Doha, 28 October 2026: Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) has achieved two significant milestones, with Al Wakra Hospital receiving Gold Certification and Heart Hospital receiving Silver Certification for Excellence in Person-Centered Care from Planetree International at the Planetree Person-Centered Care (PCC) Global Forum 2026, held in Boston, Massachusetts, from 11 to 13 October.
The recognition reflects both hospitals efforts to implement and embed person-centered care principles into everyday practice, ensuring that patient needs, preferences, and values are respected and that patients and their families are involved in decisions about their care. It also highlights HMC’s continued commitment to improving service quality, strengthening staff engagement, and developing practices that respond to the needs of patients and their families.
At the forum, Planetree International also honored Mr. Nasser Al Naimi, Chief of Patient Experience at HMC and Director of Hamad Healthcare Quality Institute, with the Outstanding Partnership Award. The award recognized his leadership over the past decade in advancing person-centered care and strengthening patient and family engagement in healthcare in Qatar and internationally.
Dr. Khalid Al Jalham, Chief Medical Officer at HMC, emphasized that person-centered care is a key pillar in achieving Qatar’s vision of delivering world-class healthcare that focuses on patient needs and expectations. He added that the partnership with Planetree International supports a culture of compassionate, person-centered care built on empathy, respect, and effective communication with patients, positively impacting the quality of healthcare and the experience of patients and their families.
Mr. Nasser Al Naimi said: “The certification of both hospitals reflects HMC’s commitment to strengthening a culture of person-centered care and placing patients, families, and healthcare staff at the heart of the care system. Our longstanding partnership with Planetree International has enabled us to benefit from international best practices and supported our ongoing efforts to improve the patient experience.”
Mr. Al Naimi also expressed his pride and gratitude for receiving the Outstanding Partnership Award, noting that it recognizes the efforts made by HMC teams over the past decade to embed this approach and strengthen patient and family engagement in healthcare.
Dr. Omar Al Qahtani, Chief Executive Officer and Medical Director of Al Wakra Hospital, said: “Receiving Gold Certification recognizes the efforts of our hospital teams to embed person-centered care principles into everyday practice, with a focus on understanding patient needs and preferences, as well as strengthening their involvement throughout their care journey. We remain committed to developing our services to enhance the quality of care and improve the patient experience.”
Dr. Nidal Assad, Chief Executive Officer and Medical Director of Heart Hospital, said: “We continue to strengthen communication with patients and involve them in decisions about their care, ensuring that compassion and respect for patient needs remain integral to our specialized cardiac services. The hospital’s Silver Certification reflects the team’s commitment to continuously improving the patient experience and embedding person-centered care throughout every stage of service delivery.”
The Planetree PCC Global Forum 2026 brought together more than 400 healthcare leaders, clinicians, patient representatives, and innovators from over 20 countries.
The forum explored key areas in healthcare development, including co-design of services, health equity, healthcare workforce well-being, and the use of data and technology to improve patient experience.
This achievement forms part of HMC’s ongoing efforts to embed person-centered care across its facilities and services by improving quality, strengthening the engagement of patients, families, and healthcare staff, and ensuring that patients’ needs and preferences are respected and that they are involved in decisions about their care.
