After Cleveland Clinic opened a hospital in Abu Dhabi in 2015, brand recognition for the renowned health system in the United Arab Emirates has surpassed recognition levels in Ohio, Tom Mihaljevic, MD, president and CEO of the clinic, told a June 21 City Club forum, Cleveland.com reports.
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi now employs 5,000 people and treats 400,000 patients annually in 70 countries.
Dr. Mihaljevic, who served as CEO of Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi until this year, often tells the story of an Abu Dhabi cab driver who replied, "I'll take you to Cleveland," when asked to take passengers to the area's best hospital.
"What we have learned is that we can replicate the excellence and the care model that we have here in Cleveland, Ohio, 7,000 miles from home," Dr. Mihaljevic said during the forum.
Cleveland Clinic plans to use the model from Abu Dhabi as it prepares to open a 205-bed hospital in London in 2021. The clinic, which does not offer chemotherapy and radiation therapy in the UAE, also is expanding its footprint in Abu Dhabi and growing its cancer care services, Dr. Mihaljevic said.