Al Jalila Children's and Children's National sign international health information technology agreement

WASHINGTON - Al Jalila Children’s Specialty Hospital, the only pediatric hospital in the United Arab Emirates, has entered into an agreement with Children’s National Health System to form a health IT strategic partnership. This agreement is the first international extension of The Bear Institute for Health Innovation, a Children’s National collaboration with Cerner Corporation. The signing was finalized during Arab Health 2018 — the region’s leading exhibition on health care. 

As part of the agreement, Children’s National, through The Bear Institute, a transformational relationship formed with Cerner in the U.S., will utilize its experience, practice and resources to serve in a strategic advisory role to guide Al Jalila Children’s in effectively using health IT to deliver the highest quality of care for children across the Gulf Cooperation Council and the region. 

“As the only children’s hospital in the UAE and one among the few in the Middle East, we are constantly striving to provide the best possible care for patients, and this includes excellence in service delivery and subsequent patient satisfaction,” said Mohamed Alawadhi, M.D., chief operating officer of Al Jalila Children’s. “At Al Jalila Children’s, we have adopted global industry practices for IT, and with the signing of this agreement with Children’s National, we aim to achieve a robust system with advanced and evidence-based pediatric care clinical pathways that will assist in providing high-level medical care to children in the UAE and the region.”     

“We’re excited to enter into this new collaboration with Al Jalila Children’s and, with the support of Cerner, plan to bring our best practices in patient-centered health IT to children in the UAE,” said  Kurt Newman, M.D., president and CEO of Children’s National. “As the premier provider of pediatric health services in Washington, D.C., for almost 150 years, we’re looking forward to pushing international discovery and impacting pediatric medicine in innovative ways." 

“Through this alignment, we will leverage the talent and resources of all three organizations to transform the delivery of health and care to children across the UAE,” said Zane Burke, president of Cerner. “Technology has the ability to break through boundaries, supporting an open collaborative health care community that benefits both providers and patients.” 

Formed in 2013, The Bear Institute is a partnership created between Children’s National and Cerner Corporation to advance evidence-based pediatric medicine through technological innovation. The Bear Institute has rolled out dozens of cutting-edge solutions to some 3,000 caregivers across the Children’s National Health System.  

Media Contact: Debbie Asrate | 202-276-4500

About Al Jalila Children’s 
Al Jalila Children’s is the first dedicated children’s hospital in the United Arab Emirates. The state of the art medical facility was created under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, to affirm his belief that all children should have an equal opportunity for success in life, and the treatment of children suffering from illness or disease should not be subject to geographical chance. The vision of His Highness is to have Al Jalila Children’s as one among the top ten pediatric hospitals in the world. Inaugurated on November 1, 2016, Al Jalila Children’s is an ultramodern hospital that aims to be the driving force behind the tertiary and quaternary care facility in the region. Our world-class teams of highly qualified medical and clinical experts are setting new standards for healthcare excellence on a local and regional level. The hospital is a place where SMART technology and design converge to enhance patient care and outcomes. It hosts the first robotic pharmacy in Dubai, and a fully automated laboratory. The hospital also aims to foster clinical innovations, astute learning and development programmes and cutting-edge research facilities. Al Jalila Children’s has 200 beds in a child and family friendly environment. Find out more at www.aljalilachildrens.ae.

The Bear Institute for Health Innovation 
Committed to improving care, the Bear Institute is a first-of-its kind pediatric health information technology (IT) institute with a vision for a future where children grow to their highest levels of health and potential. The Bear Institute formed in September 2013 as a strategic and transformational partnership between Children’s National Health System and Cerner Corporation.

About Cerner 
Cerner's health information technologies connect people, information and systems at more than 27,000 provider facilities worldwide. Recognized for innovation, Cerner solutions assist clinicians in making care decisions and enable organizations to manage the health of populations. The company also offers an integrated clinical and financial system to help health care organizations manage revenue, as well as a wide range of services to support clients’ clinical, financial and operational needs. Cerner’s mission is to contribute to the systemic improvement of health care delivery and the health of communities. Nasdaq: CERN. For more information about Cerner, visit cerner.com, read our blog at blogs.cerner.com, connect with us on Twitter at twitter.com/cerner and on Facebook at facebook.com/cerner. Our website, blog, Twitter account and Facebook page contain a significant amount of information about Cerner, including financial and other information for investors.