Innovations in medical discovery and patient care transcend national borders. Increasingly, leading healthcare providers around the globe are nurturing connections with international counterparts in order to accelerate advances in research and clinical care that can maximize impact for patients worldwide.

Cedars-Sinai is at the forefront of this emerging trend. Its emphasis on fostering collaborations has led the medical center to boost its presence at high-profile healthcare conferences abroad. These gatherings of professionals from across disciplines—including physicians, scientists and hospital administrators—empower participants by exposing them to diverse perspectives.

“Attending these conferences means you’re engaging with, and learning from, the best of the best in the world,” noted Alan Dubovsky, vice president and chief patient experience officer at Cedars-Sinai. “It feels appropriate that, as one of the top hospitals in the United States, Cedars-Sinai should be part of these conversations.”

Last year, Dubovsky attended the World Hospital Congress, organized by the International Hospital Federation in Dubai, to speak on a panel about patient experience. Participating was even more rewarding than he had expected it to be.

“I shared the stage with a colleague from Switzerland and another one from India. We all addressed patient experience from our particular vantage points, and it really opened my eyes to different ways of thinking,” he said. “In this post-pandemic era, as the healthcare space becomes smaller and smaller, hospitals are having to up our game to show patients we are truly invested in their care. Incorporating best practices from a broad range of institutions helps us stay at the leading edge of the patient experience field.”

Having a presence at global conferences also paves the way to future opportunity.

“On these trips, I’ve been introduced to people from Saudi Arabia, China and beyond. Establishing communication with these experts has been enormously fruitful. They are interested in learning more about Cedars-Sinai’s focus on patient experience and have invited me to visit and consult [in their countries],” Dubovsky said. “In addition, this January I’m going back to Dubai for Arab Health, a conference that will likely attract more than 60,000 people. Someone I met during my last conference there thought of me—and of Cedars-Sinai—as an expert voice for another panel.”

Bryan Croft, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Cedars-Sinai and chief executive officer of Cedars-Sinai Marina del Rey Hospital, sees these conferences are the perfect venue for showcasing Cedars-Sinai’s capabilities as a consultant able to re-create its unique blend of care, service and experience on behalf of others.

“We help hospitals open and operate in places like China and Qatar, and being on podiums or in exhibition halls at global conferences allows us to talk about this work and explain how we can replicate it in any setting,” he said.

In addition to exporting its knowledge and expertise, Cedars-Sinai also imports exciting new methods of improving patient care. While attending the Abu Dhabi Healthcare Quality Summit in 2019, Croft said he benefitted from the collegial environment that facilitated the easy exchange of information and ideas.

“I heard so many presentations that sparked conversations here at Cedars-Sinai, serving as transformative moments for us in terms of how we approach quality,” he said.

As a speaker on a panel at the upcoming 46th Annual World Hospital Congress in Lisbon, Croft will offer international audiences transformative moments of their own.

“I’ll be speaking about the evolution of Cedars-Sinai’s new alternative approach to care, sharing insights we’ve gleaned from launching our Clinical Decision Unit and our Outpatient Surgical Unit in the face of a broad range of marketplace pressures, from regulations to reimbursement,” he said.

Recently, Croft also received an invitation from Romania, where the prime minister’s office is gathering high-level officials to consult on that country’s healthcare system. “They might not have included Cedars-Sinai if we hadn’t been so active in the international space,” Croft said.

This summer, Heitham Hassoun, MD, professor of Surgery and vice president and medical director of Cedars-Sinai International, moderated the opening panel on rebuilding trust in healthcare at the third annual Patient Experience and Engagement Summit in Bangkok.

“The more we participate in these kinds of international events, the better able we become to highlight what an extraordinary resource Cedars-Sinai can be for patients and providers worldwide,” he said. “It’s all part of fulfilling our mission to elevate the health status of global communities.”