WAM Abu Dhabi, 26th April 2010 (WAM) -- Sheikh Khalifa Medical City (SKMC), managed by Cleveland Clinic, celebrated the tenth year anniversary of its Surgical Pavilion during the month of March 2010.

The chronicle begins with the establishment of the Central Hospital during the 1960s and then the establishment of Al Jazeera Hospital in the 1970s serving the whole population of Abu Dhabi under the management of the Ministry of Health. Numerous primary healthcare centers were opened during the same era in addition to the Abu Dhabi Blood Bank and a dental center. During the 1990s, Behavioral Sciences Pavilion and Abu Dhabi Rehabilitation Center were opened. This was followed by Sheikh Khalifa Medical Center which was commissioned in the year 2000 to serve UAE Nationals offering a wide spectrum of medical and surgical services.

In January 2005, the Health Authority of Abu Dhabi announced the merger of Sheikh Khalifa Medical Center, Al Jazeera Hospital, Central Hospital, Abu Dhabi Rehabilitation Center, the 10 Primary Healthcare Clinics, Abu Dhabi Blood Bank, and a Dental Center.

The new healthcare campus was renamed "Sheikh Khalifa Medical City (SKMC)", reflecting the true nature of the new organization. Following the merger, SKMC underwent a series of transformational events to take advantage of the new efficiencies realized from the unification. Both, the Sheikh Khalifa Medical Center (currently re-branded as the Surgical Pavilion) and Al Jazeera Hospital buildings (currently re-branded as the Medical Pavilion) were connected to form the current 568-bed Main Hospital. Central Hospital was partially closed and scaled down to an emergency center and an outpatient dialysis unit only.

Two years later and upon the signature of an official partnership between the Health Authority of Abu Dhabi and the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, the Cleveland Clinic which is heralded as one of the top hospitals in the USA took over the management of Sheikh Khalifa Medical City. During the same year, the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company - SEHA was formed. SEHA, a Public Joint Stock Company or PJSC, became the owner and operator of SKMC and SKMC became part of the SEHA HealthSystem as its Abu Dhabi flagship facility and largest hospital.

Under the management of Cleveland Clinic and the support of SEHA, numerous transformational projects were implemented. SKMC received the Joint Commission International Accreditation for its Main Hospital (Surgical and Medical Pavilions), Outpatient Specialty Clinics, Khalidiya Urgent Care Center and Abu Dhabi Blood Bank. Abu Dhabi Central Hospital completely closed and all of its services were transferred to the main hospital in 2008 while a separate Urgent Care Center located in Al Khalidiyah area under the management of the Emergency department was inaugurated to receive less urgent cases that are not life threatening.

In 2009, the Primary Healthcare Centers were transformed into six Family Medicine Clinics and two walk-in clinics. The two walk-in clinics will be transformed to Urgent Care Centers in 2010 similar to the center located in Khalidiya area. Moreover, SKMC was accredited by the Society of Chest Pain Centers as a cycle III Chest Pain Center, the only healthcare organization categorized under Cycle lll outside the USA and the 12th worldwide. SKMC also started new medical and surgical programs such the Renal Transplantation program and enforced education and research within all its divisions. A new electronic Health Information System (HIS) was also implemented at SKMC's facilities as part of SEHA's overall plan to introduce the Electronic Medical Records (EMR) in all its hospitals providing more functionality to improve the patient healthcare experience, greatly reducing the paper medical records, improving patient safety and enhancing patient confidentiality.

Commenting on this historic occasion, H.E. Saif Bader Al Qubaisi, Chairman of SEHA, said, "The success we are witnessing at SKMC and in the healthcare sector in Abu Dhabi is the result of the continued support and wise leadership of our Rulers, and in keeping with SEHA mission to deliver world class healthcare to our patients and our vision to be compared with the best hospitals internationally.

Dr. Tej Maini, CEO of SKMC, stated, "With SEHA's governance and Cleveland Clinic's leadership, the success and positive reputation of SKMC in the healthcare industry regionally would have been impossible without our multinational team of professional and well trained staff who make a difference by delivering high level of quality service to the community of Abu Dhabi and to our patients who come from all over the region." Carl Stanifer, CEO of the SEHA HealthSystem, added, "I would like to add my congratulations as well to SKMC, its management team and professional staff. The residents of Abu Dhabi are indeed fortunate to have a hospital of the caliber of SKMC available to them." WAM/ES/TF