The University of Pennsylvania Health System is preparing to enter into a partnership with VPS Healthcare of the United Arab Emigrates, under which the two health care organizations will collaborate on initiatives in patient care delivery, joint marketing, and education.
One focus of the alliance, the two organizations said, will be on proton beam therapy.
Penn’s Roberts Proton Beam Therapy Center at the Abramson Cancer Center in Philadelphia.
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Penn Medicine’s Roberts Proton Beam Therapy Center at the Abramson Cancer Center in Philadelphia is one of 14 proton therapy centers in operation in the United States. Another 11 proton therapy centers are in the development stage. Proton therapy is a type of particle therapy in cancer treatment that uses a beam of protons to irradiate diseased tissue.
VPS Healthcare, of Abu Dhabi, an integrated health care provider that operates a network of hospitals, medical centers, pharmaceutical manufacturers and retails pharmacies. The company is seeking to expand its cancer programs with its 1 million-square-foot Burjeel Medical City project, which will include a dedicated cancer center, now under development.
“This partnership could not have come at a better time,” said Dr. Ali Obaid Al-Ali, CEO of Abu Dhabi hospitals at VPS Healthcare, in a statement “UAE’s healthcare sector is the fastest growing in the entire Middle East with the government spending also witnessing an increase in recent times.”
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Additional details about the partnership will be announced next week when representatives from both organizations will be in Philadelphia to discuss the alliance.
Penn Health System is the parent company for the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvnia, Penn Prersbyterian Medical and Pennsylvania Hospital, all in Philadelphia; Chester County Health System in West Chester, Pa., and Lancaster General Health. The health system also owns and operates a large network of outpatient care centers and physician practice sites.
