Cedars-Sinai is a leading non-profit academic healthcare organization in the U.S. serving the diverse Los Angeles community and more than 2,000 patients from over 100 countries each year. Additionally, the U.S. News and World Reports has named Cedars Sinai to the Honour Roll for the ninth consecutive year in its “Best Hospitals 2024-25” rankings.
With more than 4,500 physicians and nurses, 1,500 research projects in motion, state-of-the-art facilities and advanced technology, Cedars-Sinai provides highly integrative diagnostics, treatments and procedures for patients with complex medical conditions.
Medical Tourism Magazine recently sat down with Heitham Hassoun, MD, Chief Executive of Cedars-Sinai International, to discuss the hospital’s remarkable journey in global healthcare. Under his leadership, Cedars-Sinai International has achieved significant milestones and spearheaded innovative initiatives to enhance patient experience and forge strategic collaborations with global healthcare providers. Dr. Hassoun shared his insights on overcoming challenges, the importance of culture in healthcare, and his vision for the future impact of Cedars-Sinai on global healthcare.
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Hospital’s Evolution and Achievements: Could you share with us your journey as leader of International at Cedars-Sinai and some of the milestones you are most proud of?
My journey reflects my passion for taking care of patients. I started in global healthcare as a young faculty at Johns Hopkins when I served as Chief of Surgery in the newly managed hospital in United Arab Emirates.
From that first touch point and a lifetime of global experience and knowledge transfer, my passion for patients and bringing the highest level of healthcare closer to where they are, is still what fuels me every day.
I see myself as an academic surgeon and innovator, and less as an entrepreneur. I feel a belonging and truly believe in being part of a leading academic medical center like Cedars-Sinai, where I find purpose in bringing our innovations to the rest of the world.
Challenges and Triumphs: What have been some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced as a leader of International, and how have you overcome them?
There are two that come top of mind:
1. Allocating resources whether we’re catering to the needs of our patients or to the growing demand for Cedars-Sinai’s knowledge and expertise, we are always finding new ways to be prepared and ready to deploy in an efficient and effective manner.
2. Mobilizing people appropriately across a wide range of skillsets, team structures, market needs and collaboration models. Finding the right team members who share the same passion for bringing the best of healthcare to patients globally is no easy task, which is why I am extremely proud of the team that we’ve put together at Cedars-Sinai International.
Patient Experience: What specific initiatives or programs has Cedars Sinai undertaken to address the evolving expectations of tech-savvy parents in terms of quality and overall patient experience?
Increasingly, our experts are going to international markets to share our experience and knowledge in this area. Our Patient Experience program continues to focus on exceeding patient expectations. We are utilizing technology in and out of the patient care spaces to strive for enhanced communication and significantly expand feedback to elevate the patient voice. Recently we achieved our largest ever number of online patient panel participants (over 30,000). Our managerial and clinical leaders were key to that success. They shared best practices and focused on expanding our skill-building initiatives for clinicians.
Pursuit of Excellence in Global Patient Services: Cedars Sinai recently achieved GHA Accreditation for Medical Travel Services for a second term. Why did you choose GHA and what benefits does it offer traveling patients?
We continue to prioritize accreditation because our primary goal is to provide international patients with a high-quality medical journey. We want to lead by setting new standards for international patient care. GHA reviews the entire international patient journey, from the first inquiry through completion of medical services and the return home including efforts to meet the patient’s language, cultural, and spiritual needs as well as ensuring smooth transitions of care back home.
Collaboration and Partnerships: It is clear that Cedars-Sinai prioritizes building collaborative, mutually beneficial relationships among regional and global providers. Could you elaborate on how Cedars-Sinai International fosters these partnerships and the impact they have on patient care?
We constantly explore opportunities for collaboration with hospitals outside of the U.S. We offer advisory and consulting services that help prospective partners around the world achieve their goals as the global healthcare environment evolves. From Mexico to Asia to the Middle East, our experts participate in webinars, conferences and trade shows to share knowledge, ideas and visions for the future. Additionally, our growing in-country office presence (currently in Mexico City, Shanghai, Singapore and soon in Ecuador and other countries) provides patients and referring physicians the opportunity to learn more about Cedars-Sinai, gain access to our knowledge through second opinions and receive care in Los Angeles as the need arises.
Perhaps most importantly, our strategic collaborations have led to new state-of-the-art facilities, such as The View Hospital in Qatar, an affiliation between Cedars-Sinai and Elegancia Healthcare, a subsidiary of Estithmar Holding which ushered in a new era of collaboration between Cedars-Sinai International and healthcare organizations. With all that, one thing remains steadfast—our commitment to providing the finest care available and exceeding our patients’ expectations no matter where they are.
Balancing Local and Global: How does Cedars-Sinai strike a balance between maintaining its global brand identity and adapting to the unique cultural and societal needs of the diverse regions it serves?
Cedars-Sinai is well established and respected in the U.S. and beyond. As we expand globally, one thing remains unshaken: our commitment to listening to the patients and communities we are reaching out to, and making sure that we are relevant and authentic while staying true to who we are. That requires a deep understanding of other cultures, a humble approach to learning, and thoughtfulness in our messaging and channels.
Personal Motivation and Vision: What drives your passion for global healthcare, and what is your long-term vision for Cedars-Sinai International’s impact across the globe?
I want to keep building on what we have established so we can impact more lives. This will happen through partnering with local leaders and establishing high quality regional assets, clinics, or hospitals all with the goal of serving patients and their families. Having said that, we’re not in a hurry because one of our core values is that we are better together, and collaboration is key to everything we do. No matter what we do, we want to be a blessing to those who need healing because their progress is our progress.
Advice for Aspiring Global Healthcare Leaders: Drawing from your extensive experience, what advice would you give to young healthcare professionals aspiring to make a difference in the global healthcare arena?
Through the years I have found myself curating the ‘four lessons’ which I believe are most relevant to rising stars in the global healthcare space:
- First, “culture eats strategy for lunch every day of the week.” We must know our customers and strive to understand and honor their values and traditions.
- Second, we must only sell products and services that we can provide at a high level of quality. Trying to offer services internationally that we haven’t honed at home is not a formula for success.
- The third lesson is that we are better together. As we strive to build relationships in different cultural settings, it is vital to stay mindful that there is so much that we don’t know. Humility and a willingness to learn are the coin of the realm in international partnerships. There is no success without collaboration.
- The fourth lesson: change is inevitable and, in our 21st century world, its pace is constantly accelerating. Our success will depend on our willingness to embrace the unknown.
With that in mind, Cedars-Sinai International is deeply committed to empowering and growing new talent in the global healthcare space. We have exceptional internship and fellowship programs that help college and post-grad students discover this line of business and hone their skills for an international career
