Johns Hopkins Hospital Unveils Sheikh Zayed Cardiovascular and Critical Care Tower

April 12, 2012

BALTIMORE, MD (12 April 2012) – Today, Johns Hopkins Hospital dedicated the Sheikh Zayed Tower and the Charlotte R. Bloomberg Children’s Center as part of a new state-of-the art medical complex, which covers five acres in Baltimore, Maryland. Over 1,000 people, including many dignitaries, took part in the dedication ceremony at the facility which includes 560 all-private patient rooms and expansive adult and pediatric emergency departments.

The Sheikh Zayed Tower is the result of a gift from His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), in honor the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, founder and first President of the UAE.  The Charlotte R. Bloomberg Children’s Center was donated by New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg in honor of his late mother.

Representing the UAE were His Highness Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, Advisor to the UAE President, His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, and UAE Ambassador to the United States Yousef Al Otaiba. 

“Sheikh Zayed saw in Hopkins not only passion for excellence and innovation, but a shared commitment to advancing the understanding and treatment of disease. This shared commitment is lived out today in an active partnership between the UAE and Johns Hopkins,” said His Highness Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan.

The UAE and John Hopkins have a long-standing partnership dating back several decades.  Since the mid-1980s, Johns Hopkins has provided specialized care to thousands of Emiratis -- including Sheikh Zayed himself.  Johns Hopkins has also helped build and improve overall healthcare delivery in the UAE by assisting with management and oversight of three of the UAE’s major hospitals -- Tawam Hospital, Corniche Hospital, and Al Rahba Hospital. 

 “It is our hope that the care delivered in this new facility will continue the legacy of Sheikh Zayed and that it will provide generations of patients with the best and most innovative care,”His Highness Sheikh Sultan added.

The Sheikh Zayed Tower, offering a full range of cardiovascular services, has 355 private inpatients, including: 224 acute care rooms, 96 intensive care rooms and 35 obstetrics rooms. The rooftop of the Sheikh Zayed Tower holds the helistop for patients who arrive by helicopter.  The tower will also house advanced neurological and neurosurgical services as well as transplant surgery, trauma care, orthopedics and general surgery, as well as labor and delivery.

The new tower was made possible through the dedication and close attention of His Highness General Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, who has been long devoted to ensuring the project would provide excellent services and world-class treatment to its current and future patients.

“These sparkling towers represent what can be achieved when people from throughout our city, our state, our nation, and the world share a common vision of a medical center that is a shining beacon of hope for patients everywhere,” added Dean Edward Miller, M.D. 

Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan addressing the dedication attendees said, “This new facility will continue the legacy of Sheikh Zayed. We are hopeful that it will provide generations of patients with the best and most innovative care, and that the discoveries made here will benefit people all around the world”.  His Highness added, “this Tower represents the goodwill of the people of the United Arab Emirates and their history of philanthropy and active commitment to improving public health at home and around the world”.

“This new tower recognizes the strong, long-established and ongoing partnership between the UAE and Johns Hopkins -- a collaboration that spans several decades and one that has led to advancement in healthcare delivery in the UAE, the US and for people around the world,” said Ambassador Yousef Al Otaiba. 

The dedication featured remarks by Mayor Bloomberg; His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan bin Khalifa al Nahyan; Johns Hopkins University President Ron Daniels; Johns Hopkins Medicine Dean/CEO Edward D. Miller, M.D.; Ronald R. Peterson, president of The Johns Hopkins Hospital and Health System; and Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley. Also in attendance was senior staff from the UAE Embassy, His Excellency Mohammed Sultan Al Hameli, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Health Authority-Abu Dhabi (HAAD), and His Excellency Zaid Al Siksek, the Chief Executive Officer of HAAD.

HH Sheikh Sultan bin Khalifa, HH Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan, Amb. Yousef Al Otaiba, Michael Bloomberg, Ed Miller, Dean of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Ronald J. Daniels, President of Johns Hopkins University and other dignitaries join in the official ribbon cutting of the new Sheikh Zayed Cardiovascular and Critical Care Tower and the Charlotte R. Bloomberg Children's Center

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