Benghazi Medical Center Leaders Visit BWH- Clinical & Research News - For and about the Physicians and Researchers of Brigham and Women's HospitalBenghazi Medical Center Leaders Visit BWH- Clinical & Research News - For and about the Physicians and Researchers of Brigham and Women's Hospital

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Benghazi Medical Center Leaders Visit BWH


Emergency Medicine’s Stephen Bohan shows Benghazi Medical Center leaders Dr. Laila Taher Bugaighis (at left) and Dr. Naema Gaubaa BWH’s medical records system and flow processes during a tour of the ED.

"It's not often in this political climate that one gets to meet people from Benghazi," said BWH Emergency Medicine's Stephen Bohan, MD, MS.

But earlier this month, Bohan did just that as he welcomed Benghazi Medical Center's Deputy Director General Dr. Laila Taher Bugaighis, Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr. Naema Gaubaa and Emergency Department Director Dr. Naseralla el Saadi to the Brigham. During the group's afternoon tour of the ED, Bohan shared BWH's medical records system, flow processes and met with the staff.

The Libyan leaders' visit to BWH is part of their ongoing interest in developing a relationship with the Center for Global Health in the Department of Emergency Medicine at MGH, where they spent the previous day.

"I was pleased to show our guests the Brigham, and they were very impressed by the energy and commitment of our staff, our ED's organization, how attending physicians care for our patients, the pharmacy dispensing machines and our ED Tracking System, which was homegrown at BWH by Jonathan Teich, MD, PhD," said Bohan. "Emergency Medicine Clinical Director Joshua Kosowsky, MD, was in the ED during the visit and explained our thinking in terms of how care delivery should be structured. It was a very positive visit."

Benghazi Medical Center, which was built in 1973 and originally intended to provide only tertiary care, did not open its doors until 2009, due to political events related to the dictatorship of Muammar Gaddafi. In 2011, leaders recognized the pressing need for emergency care in the country in the midst of the revolution, and the center opened an ED, which Bohan says has been busy ever since. The medical center is the largest, most modern hospital in eastern Libya.

"In a country where the development of anything was frozen for the 43 years of Gadaffi's reign, the development of BMC has been very daunting for these leaders," said Bohan. "Benghazi Medical Center wants to be a premiere medical center. Physicians and leaders are focused on their goal that no Libyan should have to leave Libya for good medical care."