Prominent Health Law Leader Joins Sidra Medical Center as General Counsel

Doha, May 01 (QNA) - Leading health and biomedical research attorney, Clint Hermes, has been appointed General Counsel at Sidra Medical and Research Center, a pioneering new facility in Qatar with a focus primarily on women’s and children’s healthcare. Key among Mr. Hermes immediate priorities will be to assess Sidras legal requirements and educate staff on critical areas such as compliance and legislation. Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Board of Governors, Mr. Hermes responsibilities will also include management of a broad range of corporate and commercial matters, including high value contracts and affiliation agreements. Commenting on the appointment, Sidras CEO, Dr. William F. Owen, Jr., MD, FACP, said, "This is a key hire for Sidra in a role that will require the provision of high-level strategic counsel to the Board on a broad range of legal, governance and compliance issues. With his far-reaching experience in several eminent hospitals and academic medical centers on a broad range of high-profile legal matters, we are confident that Mr. Hermes has the technical knowledge and expertise necessary to help us establish Sidra as a world-leading medical facility and center of academic excellence." In his previous role as Senior Vice President at St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee in the United States, Mr. Hermes built and managed the institutions Legal, Government Relations, and Privacy departments and led its Office of Technology Licensing, as well as handling St. Judes most complex and sensitive legal matters. Prior to this, Mr. Hermes was a health care attorney with the prestigious international firm Ropes & Gray, during which time he provided counsel to many of the top hospitals, health systems, and medical schools around the world. With several dozen peer-reviewed publications in his field and over forty invited speaking engagements, Mr. Hermes is widely acknowledged as a leader in health care and biomedical research law. Mr. Hermes has also played an active role in the legal community, with recent posts including Vice Chair of the Childrens Hospital Affinity Group of the American Health Lawyers Association, Editor of Bloomberg BNAs Medical Research Law & Policy Report and lecturer in health law at the University of Memphis School of Law. Speaking about his recent appointment, Mr. Hermes said, "It is an exciting prospect to be part of Sidras patient-focused vision to transform medical care for women and children in Qatar and the surrounding region. In my role as General Counsel, I look forward to the challenge of setting up a new legal division and working with the team to help drive the organization forward and make this ambitious vision a reality." Sidra Medical and Research Center, currently under construction in Doha, Qatar, will be a groundbreaking hospital, research and education institution, focusing on the health and wellbeing of women and children regionally and globally. Sidra will be a fully digital facility, incorporating the most advanced information technology applications in clinical, research and business functions. Sidra will initially have 400 beds with infrastructure to enable expansion to 550 beds in a subsequent phase. Sidra represents the vision of Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser who serves as its Chairperson. The high-tech facility will not only provide world-class patient care but will also help build Qatar's scientific expertise and resources. Sidra will be funded by a US$7.9 billion endowment from Qatar Foundation, one of the largest endowments of its kind in the world. Sidra is part of a dynamic research and education environment in Qatar that includes leading international institutions, such as Sidras academic partner Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar. Through strong partnerships with leading institutions around the world, Sidra is creating an intellectual ecosystem to help advance scientific discovery through investment in medical research. Sidra will have a unique working structure with inter-professional collaboration at the heart, providing the best holistic care for patients and an unparalleled learning environment for its medical professionals. Sidra will combine the best in design, technology, operations and practices from medical centers around the world to offer its employees an environment that is at once familiar and extraordinary. (QNA)