Mayo Clinic partners on Middle East mega-hospital
Mayo Clinic has a new destination medical center — this one in Abu Dhabi.
It was announced Sunday that the Rochester-based medical provider will be partnering with a state-owned health company in the United Arab Emirates on a new mega-hospital known as Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City.
The 3.2 million-square-foot facility, which began accepting patients earlier this month, will operate as a joint venture between Mayo and Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA). By leveraging Mayo’s medical expertise, as well as its internationally-known brand, the hospital aims to become a regional hub for patients with serious or complex medical conditions.
“This is a collaboration and a unique partnership in the region, with Mayo Clinic physicians, nurses, administrators and others working side by side with colleagues from SEHA," said Dr. Gianrico Farrugia, president and CEO of Mayo Clinic, in a statement included in Sunday’s announcement. He added, “We look forward to transforming Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City into the premier destination for medical care in the region.”
As part of the deal, Mayo will become a shareholder in the joint venture. While financial details of the agreement were not revealed, the Star Tribune reports that much of Mayo’s investment in the collaboration will come from the “knowledge and expertise it is sharing.”
Like with other private ventures, such as the clinic it operates in London with the University of Oxford, any revenue Mayo generates from the U.A.E. project will flow back into the institution’s nonprofit mission.
Altogether, the Abu Dhabi facility will have 741 licensed beds — making it the largest hospital in the wealthy Gulf nation. (By comparison, St. Marys Hospital in Rochester has 1,265 beds.) It will be staffed by 2,240 caregivers, including more than 440 internationally-trained physicians.
This will be Mayo’s first full hospital outside of the U.S. It currently has campuses in Rochester, Jacksonville and Scottsdale, along with a system of satellite healthcare providers across the Upper Midwest.
Sean Baker is a Rochester journalist and the founder of Med City Beat.
Cover photo provided by Mayo Clinic
