Universal Hospital in Abu Dhabi signs agreement with Fox Chase Cancer Center

ABU DHABI (Feb. 18, 2016) —Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, has signed an agreement  with Universal Hospital, Abu Dhabi, to design program services as Universal Hospital looks to establish a Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) program within the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

As a follow-up to their Memorandum of Understanding signed last November, representatives from the Philadelphia-based NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center visited the Abu Dhabi facility over three days.

Richard I. Fisher, MD, President, CEO, and Robert C. Young Chair in Cancer Research at Fox Chase Cancer Center“Fox Chase Cancer Center is a world-class institution for cancer care and we are excited to be leading the effort to bring that level of care to other areas of the world,” said Richard I. Fisher, MD, President, CEO, and Robert C. Young Chair in Cancer Research at Fox Chase Cancer Center—Temple Health; and Senior Associate Dean at Temple University School of Medicine.

The new program will aim to provide medical services locally and regionally. Universal Hospital also looks forward to establishing exchange programs and customized physician programs at Fox Chase’s affiliated hospitals in the United States.

“Advanced cancer treatment needs to be available for everyone in the UAE. We hope to fill this gap by establishing a dedicated BMT center in Abu Dhabi with Fox Chase that will eventually expand into a full cancer center,” said Shabeer Nellikode, MD, DM, DCM, Managing Director of Universal Hospital.

Other delegates from the United States who visited the Universal Hospital Wellness Towers in February included:

  • Verdi J. DiSesa, MD, MBA (Chief Operating Officer, Temple University Health System; Senior Vice Dean for Clinical Affairs, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University; Professor of Surgery, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University)
  • Henry C. Fung, MD, FACP, FRCPE (Vice-Chair, Department of Hematology/Oncology, Fox Chase Cancer Center; Director, Fox Chase-Temple University Hospital BMT Program; Temple University Health System, Philadelphia, PA)
  • Lewis F. Gould, Jr. (Chairman, Board of Directors, Fox Chase Cancer Center; Partner, Duane Morris, LLC)
  • Kurt A. Schwinghammer, PhD (Chief Business Development Officer, TUHS Office of International Health; VP, Research and Development Alliances, Fox Chase Cancer Center)
  • David S. Weinberg, MD, MSc (Chief Medical Officer, TUHS Office of International Health, Temple University Health System; Chairman and Professor, Department of Medicine, Fox Chase Cancer Center)

About Universal Health:

Universal Hospital is a private multi-specialty health care facility established in Abu Dhabi in 2013. The Hospital is ISO 9001: 2008, ISO 14001: 2004, OHSAS 18001: 2007 certified, Daman VIP-accredited, and Abu Dhabi Occupational Safety and Health Center approved. It is equipped with a Pharmacy, 24-hours Emergency and ambulance services, a fully equipped Laboratory and Radiology Department with 128-slice CT scan, 1.5 Tesla MRI, Dual Plane Cath Lab, Digital Fluoroscopy, Digital Mammography with Stereotactic Biopsy, Dialysis Unit, and advanced delivery suites among other services. Universal Hospital also operates Clinics across Dubai (Gulf Medical Center, Deira) and Baniyas (Universal Hospital Clinics - Baniyas).

Fox Chase Cancer Center (Fox Chase), which includes the Institute for Cancer Research and the American Oncologic Hospital and is a part of Temple Health, is one of the leading comprehensive cancer centers in the United States. Founded in 1904 in Philadelphia as one of the nation’s first cancer hospitals, Fox Chase was also among the first institutions to be designated a National Cancer Institute Comprehensive Cancer Center in 1974. Fox Chase is also one of just 10 members of the Alliance of Dedicated Cancer Centers. Fox Chase researchers have won the highest awards in their fields, including two Nobel Prizes. Fox Chase physicians are also routinely recognized in national rankings, and the Center’s nursing program has received the Magnet recognition for excellence six consecutive times. Today, Fox Chase conducts a broad array of nationally competitive basic, translational, and clinical research, with special programs in cancer prevention, detection, survivorship, and community outreach. It is the policy of Fox Chase Cancer Center that there shall be no exclusion from, or participation in, and no one denied the benefits of, the delivery of quality medical care on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity/expression, disability, age, ancestry, color, national origin, physical ability, level of education, or source of payment.

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