Sidra Medical and Research Center (Sidra) and Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) are working together to provide high quality healthcare for women and children in Qatar. An affiliation agreement, signed by the two healthcare organizations in February 2014, promotes collaboration across Sidra’s and HMC’s organizational boundaries. Developed under the leadership of HMC’s Managing Director, Dr. Hanan Al-Kuwari, and Sidra’s Vice Chair of the Board of Governors, Dr. Mohammad Fathy Saoud, the agreement will ensure sufficient future capacity to meet the complex, highly specialized healthcare needs of women and children in Qatar.
Designed within a framework to enable the right care, at the right time in the right place,the joint affiliation aims to create shared care pathways based on international best practice and the development of a collaborative academic, research and clinical network. It signifies the first step in a comprehensive process that will see the establishment of an integrated network of secondary and tertiary healthcare services created to promote healthier futures for women and children in Qatar.
The Joint Partnership Committee (JPC) was estab¬lished to bring together the Executive Management Teams from both Sidra and HMC in order to plan the future delivery of these services. Co-chaired by Mr. David Astley, Chief of Tertiary Hospitals – HMC, and Dr. Abdulla Al Kaabi, Executive Vice Chief Medical Officer of Sidra, the role of the JPC is to enhance collaboration and communication between HMC and Sidra to ensure the success of the Women’s and Children’s Clinical Planning Network.
The Joint Affiliation Office (JAO) was established in January 2014 by the Joint Partnership Committee (JPC) to act as a central hub responsible for all communication, activities and work programs between HMC and Sidra in relation to women’s and children’s healthcare services within Qatar. By bringing together clinical teams from both organizations, the JAO aims to translate strategic decisions made by the JPC into operational plans, focusing on international best practice to ensure the highest possible quality of specialized care will be provided to women and children in Qatar.
The JAO is comprised of staff from both HMC and Sidra who work as one team under the leadership of two senior managers: Ms. Geraldine Johnston (HMC) and Ms. Elaine Mitchell (Sidra). Since its formation, the JAO has established a number of working groups, with representatives from both organizations. Each working group is co-chaired by one HMC and one Sidra Clinical Lead.
A number of key highlights of the work completed by the JAO include:
- Establishing collaborative working relationships between HMC and Sidra
- Developing the scope of service at both organizations
- Producing a Women’s and Children’s Clinical Planning Network Guidance Booklet for planning clinical programs
- Approving a privileging process for Sidra medical, nursing and allied health staff to work at HMC
- Conducting a number of educational activities
- Developing a Service Level Agreement and Standard Operating Procedures for the provision of Ambulance Services for both HMC and Sidra
Through the affiliation agreement, and the establishment of The Women’s and Children’s Clinical Planning Network, the two healthcare organizations are designing new models of care to better serve patients. It will transform how and where highly specialized healthcare for women and children are provided, using an integrated and whole system approach.
