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Two decades of American
HEALTHCARE STANDARDS A REMARKABLE SENSITIVITY TO PATIENTS’ NEEDS AND AN UNFALTERING DEDICATION TO ADOPTING THE BEST IN MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY HAVE EARNED THE AMERICAN HOSPITAL DUBAI A HIGHLY DESIRABLE REPUTATION AND PATIENT LOYALTY. DAVID FARRICK, ACTING CEO OF THE AMERICAN HOSPITAL DUBAI, TALKS ABOUT THEIR UNDERLYING STRATEGY AND NEAR-FUTURE PLANS, AND THE CHALLENGES FACING THE UAE’S HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY.
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alking into the American Hospital Dubai instantly promotes a calming effect. Spotlessly clean with daylight streaming through the spacious halls, the ambiance almost resembles a fivestar hotel, except that it’s extremely quiet and relaxing, and the smiling faces are those of soft spoken nurses. Beyond aesthetics, the American Hospital Dubai prides itself on being the first private hospital in the Middle East to be awarded the Joint Commission International Accreditation, which demonstrates an organization’s commitment to providing high quality U.S. standards of healthcare. “The American Hospital Dubai has been around for over 17 years. It is the only private, locally-owned hospital in Dubai,” says Farrick, whose experience spans all aspects of ambulatory care and hospital management. “Currently we’re occupying three buildings on the campus; originally it was just one building. Along the way we added a Total Joint Replacement Center, Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, a Cochlear Implant Center, The Heart Center, Cancer Services including Radiotherapy, Sleep Lab, Pediatric Orthopedics, along with many other services.” What’s most exciting is the hospital’s upcoming expansion in Dubai over the next 12 months with primary care clinics. “While the facilities and services are world class here on the campus, we know we need to be more accessible to the community. As Dubai has grown, we need to be in those new areas.” Speaking about the challenges facing the UAE’s healthcare industry, Farrick highlights the increasing demand for talent, given that a great deal of investment is taking place in
healthcare facilities – not only in the UAE, but also throughout the entire region. “Another challenge I see is increased competition driven by mandatory insurance; thus we have to adapt our services to the growing insurance market in Dubai”. Indeed, the American Hospital Dubai is now partnered with most major insurance companies in the country. UAE insurance providers need to do better, however, when it comes to making preventative medicine more accessible, an issue which has already been recognized publicly. “We have an outpatient breast clinic with a state-of-the-art mammography system, but few private insurers offer annual mammograms as a benefit for women who meet the American Cancer Society guidelines. The earlier this devastating disease can be detected, the more likely there will be a better outcome.” Farrick notes that he is unaware of any other hospital in the UAE, except for the American Hospital Dubai, that has implemented a Utilization Review Committee. “This multidisciplinary team reviews cases to ensure we’re neither over-utilizing services, nor are we underutilizing or shortcutting.” Technology is also critical to delivering high standards of healthcare and the latest equipment is utilized throughout the hospital, including a 3.0 Tesla MRI scanner, state-ofthe-art radiotherapy, and most recently, flow cytometry, which is a lab-based test that helps identify potentially cancerous tumours. “We’re in the midst of implementing an
David Farrick, FACHE.
electronic medical records (EMR) system. It’s a complex but very worthwhile endeavour because it will allow us to better manage and coordinate patient care. We’re one of the few local hospitals who have reached Stage 5 of the HIMSS (Healthcare Information Management and Systems Society) process.” Meanwhile, on a continuous basis the American Hospital Dubai goes the extra mile by providing the HCAHPS survey for patients who stayed at the hospital. This is to find out the level of patient satisfaction with the services they received. “We ask questions like: Did the nurses and doctors treat you well? Were you informed about your medications before you received them? Was the hospital quiet at night? How fast did the nurses answer the call bell? We’re constantly monitoring our services, and it is such small details that matter”. According to Farrick, what makes the hospital successful at the end of the day is a clear mission and vision to provide the highest quality of American-standard healthcare. “Everything we do revolves around this.” ■