Doha-02 June 2025 Hamad Medical Corporation’s Communicable Disease Center (CDC) has been awarded Certification with Distinction for Leadership and Innovation in Person-Centered Care by Planetree. This Distinction recognizes the organization’s work to continually advance the practice of person-centered care through outreach, research, scholarship, and innovation. CDC is the second organization in the MENA region, and one of only six organizations worldwide, to be honored by Planetree with its “Distinction in Leadership and Innovation in Person-Centered Care Award”. This achievement builds on the CDC being awarded Gold Certification for Excellence in Person-Centered Care in 2021
Achievement of Distinction status – the highest level of recognition conferred by Planetree – requires organizations to earn re-Certification for Excellence in Person-Centered Care at the Gold-level, while also building on their success to advance the model of person-centered care beyond the standards outlined in the person-centered care program.
Before a healthcare organization can achieve Planetree Distinction, it must meet a rigorous set of criteria that patients, family members, and healthcare professionals have indicated are elements that matter the most when it comes to their healthcare experience. Organizations must also showcase performance that advances the model of person-centered care, going above and beyond the criteria required to achieve Gold Certification.
The Communicable Disease Center is a 65-bed, single inpatient room specialist tertiary center with outpatient and community services, that supports and treats patients with a spectrum of communicable diseases. CDC promotes awareness and education with the goal of preventing and combatting various infectious diseases at a national level.
Dr. Khalid Mohammed Al Jalham, Chief Medical Officer of HMC, said that the Gold re-certification with Distinction status is testament to the tireless efforts that we are making to provide compassionate, personalized, and holistic care, where patients and families are empowered and actively engaged in their care journey, and where staff feel valued and supported by their leadership.
“Being a person-centered healthcare organization is key to continuing to improve quality, safety, and experience, Dr. Al Jalham said. “I extend my heartfelt gratitude to every member of the CDC team and our patients, who are core to this significant achievement.”
Mr. Nasser Al Naimi, HMC’s Chief of Patient Experience and Director of Hamad Healthcare Quality Institute, said: “CDC receiving Planetree Gold certification with Distinction for Leadership and Innovation in PCC for the first time demonstrates their commitment to providing an environment that empowers, respects, and cares for patients and their families, by putting them at the center of their healthcare journey”. Mr. Al Naimi added, “By integrating evidence-based practices, patient feedback, and collaborative care models, CDC continues to set high standards in healthcare delivery through a comprehensive, high-quality, and person-centered approach to care.”
Dr. Muna Al Maslamani, Chief Executive Officer, Medical Director, and the PCC Executive Champion of CDC said: “We are proud of this achievement and remain committed to delivering person-centered care with excellence. This award recognizes CDC’s high level of commitment to improving the entire healthcare experience by engaging patients, families, and the communities that we serve.” Dr. Al Maslamani also emphasized that the award is a testament to the dedication and hard work of all staff at CDC, who go above and beyond to ensure that every patient receives the best possible care, including the Patients and Family Advisory Council (PFAC), for all their contribution on matters related to person-centered care and patient experience.”
As part of the Certification process — which included a validation assessment by representatives from Planetree, CDC showcased programs which actively reduce healthcare disparities, improve overall health, lower costs, and improve staff engagement and wellbeing.
Staff and leadership from CDC have participated in international conferences and webinars, engaged in research to tie specific outcomes to person-centered care, submitted articles for publication in peer-reviewed journals, and participated in public policy initiatives to expand the practice of person-centered care. All of this was attained, along with the criteria required for CDC to renew their Gold-Certification, an honor which they achieved in 2021.
“The Planetree Certification is the only award that recognizes excellence in person-centeredness across the continuum of care,” said Mr. Michael Giuliano, President of Planetree International, a not-for-profit organization that has been at the forefront of the movement to transform healthcare from the perspective of patients for more than 45 years.
“By sharing their successes and challenges, CDC has exponentially increased the impact of its person-centered culture to benefit not only patients, families, and professional caregivers in its local community, but also those all over the country and even globally.”
