Transforming the patient journey: Connected care, better experiences

Ms Abrar Barshaid

Abrar K. Barshaid is a healthcare quality and transformation leader from Saudi Arabia, currently serving as Business Director of the Cardiac Service Line at Eastern Health Cluster, where she provides strategic and operational leadership across 22 hospitals and 120+ primary healthcare centers. She also directs Nursing Quality & Patient Safety for the Eastern Region.

Over more than a decade in healthcare quality, Abrar has built and led several cluster-level functions from the ground up, including EHC’s Decision Support & Data Analytics department and its award-winning Transition of Care program, which received the Saudi Patient Safety Award (2023). She has also driven the implementation of the Ministry of Health STEMI Model of Care across EHC and led Acute Coronary Syndrome pathway governance that contributed to CBAHI ACS Certificate of Excellence achievements at two major cardiac centers.

Abrar holds an MBA from Prince Mohammad Bin Salman College of Business and Entrepreneurship, a Bachelor’s degree in Health Information Management & Technology, and a certificate from Harvard Medical School’s Safety, Quality, Informatics and Leadership Program. She is a Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ) and Fellow of ISQua, and completed the Young Executive Leader (YEL) Program with the International Hospital Federation in 2025.

Mrs Ana Gama

Ana Gama is Reseacher at the NOVA National School of Public Health and member of the Comprehensive Health Research Center. She has a PhD in International Health and MsD in Community Psychology. Ana has been working as researcher in several national and international projects combining quantitative and qualitative methods to investigate health and socio-behavioural determinants, with a focus on vulnerable populations, and support the design, implementation and evaluation of health promoting interventions. Her main fields of research include health promotion, health literacy, access and use of health services for diagnosis and care. Her areas of interest also include community-based participatory approaches, implementation science, complex health interventions and evaluation research.

Mr Dmitri Katz

Dmitri Katz is an accomplished healthcare leader and nursing professional currently serving as the Emergency and Resuscitation Coordinator at Meir Medical Center. He brings a strong systemic and macro-organizational vision to hospital administration , building on over a decade of experience across critical care, clinical training, and emergency preparedness. Prior to his current role, Dmitri spent six years as the Nursing Director of the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit and previously served as the Deputy Nursing Director of the General Intensive Care Unit at Meir Medical Center. He has also contributed significantly to healthcare education as a clinical instructor and simulation examiner for advanced nursing and emergency medicine programs. Dmitri holds a Master of Health Administration (MHA) from Bar-Ilan University and a Bachelor of Arts in Nursing from Tel Aviv University. Committed to continuous leadership development, he completed the prestigious “Neta” Healthcare Leaders Training Program through the Israeli Ministry of Health , as well as the Mid-Level Management Reserve program for Clalit Health Services. Fluent in Hebrew, English, and Russian , Dmitri combines deep clinical expertise with strategic management capabilities to drive excellence in hospital operations.

Mr Mwalimu Alfred

 

Mwalimu Alfred is a Quality Manager at Avenue Healthcare, Kenya, with extensive experience in healthcare quality improvement, clinical governance, patient safety, and healthcare accreditation. He leads strategic initiatives that strengthen quality management systems, improve clinical outcomes, and foster a culture of continuous quality improvement across healthcare facilities.

Alfred has successfully led high-impact projects in maternal and newborn health, infection prevention and control, resuscitation systems, chronic disease management, and organizational quality improvement. His work focuses on translating quality improvement methodologies into measurable improvements in patient outcomes, operational efficiency, and healthcare performance.

He holds a Master of Public Health (Epidemiology and Disease Control) and a Master of Public Health (Management of Public Health Emergencies). Alfred is passionate about research, implementation science, and strengthening quality governance structures in emerging markets. His professional interests include health systems strengthening, healthcare leadership, patient safety, healthcare accreditation, and evidence-based quality improvement.

Dr Nik Maryam Binti Nik Ab Rahman

Dr. Nik Maryam is a medical doctor and Head of the Public Health Unit at Hospital Tanah Merah, Ministry of Health Malaysia. She holds a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) from Cyberjaya University College of Medical Sciences, Malaysia. She has also completed certification as an Occupational Safety and Health Coordinator (OSH-C) and Lead Auditor in ISO 22301:2019 Business Continuity Management System (BCMS).

Her professional work focuses on strengthening hospital operations through the integration of Operational Excellence, Lean-Good Service Delivery, Occupational Safety and Health, and business continuity principles. At Hospital Tanah Merah, she is involved in hospital-wide improvement initiatives related to patient flow, workforce safety, service continuity, contingency planning, and organizational resilience.

Drawing upon her experience in public health, occupational safety, quality improvement, and business continuity within a district hospital setting, Dr. Nik Maryam is committed to promoting practical, system-based approaches that improve patient experience, support staff well-being, and strengthen healthcare resilience. Her current work reflects a shift from reliance on individual heroism toward safer, more reliable, and sustainable hospital systems.

Ms Rizky Ocktarini

Dr. Rizky Ocktarini is a general practitioner at Dr. Sardjito General Hospital in Yogyakarta, Indonesia’s national referral center. She currently serves as the Head of the Integrated Cancer Centre, where she leads coordinated, patient-centred cancer care across multiple disciplines.

In 2023, Dr. Ocktarini completed the postgraduate programme in Cancer Patient Navigation (CPN) at the Tata Memorial Centre – Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), India. She has since applied this expertise to strengthen cancer care in Indonesia and has been a key driving force behind the NAPAK (Navigasi Pasien Kanker) programme at Dr. Sardjito General Hospital. The initiative has significantly reduced the time to diagnosis, decreased treatment dropout rates, and improved patients’ quality of life, particularly for those with the most complex needs and limited access to care.

Dr. Ocktarini’s professional interests focus on patient navigation, healthcare quality, patient safety, and equitable access to cancer services. She is passionate about bridging clinical practice and healthcare management to transform innovative ideas into sustainable improvements. Through her leadership, she aims to integrate cancer services across the entire care pathway, close gaps in access, and deliver more coordinated, patient-centred care.