Renowned global architecture firm, RTKL, to design the campus

Thanks to ECN’s firm belief in the worthiness and inevitability of this important expansion, the network initially agreed to fund the architectural design of 57357’s new Health and Sciences Campus. Lately, it has been involved in sponsoring the release of the related RFP which was effectively put together by management consultancy firm Solving EFESO Egypt with the help of one of its U.S. based expert consultant, Mr. Sayed Hilmy who is the president of IDS and a volunteer consultant for ECN.

In a recent development, with ECN’s support and the follow-up of SolvingEFESO, RTKL the global architecture and urban design practice, has been selected to plan and design the expansion and to develop an integrated health sciences campus.  57357’s staff and management are rejoicing over this development which is ushering in the actual realization of this important endeavor.

“The primary goal of the new campus is to position CCHE as an international center of excellence in research, education and treatment,” said  RTKL’s Senior VP, Jeffrey Davenport in a press release announcing the firm’s winning of57357’s tender  “Our design concept is committed to that vision and integrates both existing and new facilities to achieve a family-centered, cost-effective and highly functional health sciences campus.”
Last June, RTKL sent a formal delegation, headed by Davenport, to 57357 to present the company and their broad ideas for 57357’s future project. “57357 is a very remarkable hospital. While touring it, I saw for myself the high quality services it provides.  Its capability to sustainably provide such care for free is what really impresses me. It will be a great honor for us if we arechosen to design its future expansion projects “, said Mr Davenport.
Earlier in Sept, 2013, writing to Solving Efeso, Davenport confirmed that RTKL’s “…. commitment to sustainability will help you maximize the goal of creating a zero energy solution” for the campus

The Regional Manager of Shaker Electromechanical Consultancy Group, Ismail Shaker, had also participated in this presentation, as this firm would be  the one responsible for the campus’ electromechanical work, if RTKL were to be selected.

Hospital 57357 is looked upon as the ST. Jude of the Middle East. It was built and sustained primarily by donations. In operation since2007, it is providing free care to all children with cancer without discrimination to race, creed, or ability to pay. CCHE 57357 is currently recording an average 70% over-all survival (OS) rate. 57357’s team of healthcare professionals are committed to rally their efforts to challenge the frontiers of cure for the children with cancer in Egypt (presently OS rates in the developed world are 80-85%). Their road map is defined: continuously improving the quality of care and pediatric oncology treatment protocols regarding their suitability to the environmental, biological and racial conditions in the region while expanding the Hospital’s overstretched capacity to reach to a greater number of children with cancer. Presently, they are able to serve only 1 in 5 children in need of care. CCHE’s future expansion plan includes a 300 bed in-patient tower to be joined to the actual premises as well as an advanced research center, a health sciences training Academy, and the introduction of a new treatment technology , the proton therapy. All ofthese would constitute a Health Sciences Complex.

About RTKL:                                                                                                                       

RTKL is a worldwide architecture, engineering, planning and creativeservices organization. Part of the ARCADIS global network since 2007, RTKL specializes in providing its multi-disciplinary services across the full development cycle to create places of distinction and designs of lasting value. RTKL works with commercial, workplace, public and healthcare clients on projects around the globe.  www.rtkl.com

ECN’s current focus is on finding resources for 57357’s expansion.

Egypt Cancer Network 57357 & AFNCI (ECN)’s Los Angeles Chapter held its 2^nd annual Ramadan Fundraiser on July 20, 2013 at the Island Hotel in Newport Beach. Attended by many Egyptians and Arabs, the event left many guests more aware about

ECN’s global initiative in support of cancer patients in Egypt, the MENA region, and the United States. Undoubtedly, the star of the evening was Hospital 57357, the main ECN beneficiary. The renowned up to date pediatric oncology center which is providing free quality care and cure for thousands of children in Egypt left the audience feeling very proud.

The evening kicked off with a speech by Dr Hisham Seify, president of the US based 501 C3 non-profit ECN, introducing its mission, development, and future course of action. Dr. Seify added that ECN will focus on Egypt and especially the Children’s Cancer hospital 57357, finding resources in support of its future expansion. He welcomed and acknowledged ECN’s supporters and volunteers including ECN’s board members who donate their time and expertise to promote and advance ECN’s actions and operations.

Keynote speaker was Dr. Mark Kieran, Director of Pediatric Neuro-Oncology at Dana-Farber Institute, Harvard Medical School and Children’s Hospital Boston and a fellow ECN board member  who spoke of the collaboration between Dana Farber institute and Hospital 57357, explaining how he has been working  closely with 57357’s team of pediatric oncologists  for almost 8 years .

Dr Kieran praised the Children’s Cancer Hospital of Egypt 57357’s adoption of the latest Health Informatics system.  Thanks to this advanced digital tool, the Hospital is able to ensure easy, accurate, and prompt patient and hospital data recording, collection, access and tracking. The adoption of the latest informatics technology enables the Hospital to measure and evaluate accurately its performance, and most importantly to engage in important research that will ultimately improve hospital services and patient outcomes.

Being the largest pediatric oncology center in the world, the Hospital’s findings constitute valuable information for researchers around the globe. As such, in collaboration with other major pediatric oncology centers, such as Dana Farber, St. Jude,John Hopkins, the Hospital is conducting research studies and publishing its findings for the ultimate purpose of improving children with cancer outcomes not only in Egypt but around the world.

Displaying a long list of renowned pediatric oncology names on ECN’s Medical Advisory board, Dr. Kieran emphasized that they constituted the kind of brain power that supports 57357. Members of the medical advisory board donate their time to go to Egypt and teach at the 57357 institution.

Dr Kieran stressed the fact that a child in Egypt receives the exact same treatment as a child with cancer in the U.S thanks to 57357.  He confirmed that presently at 57357, survival rates, for each and every type of cancer are getting closer to the same rates as in the US. In answer to the audience inquiry about hospital 57357’s quality and standard in comparison with U.S. Hospitals, Dr. Kieran responds:” if you take Hospital 57357 and physically move it from Egypt to the U.S., it wouldpass the test being on-par with US hospital standards “. Dr Kierans’ statement left a solemn and proud audience over the accomplishments of an institution from their homeland.

Dr Kieran adds enthusiastically that a joint Pediatric Oncology fellowship program between Harvard affiliate, Dana-Farber Children’s Hospital Cancer Center (DFCHCC) and Children’s Cancer Hospital  Egypt 57357 (CCHE 57357) was recently launched .Through this program participants are getting the exact same training that pediatric oncologist receive in the US to be certified.

Dr Said Helmy, a prominent architect in California and supporter of ECN informed the audience  about Hospital 57357’s future expansion plans, in terms of feasibility from an architectural stand point.

Excellency, Ambassador El Husseiny Abdel Wahab, Consul General of Egypt in LA, spoke about his admiration for  the 57357 Institution, pledging to be the first in the room to put down his donation.

At the event closure, guests lingered still, wanting to learn more about Hospital 57357 and its humanitarian role of providing freequality care and cure for all its patients without discrimination.

Hospital 57357 is looked upon as the ST. Jude of the Middle East. It was built and sustained primarily by donations. In operation since2007, and has been providing free care to all children with cancer without discrimination to race, creed, or ability to pay. CCHE 57357 is currently recording an average 70% over-all survival (OS) rate. 57357’s team of healthcare professionals are committed to rally their efforts to challenge the frontiers of cure (presently OS rates in the developed world are 80-85%) for the children with cancer in Egypt. Their road map is defined: continuously improving the quality of care and pediatric oncology treatment protocols regarding their suitability to the environmental, biological and racial conditions in the region while expanding the Hospital’s overstretched capacity to reach to a greater number of children with cancer. Presently, they are able to serve only 1 in 5 children in need of care. CCHE’s future expansion plan includes a 300 bed in-patient tower to be joined to the actual premises as well as an advanced research center, a health sciences trainingAcademy, and the introduction of a new treatment technology , the proton therapy. All of these would constitute a Health Sciences Complex.

What CCHE 57357 has done to date has been to revolutionize cancer care in Egypt.  ECN is there to facilitate CCHE’s mission and help realize its vision.

57357’s Restructured Training Department Program to be launched end of October

With a new title, “learning and development L&D “and a new slogan” we learn …we cure”, 57357’s training department is undergoing a major face-lift operation and launching a massive staff training program. Egypt Cancer Network 57357&AFNCI (ECN), Hospital 57357’s non-profit fundraising affiliate in the U.S. is co-funding this program.

At the head of this initiative is Dr. Mohamed Fahmy, VP of Logic Management Consulting, who recently joined 57357’s board of directors. Leading the training Committee within the Board, Dr.Fahmy has in the course of the last six months outlined the roadmap for the implementation of the new training program. Dr. Fahmi is establishing a learning module that would benefit some 2000 employees at the 57357 Hospital, 57357 Foundation, and the Association of friends of the National Cancer Institute. The new staff training program, strongly supported by 57357’s CEO, Dr.Hany Hussein, is supervised by Dr. Sherif Abou El Naga, VP of the Hospital for learning and development who is responsible for its implementation.

One of 57357’s main mission objectives is to be a learning organization striving to put knowledge into action while constantly improving its learning and training capacities, and internal /external knowledge- sharing procedures.  At  57357, training is a cornerstone of quality achievement. Within the framework of these premises, Dr Fahmi developed the new staff training program. From now on, training will be ‘directed’ and ‘blended’. “Directed training” means aligning the attitudes, skills, and knowledge of 57357 staff with 57357goals. ‘Blended’, on the other hand, refers to the fact that training will be acquired through E-learning and workshops led by facilitators.

To implement the new program, a restructuring of the training department is being carried out. This includes the formation of an L&D committee and the appointment of a training director and two medical and non-medical specialists. In collaboration with department heads, the L&D committee and the specialists are responsible to determine three core competencies common to all staff levels, two managerial ones, and three functional ones proper to each and every department. The L&D committee is also responsible to formulate the guidelines for training need assessment, set up the basis for dynamic learning, assign workshop facilitators, and spot the exceptional talents.

It is the vision of the new L&D department to position itself as the best healthcare L&D center in the MENA region within the framework of the establishment of a Health Sciences training Academy. The latter will tackle educational requirements for a variety of healthcare specialties not only for 57357 staff but also for healthcare professionals of all levels throughout Egypt and the region.

Thanks to the support of Egypt cancer Network, feasibility studies were completed for the

 Health Sciences training Academy within the frame of 57357’s future expansion project: a Healthcare and Sciences Campus. The latter will include besides the Academy, a 300 bed inpatient tower, an advanced research center, and the introduction of proton therapy. technology.  Recently, 57357 is evaluating the offers of a number of global architectural firms, to design the campus. The future expansion projects will widen the hospital’s scope of services while some will also be generating valuable service surplus income for the. As such, the training Academy will be available for Egypt and the MENA region to breed a new generation of highly qualified healthcare professionals. The Academy and will be established on the basis of  multi-sector partnership between NGO, a business partner and a leading educational institute or institutes for accreditations.