The new building is scheduled for completion by the end of 2007.

The Harvard Medical School Dubai Center (HMSDC) has broken ground on a state-of-the-art facility that will serve as its permanent home. The new building, scheduled for completion by the end of 2007, is a major step forward in efforts to make Dubai a center of excellence for postgraduate medical education and life sciences research.

The 350,000 square feet facility, located at the heart of Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC), will include a 300-seat auditorium, innovative teaching space including three 80-seat case method rooms, and a simulation center utilizing leading-edge technology. Among the Center’s most notable features will be the Maktoum Harvard Medical Library (MHML), which will serve as the actual physical link between HMSDC and Dubai Healthcare City’s planned Academic Medical Center. When finished, this 30,000 square feet library will be the most advanced collection of clinical and professional development resources in the region. The Maktoum Harvard Medical Library will include a unique patient and family education center, as well as an extensive library of resources for health care professionals, including state-of-the-art digital and print educational and reference facilities.

Saeed Al Muntafiq, Chief Executive Officer of Tatweer, said, “'This facility, which we anticipate will become a hub for medical experts in Dubai and beyond, is part of a long-term vision to create a sustainable medical education infrastructure for this region. Its physical placement at the heart of Dubai Healthcare City is more than symbolic—HMSDC provides the foundation for academic development throughout DHCC. It is one of the key reasons that the patient care provided in DHCC will be at the cutting edge and meet international standards for quality.”

HMSDC was founded in 2004 in a joint effort between the Government of Dubai and Harvard Medical International, a subsidiary of Harvard University. Since its inception, HMSDC has provided a wide range of educational opportunities, including a series of continuing medical education programs aimed at helping health care professionals in the Gulf Region address common medical challenges. Dr. Robert L. Thurer, Chief Academic Officer of HMSDC, said, “The conceptual and physical designs for the new Center resulted from an intensive strategic planning process involving experts in architectural planning and design, as well as medical education planning and information technology. This facility will enhance our ability to offer high-quality medical education programs, and enable HMSDC to spur collaborations between top educators and research scientists in the United Arab Emirates and neighboring countries.”

Robert Thurer, left, and Saeed Al Muntafiq

HMSDC has developed a training program to prepare UAE nationals to serve as medical librarians in the Maktoum Harvard Medical Library. “The Maktoum Harvard Medical Library will require skilled medical librarians who can help health care professionals, patients, and other visitors access a wide range of health care resources,” said Thurer. He added that librarians will be needed to oversee both the Patient & Family Library as well as the Research Library within the MHML.

Muhadditha Yahya Al-Hashimi, DrPH, Director of Education at HMSDC, said the program is unique to the Gulf Region. “The Maktoum Harvard Medical Library will cast aside old perceptions of what a library is. Combining digital and print resources, and enabling off-site connectivity, the MHML will serve as a valuable resource for health care providers, whether they practice in Dubai Healthcare City, or elsewhere in the Gulf Region,” she said.

The Foundation’s focus is on developing scientific leaders who will build a life sciences research infrastructure in the region. The Foundation will establish both Dubai Harvard Foundation Centers of Research and collaborative research programs that enable scientists in the Gulf Region both to build regional programs and to participate in state-of-the-art research at world renowned research institutions, including Harvard Medical School. The Foundation’s programs will be implemented through Harvard Medical School in Boston and the Harvard Medical School Dubai Center Institute for Postgraduate Education and Research (HMSDC).

Thurer added, “HMSDC’s new training program for medical librarians will provide trainees with the mix of organizational and administrative skills and health care knowledge required to play a key role in health care education and serve as a resource for providers. The Maktoum Harvard Medical Library is an unprecedented resource in the Gulf Region, and therefore calls for the development of a specialized set of skills and knowledge."

(Originally published in HMI World: (www.hmiworld.org) March/April 2006)