Pioneering the Future of Complex Care
Innovation, Education, and Excellence: Leading SSMC into a New Era of Healthcare
As the healthcare landscape in the Middle East undergoes a rapid transformation, Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City (SSMC) stands at the forefront of this evolution. At the helm of this prestigious institution is Dr. Marwan Al Kaabi, Chief Executive Officer, a leader dedicated to bridging the gap between cutting-edge medical technology and compassionate, patient-centered care.
In this exclusive interview with “Hospitals” magazine, Dr. Al Kaabi discusses the strategic milestones that have defined SSMC’s recent success, from achieving international gold-standard accreditations to launching pioneering survivorship and longevity clinics. He shares his vision for a future where innovation serves a singular purpose: providing every patient with a personalized, world-class healing journey.
SSMC is known for its leadership in adopting the latest technologies. What are the most significant innovations introduced recently—whether in surgery, diagnostics, or hospital management—and how have they impacted operational efficiency and patient safety?
The strategic integration of SSMC into PureHealth, the Middle East’s largest healthcare group, forms a core pillar in strengthening our operational efficiency and elevating our clinical outcomes. Under this umbrella, we continue to attract and adopt the latest global technologies, ensuring that innovation remains central to the patient journey. Through these efforts, we focus on enhancing care quality and patient safety across three main pillars, the first of which is the significant advancement in complex surgery.
In surgery and complex procedures, we utilise the robotic surgery system, which enables minimally invasive procedures. This technology provides unparalleled precision and control, resulting in smaller incisions, reduced blood loss, less postoperative pain, and markedly shorter recovery times compared to traditional surgery. This approach also reduces the risk of complications and infections and allows patients to return to their daily lives more quickly. To date, we have successfully performed more than 1,000 robot-assisted surgeries across highly specialised fields such as urology, colorectal surgery, and gynaecology.
The second pillar centres on diagnostics and future development. The integration of artificial intelligence has been critical to transforming the accuracy and speed of clinical decision-making, enabling a shift towards proactive, highly precise care. For early diagnosis, we use advanced technologies for several conditions, including colonoscopy, which helps detect polyps that may be difficult to identify with the naked eye, thereby enhancing our ability to prevent progression to colorectal cancer.
Administratively and in research, SSMC launched an AI-powered research laboratory that uses advanced computational capabilities to analyse big data. This enables the development of innovative healthcare solutions and personalised treatment plans, placing evidence-based practice at the core of every medical decision.
SSMC is an academic medical centre. What is your strategy for attracting and developing Emirati talent within the healthcare sector?
As an academic medical centre, SSMC’s strategy for attracting and developing Emirati talent begins with investing in our educational and training ecosystem. We prioritise the recruitment of top Emirati graduates through internationally accredited residency and fellowship programmes designed to meet the highest global standards. Our objective is not only to train healthcare professionals, but to develop clinical leaders in complex and critical specialties – the foundation of medical excellence and the core of our services. This is reinforced by an advanced learning environment that includes immersive training at the Centre of Innovation and Medical Simulation, ensuring trainees gain hands-on experience within a safe, realistic setting.
For long-term development, our strategy follows two parallel tracks: cultivating national leadership and advancing research. We offer specialised leadership programmes and structured succession-planning pathways developed in collaboration with global experts to ensure sustainable knowledge transfer. In research, we empower Emirati professionals to lead clinical studies addressing national health priorities, enabling them to transition from healthcare providers to innovators of future solutions, ultimately nurturing the next generation of leaders in Abu Dhabi’s healthcare sector.
SSMC has recently received several significant accreditations. How do these enhance the hospital’s position as a global centre for specialised care, and how do they impact the patient experience?
SSMC’s recent recognition through prestigious accreditations and international awards reaffirms our commitment to delivering world-class healthcare and strengthens our position as a leading medical city. Most notably, we received the Legacy Achievement Recognition of the Dr Kwang Tae Kim Grand Hospital Award – the International Hospital Federation’s highest distinction for comprehensive excellence in clinical care and workforce wellbeing – alongside an Honourable Mention for the Dr Prathap C. Reddy Excellence Award for Clinical Quality and Patient Safety. We also became the first hospital in Abu Dhabi to obtain the Joint Commission International (JCI) Gold Seal of Approval under the Academic Medical Centre category, placing us among the leading global institutions that integrate clinical practice with advanced scientific research. Additionally, being recognised as a Centre of Excellence for Burn Treatments and a Centre of Excellence for Stroke from the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi further establishes SSMC as a key destination for critical and complex cases across the region.
The true value of these accolades lies in their direct impact on patient experience and safety. Meeting rigorous standards, particularly those of JCI, requires implementing advanced clinical protocols that significantly reduce errors and complications. As part of improving operational efficiency, we have accelerated patient flow, reducing waiting times in emergency and operating rooms. Furthermore, specialised accreditations such as the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) ensure an integrated continuum of post-treatment care, focused on restoring patient function and improving overall quality of life, embodying the essence of patient-centred care.
As part of the PureHealth Group, what role does SSMC play in advancing the group’s vision for enhancing human health in Abu Dhabi and globally? How is coordination achieved between SSMC and other entities across the group to strengthen innovation?
As the largest complex and critical-care facility within the PureHealth Group, SSMC plays a leading role in advancing Abu Dhabi’s position as a global hub for medical excellence. Our contribution is realised through the delivery of highly advanced specialised services and by acting as a key driver within the group for complex and critical care, including burn and intensive care. We are committed to leveraging digital transformation and artificial intelligence to enhance clinical efficiency and patient outcomes, thereby directly supporting PureHealth’s strategic vision to extend healthy human lifespan and advance health locally and globally.
Innovation is strengthened through strategic coordination that ensures synergy across PureHealth entities. Our Centre of Innovation and Medical Simulation Centre serves as a unified platform for training and developing healthcare professionals across the network on the latest global protocols. Our efforts also extend to sustainability. In partnership with AstraZeneca, SSMC launched the UAE’s first medical inhaler recycling programme for asthma patients. Organisational collaboration is also reflected in the launch of multidisciplinary comprehensive clinics established in collaboration with other entities to integrate complex clinical care with supportive services, offering fully unified, research-driven, patient-centred care. A key example is the multidisciplinary Memory Clinic launched in collaboration with SAKINA, integrating clinical, psychological, and social support for patients with dementia and cognitive disorders.
What key programmes or initiatives have you launched recently to ensure that medical care is truly patient-centred?
SSMC has recently launched a number of specialised programmes designed to provide comprehensive support for patients throughout their treatment journey. In post-treatment care, the Survivorship Clinic stands out as a pioneering model for cancer survivors. This clinic brings together oncologists, nutritionists, and mental health experts to help patients restore their quality of life, reaffirming our commitment to whole-person care that extends beyond medical treatment.
In line with our preventive care and longevity strategy under PureHealth, we established several clinics centred on proactive and personalised care, including the Pura Longevity Clinic, the “Barakatna” clinic specialising in comprehensive geriatric care, and the Travel Health Clinic. These clinics prioritise early detection and disease prevention, ensuring long-term health management before complex conditions arise.
To enhance the overall patient experience, we trained our clinical and administrative teams through advanced programmes, including the “Patient Experience Experts” workshop in partnership with Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre. Our teams work to ensure that the patient journey through every hospital department is smooth and comfortable, analysing patient data to proactively evaluate and enhance the experience.
How are patients and their families involved in decisions related to their treatment plans?
At SSMC, patients and their families are regarded as essential partners in every stage of the care journey. Our model is fully built on patient-centred care. To ensure this, we rely on multidisciplinary teams that explain integrated treatment options with complete transparency. No clinical decision is made without applying the principles of shared decision-making, whereby patients and their families receive all evidence-based information and sufficient time to select the care pathway that best aligns with their needs, circumstances, and personal or cultural values.
Beyond personalised care, we ensure the patient and family voices are reflected in our institutional policies by encouraging participation in the Patient and Family Advisory Council. This ensures a continual enhancement of the patient journey and guarantees that every treatment plan addresses not only clinical requirements but also the patient’s comfort and psychological well-being. Our goal is to build trust and empower patients and families to play an active role in shaping their treatment journey.
SSMC aims to be a leader in medical education and talent development. What programmes or partnerships support the next generation of Emirati healthcare professionals and researchers?
SSMC is committed to developing the next generation of Emirati healthcare professionals and researchers. Our educational framework, aligned with global standards, is anchored by the Postgraduate Medical Education Centre, which offers highly specialised, internationally accredited residency and fellowship programmes in critical and complex specialties such as intensive care and surgery. Alongside this, the Nursing Education Centre provides continuous professional development to support nursing excellence.
We also prioritise academic growth and innovation through dedicated centres such as the Health Sciences Education Centre and the Medical Student Education Centre, ensuring all trainees remain equipped with the latest scientific and clinical knowledge. Our efforts are further supported by strategic academic partnerships, including collaboration with Fatima College of Health Sciences, which enable knowledge exchange, clinical training, and joint research initiatives. Through these programmes, we aim to empower Emirati talent to lead future innovation and transformation across the region’s healthcare sector.
With new facilities such as the Travel Health Clinic and the Innovation and Medical Simulation Centre, how do you measure impact beyond patient volume?
To measure the success of new facilities and initiatives such as the Travel Health Clinic and the Centre of Innovation and Medical Simulation, SSMC evaluates qualitative and outcome-based indicators rather than focusing solely on volume.
In preventive care clinics, success is measured through tangible reductions in health risks. For the Travel Health Clinic, this includes decreased incidence of travel-related illnesses, improved adherence to preventive recommendations, and patient satisfaction with service efficiency and clarity of guidance.
For educational centres such as the Centre of Innovation and Medical Simulation, success is defined by measurable improvements in clinical performance and patient safety. This is done by assessing trainee competency- both physicians and nurses- before and after training, using standardised metrics, as well as by tracking reductions in medical errors and incidents. Furthermore, the centre’s continuous integration of advanced technologies, such as AI and high-fidelity simulation, demonstrates its role in building a highly skilled workforce capable of managing complex clinical cases.
What key messages would you like to convey to the community and the healthcare sector regarding the future direction and mission of SSMC?
SSMC remains committed to working with local and international partners to advance healthcare standards while strengthening Abu Dhabi’s position as a global destination for medical excellence. At the heart of our mission is a dedication to delivering comprehensive, patient-centred care that exceeds expectations through an integrated care model that combines clinical expertise with compassion.
Our future strategy focuses on investing in advanced technologies, cultivating human talent, and elevating the patient experience. We aim to drive innovation by expanding the use of artificial intelligence in clinical services to ensure the highest levels of quality and efficiency. Additionally, we work to establish a strong research foundation to advance medical discoveries and develop innovative treatments locally and globally.
As an academic medical centre, we remain committed to building a sustainable environment for medical education, training, and professional advancement. Through strategic partnerships and ongoing collaboration in education and clinical advancement, SSMC will continue to lead the transformation of the region’s healthcare ecosystem, delivering exceptional care that meets the highest international standards.
