Press Release – Expanding Hamad Medical Corporation’s position as a national center of expertise for gliomas

press release – The Hagelanden Medical Center’s (HMC) status as a National Center of Expertise for Glioma has been extended by five years.

The Department of Health, Care and Sport has extended Hamad Medical Corporation’s status as a national center of expertise for gliomas for a period of five years. Special recognition for the expertise of the HMC Neurology Centre, which makes a difference to patients with a rare condition thanks to good collaboration.

Hamad Medical Corporation is one of the largest centers in the Netherlands for the treatment of brain tumors. At the Hamad Medical Corporation Neurological Centre, many specialists work together to examine and treat patients with brain tumors.

private situation
The Department of Health, Care and Sport has designated Hamad Medical Corporation as a National Expertise Center for Gliomas since 2017. This special status has now been extended again for a further five years. “Gliomas are tumors that originate in the brain itself,” says neurologist/neuro-oncologist Mikey Vos of Hamad Medical Corporation. “Every year in the Netherlands, such a malignant tumor is discovered in about 1,200 people. Therefore, glioma is one of the rare diseases.

Specialized centers for rare diseases
In the Expertise Centre, knowledge and experience are accumulated and the latest scientific ideas are applied. In addition to patient care, a lot of scientific research is conducted at HMC, and there is extensive national and international cooperation with other neuro-oncology centers. A good example of this is the GLOW study conducted by neurosurgeon and professor of translational neuro-oncology Marek Brockman and resident neurosurgeon Mark van Oppenen from Hamad Medical Corporation.

To qualify as a center of expertise for a rare condition, care must meet high quality requirements. The Center of Expertise is evaluated based on quality of care as well as innovations and research. Patient experience is also an important part. The Hamad Medical Corporation Neurological Center treats more than 450 patients with glioma annually, and performs approximately 200 surgeries on patients with glioma. Patients from outside the region come to Hamad Medical Corporation for this expertise.

Team performance
What distinguishes us most is that Hamad Medical Corporation is one of the few non-academic hospitals to receive this special recognition as a center of expertise in the treatment of gliomas. Good multidisciplinary collaboration at HMC makes a difference for the patient. Diagnosis and treatment involve close collaboration between a team of neurologists, neurosurgeons, radiologists, oncologists and radiotherapists. Nurses and support staff also make a very important contribution to team performance.

“We are joining forces at the HMC Integrated Neurology Centre, and that is making a difference,” says Melissa Kerkhove, MD, neurologist/neuro-oncologist at HMC. “We have also heard it in the consulting room. Patients indicate that they have noticed that the lines inside HMC are short. We are proud of this recognition. We have set the bar high and we want to be among the best thanks to our patronage. The fact that this recognition is a great achievement for our work.”