In the name of Allah, the most gracious and the most merciful…
I am delighted to introduce you to the 5th issue of the ‘Children First’ E-Magazine.
It is a very exciting time for the future of children’s healthcare services here in Qatar, and we have lots of exciting initiatives to tell you about. I am sure you will find it has been worth the wait!
As of August 2014, to reflect its increased corporate responsibility, the HMC/SickKids Partnership Project Team has been renamed The Office of Corporate Child Health Planning (OCCHP). Under the leadership of Ms. Geraldine Johnston, the OCCHP has been established to oversee and manage three major initiatives:
1) The HMC/SickKids Partnership Project
2) The HMC Clinical Services Reconfiguration Program (CSRP) Children’s Workstream
3) The HMC/Sidra Joint Affiliation Office
You can read more about these initiatives in this issue.
It is with a heavy heart that I bid farewell to Professor Denis Geary who, in February 2014, accepted the role of Deputy Chief Medical Officer at Sidra Medical and Research Center. Professor Geary has been working with SickKids for the last 30 years and has been instrumental within the partnership in his role as Medical Director. I wish him the best of luck and success in his new endeavor. We welcome Dr. Hilary White who will be replacing Professor Geary, and wish her the best of luck with her new role. Dr. White has visited Qatar on a number of occasions as a consulting Subject Matter Expert, and I am delighted that we have the opportunity to benefit from her considerable experience and expertise as she assumes her new role within the team.
I also want to congratulate the Pediatric International Cardiac Patient Program on winning the Patient Experience Rising Star award and the Autism Team for being awarded a Stars of Excellence Merit award. These awards are a testament to your hard work and commitment, striving for excellence in pediatric care.
I hope you enjoy reading this issue of Children First and we look forward to receiving your feedback.
Dr. Mohammad JanahiChairman, Department of Pediatrics
