Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) has achieved two significant milestones, with Al Wakra Hospital receiving Gold Certification and Heart Hospital receiving Silver Certification for Excellence in Person-Centred Care from Planetree International at the Planetree Person-Centred Care (PCC) Global Forum 2026, held in Boston, Massachusetts, from October 11 to 13.
The recognition reflects both hospitals' efforts to implement and embed person-centred care principles into everyday practice, ensuring that patient needs, preferences, and values are respected and that patients and their families are involved in decisions about their care. It also highlights HMC’s continued commitment to improving service quality, strengthening staff engagement, and developing practices that respond to the needs of patients and their families.
At the forum, Planetree International also honoured Nasser al-Naimi, chief of Patient Experience at HMC and director of Hamad Healthcare Quality Institute, with the Outstanding Partnership Award. The award recognised his leadership over the past decade in advancing person-centred care and strengthening patient and family engagement in healthcare in Qatar and internationally.
Dr Khalid al-Jalham, chief medical officer at HMC, emphasised that person-centred care is a key pillar in achieving Qatar’s vision of delivering world-class healthcare that focuses on patient needs and expectations. He added that the partnership with Planetree International supports a culture of compassionate, person-centred care built on empathy, respect, and effective communication with patients, positively impacting the quality of healthcare and the experience of patients and their families.
Al-Naimi said: “The certification of both hospitals reflects HMC’s commitment to strengthening a culture of person-centred care and placing patients, families, and healthcare staff at the heart of the care system. Our longstanding partnership with Planetree International has enabled us to benefit from international best practices and supported our ongoing efforts to improve the patient experience.”
Dr Omar al-Qahtani, chief executive officer and medical director of Al Wakra Hospital, said: “Receiving Gold Certification recognises the efforts of our hospital teams to embed person-centred care principles into everyday practice, with a focus on understanding patient needs and preferences, as well as strengthening their involvement throughout their care journey. We remain committed to developing our services to enhance the quality of care and improve the patient experience.”
Dr Nidal Assad, chief executive officer and medical director of Heart Hospital, added: “We continue to strengthen communication with patients and involve them in decisions about their care, ensuring that compassion and respect for patient needs remain integral to our specialised cardiac services. The hospital’s Silver Certification reflects the team’s commitment to continuously improving the patient experience and embedding person-centred care throughout every stage of service delivery.”
