Dr. Qasem Al Salmi graduated from Oman’s Sultan Qaboos University College of Medicine in 1994. He did his residency and fellowship training from Baylor College of Medicine and University of Texas, and acquired a Master degree in Public Health from the University of Texas-Houston. He attained US Board certification in Pediatrics and Pediatric Pulmonology. Besides being Senior Consultant Pediatric Pulmonologist, since Oct 2010, Dr. Al Salmi is Director General and CEO of the 873-bed Royal Hospital, which is Accreditation Canada International certified and serves as the apex tertiary-level referral centre for Oman. Dr. Al Salmi has participated in a number of international leadership and hospital management programs and is chairman/member of several top-level planning and advisory committees at Oman’s Ministry of Health Headquarters. Dr. Al Salmi is credited with having transformed the organizational culture at the Royal Hospital to encourage professional growth of staff and ensure participative decision making. This was achieved through pursuing leadership development programs, lean management, departmental governance system, management reviews, monitoring of departmental key performance indicators, system for recognition and rewards, employee wellness program, engagement of service leaders in various quality activities, and building a network of quality champions from all services in the hospital. These initiatives have already resulted in marked improvement in productivity, service efficiency, quality and patient safety, cost containment and patient engagement.

Since taking over as Director General, Dr. Al Salmi has overseen the launching of the following centres attached to the Royal Hospital: National Diabetes & Endocrine Centre, National Genetics Centre, National Heart Centre, Molecular Imaging Centre, and Hyperbaric Medicine Centre.