FOCUS ON HEALTH:  AN INTERVIEW WITH AHMED AL-SHAHRI

Mr. Ahmed M. Al-Shahri

Interim Director, Medical Services, KAUST

Ahmed Al-Shahri is the Interim Director of KAUST Health Services.  Mr. Al-Shahri is a Clinical Laboratory Technologist by training.  Recognized as a tremendously effective change leader, he has been heavily involved in quality and performance improvement programs in health care settings for nearly 25 years. A native of Saudi Arabia, he is now heading the development of KAUST’s health services programs.

Read more about health services at KAUST

It is an enormous challenge to build a health services program for an entirely new community.  What is your goal and vision?

Building a health services program for a new community is indeed a challenge.  But it’s also a great opportunity.  We’ve been able to create the whole health services environment from scratch, aligned with the needs of the community and KAUST’s commitment to the health and development of everyone in the community.

Right now, everything we are doing is about providing easy access to health services right on campus.  And, about delivering those services in a way that is consistent with KAUST values: patient-centred, family-focused, and community-oriented. 

What kind of experience can people expect when they use KAUST health services?

From a facilities point of view, the environment will be modern and welcoming.  We’ve even designed our pediatric area to be especially welcoming to children, with play areas and scaled seating. And of course our clinic will be fully loaded with state-of-the-art equipment.

What I think is most important about the experience people will have with KAUST health services, though, is the approach that underlies the care we’ll provide.  Our commitment to patients, families, and the community means that from the moment you walk in the door, you’ll find an atmosphere of warmth and compassion.  Your family physician will be an active partner in not only your health and wellness, but also that of your entire family. 

We see ourselves as part of the team, and as part of the community.  We’re not simply seeing patients; we’re building relationships. Relationships built on care, trust, professionalism, and responsiveness.

How will KAUST’s health services serve the community?

The KAUST community will be so diverse… from young families to mature couples, from active people to those living with chronic conditions… we’ve taken all kinds of different needs into account in designing our on-campus health services.

Of course, we will place heavy emphasis on preventive medicine.  From health education programs to workplace wellness and occupational medicine, we see ourselves having an important role in helping to keep the community fit and healthy.

We’ll also offer a full suite of medical services.  Family medicine is the core, and it is supported on a daily basis by ob/gyn, pediatric care, lab and radiology services, pharmacy and physiotherapy.  Regular clinics—like opthamology, urology, cardiology, dermatology, and orthopedics—will also be available right on campus, staffed by specialists from the International Medical Center (IMC) in Jeddah.

For managing chronic conditions, we have adopted a team-based approach, combining the expertise of physicians, nurses, and clinical dieticians to help manage conditions like diabestes, obesity, and hypertension in an integrated, holistic way.

We’re also very proud of the state-of-the-art emergency and trauma center we’ll have availabile on-campus 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  Staffed by a top team of physicians and nurses, the emergency and trauma center will handle whatever critical situations might arise.

Where will your physicians, nurses and other health care professionals come from, and how will they be accredited?

Like the KAUST community itself, the health services team will be made up of top professionals from around the world.

We’re involved in recruitment right now, carefully selecting the staff that will provide services on-campus.  Our focus is on putting the right people in the right jobs. 

In the emergency room, physicians will be North American board-certified and licensed.  The rest of the team will have qualifications and licenses from boards in North America, the United Kingdom, Europe, and Saudi Arabia.

How will the Jeddah International Medical Center supplement your services?

Jeddah’s International Medical Center (IMC) is a state-of-the-art facility with 300 beds and a team of international specialists.  In addition to a full range of medical services, the IMC is home to recognized Centers of Excellence in Diabetes, Pain and Headache, Musculoskeletal, Children’s Health, Women’s Health, and Plastic Surgery and Dermatology.

Our partnership with IMC will give members of the KAUST community full access to all these services within close proximity to campus.

What’s been the most personally rewarding aspect of your role as Interim Director of Medical Services?

A project like this takes a great many people working together, pulling in the same direction.  There are so many aspects to developing a health services system from scratch; everybody has special expertise to being to the table. 

I feel privileged to be part of the KAUST team, and tremendously grateful to all the people who have made their time and expertise so available to this project.  It’s wonderful to work in an environment where there is such a shared sense of commitment to core values, and I’m really proud of the direction that health services at KAUST have taken.

For more information about health services at KAUST, please contact us.