Sidra Medical and Research Center (Sidra) is pleased to announce the phased opening of its Outpatient Clinic on the 1^st of May 2016. With a strong patient and family centered focus, the Sidra Outpatient Clinic will be a high tech facility that will enhance patient care, promote efficiency and ensure safety.

Led by a team of specialized doctors, nurses and allied health professionals, services at the Sidra Outpatient Clinic on the 1^st of May will start with the launch of three clinics – Dermatology, Pediatric General Surgery Consultation and Obstetrics. The clinics will be supported by radiology, pathology, pharmacy and laboratory facilities. Patients requiring consultation at the three clinics will be referred to Sidra by their existing primary or secondary healthcare doctor. As it is referral based, the Sidra Outpatient Clinic will not offer emergency services.

“The opening of the Outpatient Clinic is an important first step in the phased opening of Sidra Medical and Research Center. This marks the beginning of our journey to establish Sidra as a state-of-the-art hospital and research center. Our goal is to provide patient-centered clinical care, conduct pioneering research and to educate and train future healthcare professionals,” said the Professor the Lord Darzi of Denham, Vice-Chairperson of Sidra Medical and Research Center.

“Our team has worked incredibly hard and has been collaborating closely with Hamad Medical Corporation in preparing for the opening of the Sidra Outpatient Clinic. Every aspect of the services and technology at the Sidra Outpatient Clinic will be centered on patient safety and enhancing the patient experience,” continued Lord Darzi.

The Sidra Outpatient Clinic will adopt the latest technologies to enhance patient experience. For example, pediatric patients will have their height, temperature and weight read with devices which will send the information directly to digital patient files - ensuring that patient information is streamlined and also allowing nurses to spend more time on patient care.

Patients will also benefit from the rapid review and reporting of digital images from X-rays, Ultrasound Scans, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans or Computerized Tomography (CT) scans all within minutes of being scanned. A 3D printer will provide 3D models of a patient’s organs such as the heart or the brain to help with treatment planning.

Acting Chief Medical Officer Dr. Abdulla Al-Kaabi said, “As we are a referral based outpatient clinic, we have developed and streamlined our processes and systems to ensure the safe and effective transition of care for the patients coming from other healthcare institutions. Creating and maintaining a patient-safety culture will be integral in our day to day operations. Our ethos is centered in putting our patients and their families at the heart of our strategy to provide high quality patient care. We are looking forward to sharing more details about the Sidra Outpatient Clinic and its services over the next few weeks.”

As part of the phased opening of services at the Sidra Outpatient Clinic, plans are in place to offer more pediatric services over the course of 2016. This will eventually include neonatology consultation, developmental pediatrics, child and adolescent mental health, Ear Nose and Throat (ENT), pre-operative anesthetic assessment and preparation.

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