Sidra Medicine today announced detailed plans for its state-of-the-art Cardiovascular Center of Excellence to mark Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week, acknowledged annually February 7-14.
As a cutting edge center designed to provide care of exceptional quality to patients and become a hub for education and research, Sidra Medicine follows the North American Model of Care. Organizations following this model are notable for their Centers of Excellence. These centers will be underpinned by integration across multi-disciplinary functions, including professional education, community outreach, leadership development, research and clinical services, with the aim of improving clinical outcomes through a comprehensive approach to specialized areas.
Sidra Medicine will feature five Centers of Excellence, each of which focuses on delivering world-class care in a key aspect of children’s and women’s health.
- Cardiovascular health
- Neonatology (the care of newborn infants)
- Fetal therapy and intervention
- Reproductive medicine & in vitro fertilization (IVF)
- Genetics and genomic medicine
Sidra Medicine’s Cardiovascular Center of Excellence will provide children – including newborn babies – and adults born with congenital heart disease with the highest standards of care. The vision for the center is to become a global leader in improving care and outcomes for patients with congenital heart disease.
The Cardiovascular Center of Excellence will be staffed by a large team of experts in the field and led by Sidra Medicine’s Chair of the Department of Pediatrics, Prof. Ziyad Hijazi, who is also an interventional cardiologist specializing in treating congenital and structural heart disease in both children and adults. Two co-directors will work alongside Prof. Hijazi: a Chief of Cardiac Surgery and a Chief of Cardiology. In addition, seven medical directors will be attached to the Center of Excellence, providing expertise in vital areas such as non-invasive cardiology, cardiac critical care and cardiac catheterization. This team will be supported by expert nurses and technicians to ensure the highest possible standards in every aspect of patient care.
“It is a source of pride and commitment from the team at Sidra Medicine to set up the Cardiovascular Center of Excellence to world-class standards. Our collaboration between the Cardiovascular and Neonatology Centers of Excellence will also set Sidra Medicine apart as an international leader in the care of premature infants with congenital heart disease,” said Prof. Hijazi, Chair of the Department of Pediatrics, and Acting Chief Medical Officer, Sidra Medicine. “The research conducted by Sidra Medicine’s neonatal experts into the physiology and heart function of newborns and premature babies in particular will enhance the team’s understanding of how to improve the care of premature infants, including those with associated heart disease.”
“The Cardiovascular Center of Excellence will offer the people of Qatar care of a quality that very few other hospitals in the world are able to deliver. The pioneering research initiatives spearheaded by the cardiology team will advance the international medical and scientific community’s understanding of key aspects of cardiovascular medicine to benefit people everywhere for generations to come,” concluded Prof. Hijazi.