Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is a nonprofit, tertiary, 915-bed teaching hospital and multi-specialty academic health science centre located in Los Angeles, California, and offers world-class specialty care from expert physicians. eniGma’s Farida Elserty recently had the privilege of interviewing Dr. Heitham T. Hassoun, a distinguished Vascular Surgeon, Vice president, and Medical Director of Cedars-Sinai International. The conversation delved into his exceptional career, innovative approaches to vascular surgery, and the dynamic intersection of clinical practice and hospital administration.
Can you introduce yourself and give us more information about Cedars-Sinai Medical Center?
I’m an American, an academic Vascular Surgeon, and a Hospital Executive. To really understand who I am, you’d want to know that I am of Lebanese origin, from a hardworking immigrant family, and an athlete who still loves sports more than anything. My career into international healthcare began when I was a junior faculty member at Johns Hopkins, caring for international patients. The international program was quite robust, and an opportunity opened in Abu Dhabi to be the Chief of Surgery at our first managed hospital in Al Ain-Tawam. I’ve been passionate about global health ever since, both from the patient care perspective and from how global collaboration and knowledge transfer can serve those patients. I returned to my faculty position at Johns Hopkins and then over time I transitioned my efforts to be more focused as a global medical director and then I joined Cedars-Sinai as Vice President and Medical Director since 2018.
What sets Cedars-Sinai Medical Center apart from other healthcare institutions in terms of patient care?
Cedars-Sinai is a hospital fully focused on quality outcomes and the best patient experience. We also have the excellence that comes with being an academic medical center with the agility of an institution independent of a university. We are fortunate to be in Los Angeles, one of the most diverse cities in the world and a beautiful environment for health and wellness. Cedars-Sinai has been part of the L.A. community for 120 years, so our relationships and resources are substantial. Our talent is incredible. We are one of only three hospitals that are above the national average in quality of outcomes for all the medical conditions that are measured. Cedars-Sinai is proud to be recognised eight years in a row on the Best Hospitals Honour Roll and ranked among the top five in the U.S. in six specialties by U.S. News & World Report 2023-2024 rankings.
Can you describe the types of medical research and innovations taking place at Cedars-Sinai?
We are a hospital with clinical innovation at the heart of all we do. We circle everything around the patient and have success in bringing technology from the lab to the bedside. We do that through our clinical research, our tech ventures, and the Cedars-Sinai accelerator. We harbor new innovations by fostering and nurturing new ideas and tech companies from around the world. Just in the past year, we have issued 123 patents and have 606 active technologies in the pipeline.
How does Cedars-Sinai Medical Center prioritise patient safety and quality improvement initiatives?
Cedars-Sinai’s clinical and operational excellence goes far beyond rankings and honours. The organisation takes a data-driven, evidence-based approach to continuously improve quality, safety and patient experience. The American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) Council of Teaching Hospitals and Health Systems (COTH) is a group of individual leaders who represent approximately 400 leading teaching hospitals and health systems in the US. Membership is recognised throughout the world as a benchmark for excellence in patient care, research, and medical education. Cedars-Sinai is one of only three hospitals in the United States that rank better than the national average in five medical conditions for 30-day survival – Pneumonia, Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG), Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Stroke, Heart Attack, and Heart Failure. The quality outcomes are a direct reflection of Cedars-Sinai’s institutional excellence, whether it be our processes or our immensely talented people.
What role does technology play in enhancing healthcare delivery at Cedars-Sinai?
You can’t focus only on people and process, but technology plays a key role and the pandemic made that evident. Around 15% of our encounters with international patients are done remotely through telehealth and we continue to enhance our reach to patients through new app launches and other channels. We continue to invest funds and efforts in new technologies such as regenerative medicine and stem cell research where our experts are tackling new ways to address heart, brain, lung, liver, kidney and other disease areas to advance scientific discovery. Cedars-Sinai is a pioneer in sending stem cells into space to test whether it is possible to produce large batches in zero gravity for use in treating a variety of diseases back on Earth.
How does Cedars-Sinai support and engage with the local community?
As a nonprofit, academic hospital, Cedars-Sinai is driven by one thing: its mission. We are constantly gathering data to find out what the community’s greatest needs are and then creating interventions to make a difference. For instance, we know that many children in Los Angeles don’t have access to healthcare, so we have a mobile medical unit that provides services and creates connections to physical, mental, dental, and vision care. We also know that there are many vulnerable older adults in our community, so we have created a variety of programs to offer vaccinations, health fairs, education and health screening to keep them healthy. We also partner with a variety of local community organisations to solve the problem of homelessness that impacts the people of Los Angeles.
How does Cedars-Sinai foster a collaborative and interdisciplinary approach to patient care?
Today, Cedars-Sinai is an $8 billion integrated health system, serving more than one million people each year in over 250 locations, with more than 4,500 physicians and nurses and 1,500 research projects in motion. What never changes, is our commitment to be a blessing for those in need. The measure of our success is reflected in patient satisfaction scores, increasing clinical performance initiatives, excellent medical outcomes, ongoing research and academic programs, and national designations and awards. All of that doesn’t happen unless there is a team working closely together, across specialties and bringing their very best every day to the benefit of the patient.
Can you discuss any recent partnerships or collaborations that Cedars-Sinai has formed with other healthcare organisations?
To bring top-flight care closer to more people, Cedars-Sinai International’s Global Services team continually explores opportunities for collaboration with hospitals outside of the U.S. Through a variety of collaborative strategies, Cedars-Sinai offers a full spectrum of advisory and consulting services that help prospective partners around the world achieve their goals as the global healthcare environment evolves. From Mexico to Asia to the Middle East, our experts participate in webinars, conferences and trade shows to share knowledge, ideas and visions for the future. Additionally, our growing in-country office presence (currently in Mexico City, soon in Singapore and more countries) provides patients and referring physicians the opportunity to learn more about Cedars-Sinai, gain access to our knowledge through second opinions and receive care in Los Angeles as the need arises. Perhaps most importantly, strategic collaborations have been formed that already have led to new state-of-the-art facilities, such as The View Hospital in Qatar, an affiliation between Cedars-Sinai and Elegancia Healthcare, a subsidiary of Estithmar Holding which ushered in a new era of collaboration between Cedars-Sinai International and healthcare organisations. With all that, one thing remains steadfast—our commitment to providing the finest care available and exceeding our patients’ expectations no matter where they are.
What measures does Cedars-Sinai take to ensure diversity and inclusion within its workforce?
Cedars-Sinai celebrates the richness of human diversity in an inclusive environment dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in patient care and research. We are committed to respect and have integrity for all.
Our commitment is represented in having an office of diversity, inclusion and wellbeing driven with a clear strategy and goals to increase understanding and implementation of diversity, equity and inclusion strategies. We know that every patient is different, and at Cedars-Sinai, we celebrate those differences and provide services to support our patients from Spiritual Care, Interpretive Services and culturally appropriate experiences. At Cedars-Sinai, we are known to hire the best, most passionate professionals, and we are committed to creating a dynamic, inclusive environment that fuels growth and innovation. As my colleague, Nicole Mitchell, Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer says “Diversity is not a destination—it’s a journey.”
Can you highlight any unique programs or services offered by Cedars-Sinai that cater to specific patient populations?
As part of Cedars-Sinai’s mission to elevate the health status of the diverse communities it serves, Cedars-Sinai International opened the doors of its International Lounge in March 2023. No matter where in the world they come from, we want our patients to know we are dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in their care, our new lounge and concierge services are vital components of a focus on improving patients’ well-being and helping them to thrive. Los Angeles is one of the most diverse, dynamic cities on Earth, which gives us a head start in delivering culturally appropriate care. Our teams speak 10 languages at Cedars-Sinai International, including Arabic, Mandarin, Spanish, French and Cantonese. Other important touches, from specialised diets to access to appropriate clergy, help round out a personalised, dignified experience for the duration of the patient’s stay.
What steps does Cedars-Sinai take to ensure patient privacy and data security in this digital age?
Ensuring patient privacy and data security is of utmost importance to us. We understand that the trust of our patients is built on our ability to safeguard their sensitive information. To that end, we have implemented a comprehensive set of measures and protocols to protect patient privacy and maintain the highest standards of data security.
