ABU DHABI // A pathologist and administrator who has worked at the Cleveland Clinic, one of America's leading health centres, for more than 30 years will be the new chief executive of Abu Dhabi's first speciality cardiac hospital. Dr Andrew Fishleder's appointment to head the Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, which is scheduled to open in 2011, was to be announced today during the Arab Health Congress.
"I am truly honoured to have the opportunity to lead Cleveland Clinic's expansion in the Middle East," Dr Fishleder said. The 360-bed facility will be modelled on its US namesake, which is well known for its cardiac care. It will also focus on digestive and respiratory diseases, neuroscience and ophthalmology and offer a variety of services including psychiatry and the treatment of back pain. It will further handle patients with serious ailments who would otherwise need to be sent abroad for treatment.
"Many patients have come from Abu Dhabi to the Cleveland Clinic and that was the beginning of our relationship," Dr Fishleder said. "Historically we have had a lot of people from the Gulf states and many come for cardiovascular care. "We have had a long-standing relationship with the leadership in the UAE and Abu Dhabi. We have been approached from many places around the world to consider partnerships and this was a very natural one with regards to the relationship we already have in place.
"Clearly whatever we transfer here has to be sensitive to the culture here in Abu Dhabi, but at the same time, the goal from the health care delivery perspective is to model it after the clinic, which is a physician-run organisation," he said. "The services and operations are brought in from a physician's perspective. This is the core strength of the Cleveland Clinic and I don't see any reason why that could not be transferred here."
The Abu Dhabi hospital will also use a new health care model developed at the main Cleveland Clinic under which all the doctors working in a section collaborate on the care of each patient. "Within the cardiovascular institute we have cardiologists, vascular surgeons, vascular medicine doctors all having complementary expertise," Dr Fishleder said. "If they work side by side in the same physical environment then they can work together all the time. They know one another so it's very easy for patients to receive consultation and have a joint decision be made on what is in the best interest of the patient."
The hospital also plans to work with other institutions in the Mubadala Healthcare network, including the Imperial College of London Diabetes Centre and the newly announced Wooridul Spine Hospital, to tap into medical expertise from around the world. The Cleveland Clinic already manages Sheikh Khalifa Medical City Abu Dhabi, as part of Health Authority - Abu Dhabi's strategy to promote well-known health care brands.
Tawam Hospital in Al Ain is also affiliated with Johns Hopkins Medicine, which is well known for its medical research in the US. "The growth of this city and country is phenomenal," Dr Fishleder said. "The investment in health care, as well as other aspects of infrastructure of the city, make this an exciting place to participate." amcmeans@thenational.ae