Sharjah Teaching Hospital also known as University Hospital Sharjah, located alongside the College of Medicine at the University of Sharjah, is a private, not-for-profit 210-bed hospital with a further 114 dental chairs. The hospital will have sufficient capacity and a broad service profile to become the leading teaching hospital for the University of Sharjah. It is due to commence taking patients towards the end of 2008. The hospital is being established with the objective of providing world standard healthcare to the Sharjah community. Specialization in the fields of obstetrics and gynecology, general and sub-specialty surgical services, medicine, gastroenterology and pediatric services will make this an excellent resource for clinical care and teaching. The wide range of dental services will also provide support to a specialized unit in craniofacial and maxillary surgery, an area of need in UAE.

These clinical areas will be well supported by state of the art diagnostic services in pathology and medical imaging, including MRI, CT, ultrasound and mammography. Well equipped operating rooms, delivery suites, intensive care unit, coronary care unit, and urgent care centre round out a comprehensive clinical profile. Sharjah Teaching Hospital will be a major teaching resource for the University of Sharjah with students from all health science courses having the opportunity to participate in the clinical environment. In particular, there are already strong relationships being established with the medical, dental and pharmacy colleges and close associations are also expected with the areas of nursing, allied health and health service management.

VHA Global, an Australian management company, has been engaged to commission and operationally manage the hospital over a 5+ year contract. There are currently nine senior health executives located in Sharjah and they form the management team that will undertake this very important task. All the VHA Global team have vast experience in management with most having occupied some of the most senior posts in the Australian healthcare system. They bring with them the expertise to establish a first class health service that will be a leader in its field in the UAE providing a quality of service second to none. The hospital plans to employ over 700 staff and will have a turnover in excess of Dhs.200 million per year. Recruitment will occur progressively over the next two years with initial appointments being for the senior clinical and administrative roles. Due to the fact that the medical and dental positions will carry a joint appointment with the University, the hospital is working closely with the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences to attract the very best candidates from both the clinical and academic perspective.

Plans are nearing completion for the selection of comprehensive and integrated information systems that will deliver the latest technology enabling, as far as possible, an electronic health record, ordering and digital imaging system. The hospital environment will utilise wireless and internet based modalities to create an outstanding example of how clinical care can be enhanced through technology. Equipment selection is currently underway and clinical experts are assisting the VHA Global medical equipment specialists in this complex and exacting task. Procurement will commence shortly with an expectation that the quality of equipment will be outstanding. Sharjah Teaching Hospital will be a great clinical resource for the people of Sharjah who wish to access a high quality service in an excellent, patient focused environment. Whilst the facility, equipment and ambience will be first class, the discriminating feature of the hospital will be its commitment to providing clinical care with compassion and professionalism that will be unsurpassed.

There is a unique opportunity to achieve this through the selection processes being planned. All staff members who are employed will need to share a commitment to achieving the hospital’s vision, be active participants in education and training, engage in a broad range of quality improvement activities and be prepared to be part of a multi-disciplinary team that is both responsible and accountable. Innovation and opportunity are the hallmarks of excellent organisations and Sharjah Teaching Hospital will promote these features. The mark of success for the VHA Global team will be determined by the readiness of the hospital to undertake self management at the conclusion of its contract. People with the potential to take over these tasks will be targeted at the recruitment stage and also throughout the early years of operational management. These emerging leaders will be supported with professional development, mentoring and action learning processes to ensure their readiness for more senior roles as part of the VHA Global commitment.