al-Saghier; Dr Faisal Mubarak, Manager, Office of International Collaboration.



NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital

New York City, synonymous with highfinance, the arts, fashion, and the UnitedNations, is also home to one of the mostcomprehensive medical centres in theworld. At NewYork-Presbyterian (NYP),nothing is more important than putting ourpatients first always. With more than19,000 employees and over 5,500 physi-cians committed to providing quality healthcare services for nearly 2 million patientsannually, it is no surprise that NYP attractspatients from over 80 countries worldwide.Our world-renowned physicians lead theway in patient care, teaching, and research,ensuring that future generations of physi-cians will continue this legacy of healthcare excellence for patients everywhere.Our patients are at the centre of everythingwe do and this multidisciplinary teamapproach to healing yields amazing resultsfor our patients. You can see and hear ouramazing stories directly from our patients byvisiting nyp.org/amazingthings – true testi-monials to the dedication of our physicians,nurses and other health care professionals.

Ranked #1 in New York and among theTop Ten Medical Centres in the USAOur patient-centred care, along with ourtechnological and research innovations,have not gone unnoticed. NYP has beenrecognized as the top hospital in New Yorkfor more than ten consecutive years and isamong the top ten hospitals in the U.S.listed in the prestigious “Honor Roll” of theU.S. News & World Report. As one of a fewdistinct hospitals recognized in 15 clinicalspecialties, NYP attracts patients with themost complex diseases, many of whomother hospitals won't even treat, giving

them hope that we will do all we can tomake them well. (Please visitusnews.com/besthospitals for details on NYP’srankings in US News).

More top doctors in the USNYP also has more top doctors than anyother hospital in the U.S. In an inde-pendent survey by Castle Connolly, over300,000 physicians in the US were asked toname peers to whom they would refer familymembers. NYP had more top doctors iden-tified in “America’s Top Doctors” than anyother U.S. hospital for the fourth year in arow. (For more on Castle Connolly, pleasevisit castleconnolly.com/hospitals/index.cfm).

A comprehensive academic medical centreThe only hospital in the US affiliated withtwo Ivy League medical schools, ColumbiaUniversity College of Physicians andSurgeons and Weill Cornell MedicalCollege, NYP provides world-class healthcare for the entire family. NYP has centresof excellence in both adult and paediatriccare, as defined by US News and WorldReport. NYP is in the top ten US hospitalsfor adult cardiology, gynaecology, urology,nephrology, pulmonology, psychiatry,gastroenterology, neurology and neuro-surgery. For paediatrics, NYP is top ten incardiology, neonatology, diabetes andendocrinology. NYP also has the largestmulti-organ transplant centre in the US.

We speak your language andknow your cultureIn support of our excellence inpatient care, NYP offers interna-tional patients a tailored experi-

Serving the Worldence led by a team of multicultural andmultilingual Regional Coordinators. Forour Arabic-speaking patients, our personal-ized service begins from the moment youcontact us. A Coordinator who speaks yourlanguage and knows your culture will assistyou in all aspects of your travel to ourmedical centre. You will experience serv-ices that have been custom tailored to meetyour needs, including coordination ofmedical appointments, organizing localaccommodations for family and/or compan-ions, medical translation services,explaining financial and other administra-tive matters as well as orientation to themany attractions of New York City. OurCoordinators are available day and night,seven days a week.

When you return home, NYP will bethere to provide support services throughmynyp.org, a secure web service that allowspatients to store and access their medicalrecords from anywhere in the world.

Top physicians. Premier medical schools.Personalized service. NewYork-Presbyteriantakes pride in understanding the uniquecultural needs of our patients and strives tomake each patient feel at home while farfrom home. Each patient and his or herfamily will be treated with compassion,respect, and highly personalized service.NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital – amazingthings are happening here.

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Paediatric Healthcare

learned of a clinical trial underway at aUS children’s hospital that makes use ofgene therapy in an attempt to cure thisdeadly disease, thereby eliminating thepossibility of graft-vs.-host disease.Extracted bone marrow is manipulated tocarry a replacement gene, and then rein-fused into the child, hopefully allowingthe cells to manufacture T-cells abundantenough to protect him from bacterial orviral infections. Now, months after theprocedure Augustin has gained weight,has normally functioning organs, and is byall accounts basically a healthy child.

Or the case of Lachlan. Three days afterbirth his doctors in Australia diagnosed himwith congenital hyperinsulinism. He didn’trespond to drug therapy and required a diag-nostic work-up with FDA approved researchprotocol for an F-DOPA PET scan andhighly advanced surgery to remove theaffected parts of his pancreas. His parentschose to come to a US children’s hospital forhis care and they are glad they did. Thehospital’s congenital hyperinsulinism centrehas treated hundreds of children with thisproblem while most paediatric programmesworldwide see perhaps one or two cases ayear. The combination of the unique diag-nostic tools and capability and the surgicalexpertise were just what Lachlan needed. Inonly three weeks he was cured. Ask hisparents and they will tell you that the choiceand the 35,000 mile trip were well worth it.

Remarkable patient stories such as theseare almost commonplace at paediatrichospitals throughout the United States.The results speak for themselves as do thelegions of thankful parents and childrenwho have been helped.

At the nexus of medical careStudies of “medical tourism” have shownthat nearly 40% of all medical travellerscome to the US. Children’s hospitals typi-cally report that between 2-5% of theiroverall volume of services are for interna-tional patients. Recent data reports haveshown that patients at children’s hospitalsare 58% more likely to be patients withhigher severity, and have more chronicconditions and a higher dependency on

technology. Perhaps most important,patients cared for at children’s hospitalshave lower mortality rates even whenadjusted for mortality risk. Access to high-quality care, advanced technologies, world-renowned clinicians, and more comprehen-sive services regularly trump concern overcost and distance and often result in fasteraccess to life-saving or life-altering betterquality of care than is available in the homecountries of these patients.

Children’s hospitals here are truly at thenexus of the best of paediatric medicalcare. Most are linked to prestigiousmedical schools in the US and aremagnets for the best and brightest of theworld’s medical clinicians, researchers,and other clinical providers. They are thesite of some of the best trainingprogrammes, the most advanced tech-nology, highly sophisticated, innovative,and well-funded clinical researchprogrammes, and regularly provide carethat is unavailable elsewhere in the worldfor the most complex and challengingdiseases and conditions. They regularlyscore particularly well on outcome andquality of care measures, national accredi-tation reviews, and other measures of highquality outcomes, including patient-focused measures of quality as well asfrequently being cited for “best practices”.

Additionally, the best of these hospitalshave in place International Programs withsystems and processes that make the prospectof travelling to obtain care for a child far lessdaunting. These programmes facilitate theexchange of medical information, work withforeign governments and their agencies onvisa and travel arrangements, financial assis-tance, accommodations for family members,and have staff members who are culturallyaware and conversant in multiple languages.Estimates of total costs, expedited billing,and many other built in flexibilities are alldesigned to allow the families to focus theirenergies on their ill child.

What may be the most compellingreasons for choosing to come to a USpaediatric care hospital are the most basic:to provide a child with the best of careand the best of outcomes.

Most children thankfully never get illenough to need hospitalisation. But when ithappens, every physician and every parentwants the best care and the best outcome.This is true for children throughout theworld. And when a child has a life-threat-ening or rare condition that demandscomplex care, advanced technology, acomplicated surgical intervention or othercutting-edge treatment, and needs theexpertise of highly trained and experiencedhealth care providers working together inthe most up-to-date facilities, choosing apaediatric hospital is a smart decision. Andchildren’s hospitals in the United States areamong the best in the world.

Throughout the United States there areapproximately 5,000 hospitals includingabout 150 providing care for children exclu-sively. Among these are the most specialisedand advanced institutions where dedicatedproviders come together to combineadvanced care and innovative clinicalresearch, and regularly marshal the combinedexpertise of multiple on-site physicians,surgeons, and other providers to deliverexemplary care to very sick children. Everyday these hospitals see children with cancers,defective hearts, brain tumours, complexspinal and orthopaedic problems, congenitalurological problems, diabetes and endocrineabnormalities, and countless other veryserious medical problems that are frequentlylife-threatening. And they provide thesechildren with the best of care and produceremarkable, often life altering outcomes.

Take the case of Augustin. He spentmost of his early life separated from theworld because of a form of X-LinkedSevere Combined Immunodeficiency(SCID-X1), also known as “bubble boydisease.” His older brother had alreadydied before he was 5 months old from thesame disease. Augustin would likely sufferthe same fate before his first birthdatewithout highly sophisticated intervention.Fortunately, his physicians in Argentina

Why choose a US hospital for paediatrics?By Richard Goldberg,Manager, International Medicineand Business DevelopmentChildren’s Hospital Boston



The Hospital for Sick Children

One of the world’s leading paediatric healthcentres, The Hospital for Sick Children(SickKids) is committed to a global visionof Healthier Children. A Better World.

An innovator in child health, SickKidsleads and partners to improve the healthof children locally and internationallythrough the integration of high-qualitycare, pioneering research and comprehen-sive educational opportunities. In the2010 Accreditation Canada survey,SickKids met over 99% of 1,554 criteriaranging from governance and leadershipto infection control and clinical care.

SickKids is affiliated with the Universityof Toronto, Canada’s largest university anda global leader in research and teaching.

Located in Toronto, Canada’s mostmulticultural city, SickKids bringstogether a diversity of knowledge andexperience. Highly trained and skilledhealthcare professionals from around theworld join SickKids because of its finereputation and visionary strategic plan-ning for children’s health.

Global impactSickKids International collaborates withglobal partners to improve the health ofchildren through the advancement of childhealth education, research and clinicalinitiatives. We work with healthcare organ-izations globally, helping to build sustain-able, integrated programmes dedicated tochildren’s health.

Drawing on the experience andexpertise of the SickKids community,SickKids International provides collabo-rative and consultative services togovernment organizations and institutionsengaged in healthcare delivery. SickKids’expertise focuses on paediatric clinicalservices planning and patient care, globalresearch priorities, and education andtraining.

We position our partners for success,reaching desired outcomes and measurableprogress in the rapidly evolving environ-ment of children’s health.

Reputable advisory servicesThrough SickKids International, we

Innovation in child healthcare

Providing high-quality patient care and treat-ment informed by world-leading research.

Implementing innovative practices andprocesses to ensure patient safety, equi-table access and timely care.

Translating ideas into treatments andsharing knowledge to benefit all children,in an environment characterised by on-going professional development andconstant learning.� www.sickkids.ca

This is SickKids

formally share our experience, knowledgeand expertise in providing advisory serv-ices and needs assessments to our globalpartners. Partner countries have includedIndia, Ireland and Qatar.

SickKids began work with HamadMedical Corporation (HMC) in 2008 toadvise on the development and operationof a new, state-of-the-art children’shospital in Doha, Qatar. SickKids staff areproviding expert counsel in such areas aspaediatric medicine, surgical services,interprofessional practice and education,family-centred care and research.

Innovative educationAt SickKids, education is how we changethe world around us. We recentlylaunched a paediatric nurse trainingprogramme in Ghana, funded by theCanadian International DevelopmentAgency. Over 1,500 paediatric nursesneed to be trained in Ghana within thenext 15 years, and with our local partners,SickKids will be fostering education inpaediatrics and improving child healthsystems. The curriculum developed by ournurse educators includes understandingthe social determinants of communityhealth – essential for Ghanaian nursesworking in rural communities.

Exceptional patient careMore than 275,000 patients come throughSickKids’ doors each year. We strive toensure that each experience is positive,respectful and effective. We aim to be a

world leader in family-centred care andbelieve the best health outcomes areachieved when healthcare professionalswork together with patients and theirfamilies. SickKids is committed to devel-oping the ability of our staff in workingwith different cultures through culturalcompetency training.

Ground-breaking researchSickKids clinicians and scientists have beenpioneers since the Hospital was founded in1875. It is the home of innovative thinkers,resulting in inventions such as the highfrequency oscillator, and discoveriesincluding the gene that causes cystic fibrosis.

The SickKids Research Institute is thelargest child health research institute inCanada and a centre for excellence thatplaces SickKids on the world stage ofhealthcare expertise. Researchers fromaround the world are drawn to SickKids tohelp understand and prevent disease, findcures and transform children’s health.

International learningOur Fellowship and International LearnerPrograms bring in healthcare professionalsfrom around the world , including almost100 from the Middle East last year, to learnSickKids’ best-of-class techniques right atthe bedside. SickKids is home to thelargest, most comprehensive paediatricmedical and surgical trainingprogramme in Canada.



Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center

plinary programmes caring for themost complex conditions and rarediseases. � Aerodigestive disorders� Airway reconstruction� Bone marrow transplantation� Brachial plexus surgery� Rare, high-risk and recurrent

cancers� Cardiomyopathy� Cardiothoracic surgery� Congenital heart disease (including adult

and adolescent)� Craniofacial conditions� Cystic fibrosis� Colorectal surgery� Eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders� Epidermolysis bullosa� Epilepsy and epilepsy surgery� Esophageal disorders� Fanconi anemia and bone marrow failures� Foetal care and foetal surgery� Genetic evaluations and testing� Hand and upper extremity surgery� Heart failure and transplant� Haemangioma and vascular malformations� Histiocytosis disorders� Immune deficiencies� Inflammatory bowel disease� Intestinal rehabilitation� Acute kidney injury� Liver care, chronic liver disease and

transplants� Rare lung disease� Motility disorders� Neurofibromatosis� Neuromuscular disorders� Transplantations – Heart, intestine,

kidney, liver� Tuberous sclerosis� Urogenital disorders

International Patients – Special assistance for Patients and families from other nationsCincinnati Children’s international patientprogramme offers special services forpatients and families who are coming fromoutside the United States. This team makesthe entire experience easier for patients,families and referring physicians by helpingwith obtaining treatment plans, estimatingexpenses for treatment and working withfamilies to set up payment arrangements.They also provide interpreter services, assist

with documentation required for travelvisas and connect visitors with guest serv-ices to assist with lodging, transportationand other services. The internationalpatient programme can be contacteddirectly at [email protected].

Quality and Safety FocusCincinnati Children’s is focused intensivelyon transforming healthcare delivery, withan aim to make lasting changes that resultin improvements from the point of view ofour patients and their families. We are espe-cially focused on improving patient safety –our goal is to be the safest children’shospital in the world, and this goal shapesall the work we do.

Family-Centred CareCincinnati Children’s practices family-centred care in every way – we believethat healthcare providers, patients andtheir families are partners, workingtogether to best meet the needs of thechild.

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital MedicalCenter is one of the most distinguishedmedical centres in the United States,recognized nationally and internationallyfor excellence in patient care, trainingand education, and research. Clinicalprocedures and treatments pioneered hereare used all over the world, and ourresearch breakthroughs are changing theoutcome for children of all ages.

Leader in Clinical CareRanked third in the United States amongall Honour Roll hospitals in U.S. News &World Report’s 2011 Best Children’sHospitals ranking� Ranked #1 for Gastroenterology� Top 10 for all specialties ranked

� Pulmonology – 2� Nephrology – 3� Neonatology – 3 � Urology – 4� Cancer – 5� Orthopaedics – 5 � Endocrinology and diabetes – 6 � Neurology and neurosurgery – 8 � Cardiology and heart surgery – 9

Leader in ResearchRanked second in National Institutes ofHealth (NIH) grant funding among allpaediatric programmes

Leader in Paediatric Training� Our Department of Pediatrics, affiliated

with the University of CincinnatiCollege of Medicine, was named topthree in the United States by U.S.News & World Report in 2010

� We train approximately 155 residents insix programmes each year, and offer morethan 25 fellowship/post-doctoral trainingprograms, making our paediatric trainingprogram one of the largest and mostspecialised in the United States

Areas of Expertise– Hospital programmes attractpatients from all over the worldCincinnati Children’s has gathered some ofthe best paediatric subspecialists in theworld, a group of highly collaborative physi-cians who enable us to provide multidisci-

Improving the outcomefor children of all ages

The Global Health Center works toserve the needs of medical communi-ties abroad through: � Collaborations with international

institutions for education/trainingand research

� Our Visiting Physicians Program, awell-organised programme thathelps with logistics, from acquiringvisas to finding accommodations

� Online CME programmes andtraining opportunities throughobservation

� Opportunities for management(non-clinical) training, qualityimprovement initiatives and safetytraining

Global Health Center



Children’s Mercy Hospitals and Clinics

ranked among the nation’s best inGastroenterology, Geriatrics, Heart andHeart Surgery, Kidney and Urology byU.S. News & World Report. Designated aStroke Center of Excellence and aNeuroscience Center of Excellence byNeuStrategy, Inc, St. Luke’s is the onlydesignated Center of Excellence in theHouston area, and one of only four inTexas. The NeuroScience Center at St.Luke’s has received international acclaimfor its advanced imaging, interventionaland surgical capabilities, particularly withthe Artis zeego device, which is used totreat complex neurovascular disease.

Last year St. Luke’s opened itsRadiation Therapy and CyberKnifefacility, becoming the first Houstonprovider of CyberKnife RoboticRadiosurgery. This non-invasive approachtreats intracranial tumours and cancerousand non-cancerous tumours anywhere inthe body with great accuracy. Animprovement over traditional andGamma Knife surgery, CyberKnife offerstreatment with no incisions, anaesthesiaor recovery period. It provides an optionfor patients diagnosed with previouslyinoperable or surgically complex tumours.

A home away from homeServing the needs of international patientsand their families, St. Luke’s InternationalPatient Center (IPC) understands that

visiting a hospital, especially in aforeign country, can be stressful.That’s why the IPC team is ready toassist 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,

365 days a year, with:� Second opinion.� Physician appointments and hospital

scheduling.� Travel and airport assistance, patients are

greeted at the airport by a representativewho speaks their language and helpsthem through customs and baggageclaim. Transportation to and from theairport is available upon request.

� Ground and air ambulance transfercoordination.

� Hotel reservations and/or long-termhousing.

� Interpretation and translation services.International caregivers are fluent in morethan 20 languages and sensitive to theneeds of patients from diverse cultures.

� Daily visits from patient representativesto identify special needs.

� Non-medical assistance: Recommend-ations of world-class shopping, dining,cultural attractions, and beauty.

� Financial advisors will assist patientswith any international banking or wiretransactions; pre-registration/admissionand discharge process; insurance verifi-cation; and billing services.St. Luke’s commitment to body, mind

and spirit includes caring for the patients’physical, as well as their emotional, needs.Support services are available to assist withunderstanding hospital procedures, stayingin touch with family members, andreceiving spiritual guidance from yourfaith of preference.

As part of their mission, St. Luke’s andTHI works to assure a positive hospitalexperience for international patients andtheir family members by bridging culturaland language differences, providingpersonal support and accommodatingservice requests. They remain committedto providing exceptional service andFaithful, Loving Care to their patients,both in the local community and incommunities around the world.� For more information aboutInternational Patient Services:Tel: +1 832-355-3350Fax: +1 832-355-3002E-mail: [email protected]: www.stlukesinternational.com

St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital has been aleader in providing compassionate,Faithful, Loving Care to patients fromacross the globe for more than 50 years.Located in the heart of Houston’s world-renowned Texas Medical Center, St.Luke’s continues its legacy of exceptionalcare and pioneering research.

Home to the Texas Heart Institute(THI) since its founding by Denton A.Cooley, MD, in 1962, St. Luke’s has part-nered with THI for some of the mostimportant medical achievements incardiovascular history, including thenation’s first successful human heart trans-plantation and the world’s first total artifi-cial heart transplantation.

THI physicians continue to be leadersin innovative, ground-breaking research,and are currently studying the use of adultstem-cell therapy in creating new heartmuscle and vascular cells. They also aretesting prototypes for a total artificialheart and working to improve left ventric-ular assist devices (LVADs) and otherheart pumps. This dedication toadvancing heart care is well-known – forthe past 20 years, the Texas HeartInstitute at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospitalhas been named among the United States’top ten heart and heart surgery centres byU.S. News & World Report.

In addition to its stellar cardiovascularcare, St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital hasbeen recognised for its excel-lence in many other areas.In 2010, St. Luke’s was

Compassionate, faithful, loving care


childhood diseases. Stephen Kingsmore,MD, DSc, an internationally recognisedleader in paediatric genomics, leads thisinitiative.

“Through our paediatric personalisedmedicine and genomics initiatives, we havean opportunity to redefine paediatric medi-cine across all subspecialties, from our basicunderstanding of disease and illness todeveloping safer and more effective treat-ments and therapies,” says Gregory Kearns,PhD, PharmD, Professor of Pediatrics andPharmacology, UMKC, and Chairman ofthe Department of Medical Research andthe Marion Merrell Dow / Missouri Chair ofMedical Research at Children’s Mercy.� Heart – Children’s Mercy offers a

comprehensive paediatric and adoles-cent cardiology and cardiac surgeryprogram with state-of-the-art hybridsuites. Medical and surgical services arecomplemented by the programme’scardiovascular research laboratory, whichis pioneering research in cell and geneengineering to construct living replace-ment tissue with growth potential.

� Surgery – The research-driven Centerfor Minimally Invasive Surgery ranksamong the top in the world in numberof MIS procedures performed. Thehospital also offers Liver, Kidney andSmall Bowel Transplant programmes.

� Neurology – The level IV EpilepsyCenter, one of only 13 in the US, hasdemonstrated dramaticoutcomes using boththe ketogenic diet

and resection epilepsy surgery to reduceseizures.

� Orthopaedic Surgery – The hospital’steam of orthopaedic surgeons treat chil-dren with injuries and congenital ordevelopmental conditions that affectmuscles, bones and nerves, withspecialised expertise in spine surgery,sports medicine and hand surgery.

� Ophthalmology – The widely respectedophthalmology team provides medicaland surgical management for eye prob-lems in children including treatment ofcommon problems such as eyelid abnor-malities and strabismus to cataracts,glaucoma and eye tumours. Thehospital also offers one of the fewpaediatric refractive surgeryprogrammes in the world.

� Plastic Surgery – The Plastic,Craniofacial and Reconstructive Surgerysection provides evaluation, diagnosticand treatment services for children withcongenital and developmental anomaliesof the head, neck, and hands. Children’s Mercy offers care in more

than 40 specialty areas and was recentlyranked among the best children’s hospitalsin all 10 specialties rated by U.S. Newsand World Report.� For more information, visitwww.childrensmercy.org/internationalservicesor contact the Director of InternationalServices, [email protected].

Inspiration for health care innovationoften begins with a question. How can wedo this better? How can we make thissafer? How can we improve outcomes?How can we help more children?

“We are working hard to support a cultureof innovation at Children’s Mercy,” saysCharles Roberts, MD, Executive MedicalDirector. “We want our faculty asking ques-tions, exploring answers, and doing every-thing they can to help children.”

That mentality, driven by a mission ofimproving health and safety for all children,has propelled Children’s Mercy Hospitalsand Clinics in Kansas City, Missouri to theforefront of paediatric personalised medi-cine and paediatric genomics.

With the largest paediatric clinical phar-macology and pharmacogenomicsprogramme in North America, the hospitalwas already leading efforts to understandthe unique differences in how childrenmetabolize and respond to medications.The hospital has also been a leader in trans-ferring that knowledge into clinical prac-tice, thanks in part to having staff who areboard certified in clinical pharmacologyand paediatric subspecialties includingnephrology, rheumatology, haema-tology/oncology, and asthma/allergy.

In 2008, the Center for PersonalizedMedicine and Therapeutic Innovationwas launched with a focus on developingnew and more precise diagnostic treat-ment protocols, based on each child’sgenetic makeup. The programme includesan inpatient component which initiallyhas focused on adverse drug reactions andallergies; an outpatient clinic and consul-tation service for therapeutic enigmas;and an education component, which hostsone of the only paediatric personalisedmedicine symposiums in the world.

Building on the momentum of theCenter for Personalized Medicine andTherapeutic Innovation, the hospitaldeveloped the Center for PediatricGenomic Medicine to provide genomesequence information and diagnostictesting for more than 600 single-gene

Research and innovation help redefine paediatric medicine


Children’s Mercy Hospitals and Clinics


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