H.E.Dr. Ashraf Ismail

Dr. Ashraf Ismail is the Chairman of the General Authority for Healthcare Accreditation & Regulation (GAHAR), leading Egypt’s Strategy in the Accreditation and Regulation for all Healthcare facilities and professionals. Under his leadership, GAHAR has had significant achievements through developing an unprecedented system for healthcare facilities registration and accreditation, getting the standards internationally accredited from ISQua and building a network of GAHAR’s qualified and professional surveyors. This is besides, GAHAR’s contribution in the implementation in the Universal Health Insurance System in Egypt, in addition to developing the excellence system for the Green and Sustainable Healthcare Facilities; Medical Tourism; and Telemedicine, as well as GAHAR’s patient safety initiatives, Safe Health Design, and the development of the first Egyptian Program for qualifying Egyptian Certified Accreditation Professional, together with, leading GAHAR towards getting the Institutional Excellence Certificate that is awarded to the External Evaluation Organizations in Healthcare, as well as opening horizons for GAHAR towards the improvement of quality and safety regionally and internationally, and other accomplishments.

Dr. Ismail has a remarkable and well-recognized history of achievements and contributions in the field of healthcare quality and safety; and the accreditation of healthcare facilities on the national and international levels. During his long journey for 10 years as the Managing Director for JCI in the Middle East, he led the JCI efforts in the region towards increasing the number of accredited organizations, and during this period JCI has been recognized as the gold standard for accreditation worldwide.

He also attained other remarkable positions which had a great impact on the field; he worked as an adjunct professor for quality and Outcomes Management at George Mason University, College of Health and Human Services, this is besides his work as a consultant for WHO in healthcare quality and accreditation, he was also appointed as Strategic Planning Advisor to the Minister of Health in UAE to develop the new strategy of the health sector, and a consultant for the Minister of Population in the cooperation with International organizations and UNFPA. he played a major role in developing the original design of the Health Sector Reform within his role as a consultant for the Minister of Health in Egypt. Dr. Ashraf Ismail 2 

As a quality consultant, he provided assistance to the healthcare facilities through the accreditation process; His experience in these areas has extended from the USA to the Middle East. For four years, he worked as a quality consultant to Inova Health System, the largest health system in Northern Virginia, and during his work as a faculty member at Johns Hopkins University and Director of JHPIEGO’s Asia/Near East/Europe Regional office, he led the efforts of implementing family planning, reproductive health, and development of human resources projects funded by USAID in 14 countries in the region.

While he was appointed by USAID in Cairo as a senior medical program officer, he implemented with the Egyptian government the largest nationwide family planning program in Egypt, established the Regional Center for Training in Reproductive Health in Ain Shams University, and introduced the first National Quality Improvement Program in the Family Planning Clinics in Egypt.