The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, one of the biggest and well-known facilities of its kind in the world, and VPS, a fast-growing integrated healthcare provider in the Middle East, Europe and India officially unveiled their strategic alliance Wednesday, according to joint statement. The two organizations made the announcement during the Arab Health Congress at the Dubai International Exhibition and Convention Center.
The partnership is the first of what will be a string of new joint initiatives stemming from a memorandum both organizations signed last October, committing to establishing standards of excellence for pediatric care at VPS hospitals and clinics. The alliance will mean close-to-home access to the highest level of pediatric care, and also guarantees VPS patients in need of highly specialized treatment ready access to CHOP's primary facility in Philadelphia, the companies said.
"This relationship sharpens our focus and commitment to raise the standards of medical care for our patients and the people of the Middle East who need it most, no more so than children, including those innocent victims of the continuing humanitarian crisis in other parts of the region," said Dr. Shamsheer Vayalil, founder and managing director of VPS Healthcare, said
Both organizations will help bolster medical education, training and conferences. VPS physicians will also be engaging in dialogue with CHOP, as well as actually visiting the facility to observe and hopefully incorporate their best practices.
"This alliance marks many exciting firsts... VPS Healthcare's innovative approach and growing presence in the region creates an ideal opportunity for us to share our expertise and capabilities in order to help build local capacity, while also providing a unique opportunity for CHOP to expand and increase our international expertise," said CHOP President and CEO Madeline Bell.
[Also: University of Pennsylvania Health System partners with Abu Dhabi-based VPS Healthcare]
"The creation of the region's very first pediatric center in consultation with specialists from world-renowned Children's Hospital of Philadelphia comes at a time when the UAE is in drastic need of establishing a systematic approach to broadening and improving pediatric care across a range of specialties," said Dr. Ali Obaid Al Ali. He added the needs are more drastic across the region. "According to the World Health Organization, more than 26,000 mothers and 845,000 children under five years of age die each year across the Middle-East," he said.
Wednesday's announcement follows the momentum of what VPS said has been a year of considerable growth. Last year, the company reported having treated more than 2.5 million patients. They also forged other key partnerships, including one with the University of Pennsylvania Health System, which is meant to help VPS address their rising population and combat a rise in "lifestyle-related diseases".
Twitter: @BethJSanborn