Gulf Medical University hosts international conference on transforming academic health centres

Gulf Medical University (GMU), a leading private academic health centre in the region, hosted the AAHCI Middle East and North Africa Regional Meeting. The event was held on October 1 and 2, and brought together member academic health centre leaders in the region, emphasising their commitment to supporting 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 Centers: 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: and what does it mean? Adaptations in health professions and medical education; and partnerships and community outreach.

With more than 200 attendees, 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 centres.

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 centres through innovation and resilience. It reflects our commitment to accelerate the next phase of growth, and the conference is an ideal platform 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 attendees, Akbar Moideen Thumbay, vice-president of the healthcare division, Thumbay Group, highlighted how private teaching hospitals are uniquely positioned to address the challenges in the training of the next generation of doctors and nurses. “Thumbay University Hospital is dedicated in its pursuit to providing 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 Committee of this edition of AAHCI’s MENA 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, healthcare centres must continue to innovate care delivery to be value-driven, human-centric and 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 patient-centred 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.”