IHI Welcome Message

Dear Colleagues,

As I write this, I’ve just returned from Doha after a brief trip to help kick off Qatar’s first National Patient Safety Awareness Week. I can’t wait to go back. I’m delighted that the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) is once again partnering with Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) to host the second Middle East Forum on Quality and Safety in Healthcare.

I returned from my recent trip inspired by the energy and commitment to improve quality and safety for all patients. I was awed by the number of HMC staff taking IHI Open School online courses, and I know that this year’s Forum will be a chance for all the delegates to see for themselves the amazing learning opportunities available. Attendees at the Forum will learn how to build improvement capability at every level of a healthcare system, and this will benefit patients throughout the region for generations to come.

Maintaining the momentum and spirit generated by last year’s successful Middle East Forum — and generating even more — is what the 2014 Forum is all about. From the world-renowned keynote speakers to the dozens of workshops to the informal opportunities for networking and learning, the Middle East Forum will bring together the latest thinking, the most effective methods, and the most exciting innovations to thousands of health professionals.

All of this couldn’t come at a more important time. There are real challenges facing the health systems in the Middle East region. Rapid increases in the population will challenge systems’ ability to provide quality care for all. The increasing burden of chronic disease will require new models of care and new ways to foster teamwork and coordination. As for every health system in the world, the overall challenge is delivering health care that is safe, effective, timely, efficient, equitable, and person-centered, for every patient, every time.

Meeting this challenge won’t be easy, but I’m sure that together we can ensure that the improvements are rapid, the changes are sustainable, and the results are spread across the entire region. I’m equally sure that we can help you to make your health system a global example of what’s achievable when people work hard, learn continuously, and improve together.

I hope you’ll join us this April in Doha —  you don’t want to miss this opportunity.



Maureen Bisognano
President and CEO
Institute for Healthcare Improvement