History
The hospital Fouad Khoury & Associates hospital s.a.r.l. dates back to 1957, when its founder Fouad Khoury, an Obstetrician and Gynecologist, began practicing his profession in a small clinic situated next to his house in the Wardieh area in Ras Beirut. He mainly performed minor surgeries and deliveries, but in 1960, with the increase in demand, he decided to relocate and expand. He moved to the current location of the hospital – the Maktabi Building on Abdel Aziz Street in Hamra (Beirut).
At the start of the Lebanese Civil War in 1975, Khoury immigrated to Paris and closed down the hospital. However, with the numbers of wounded increasing, and the lack of space at the American University of Beirut field hospital, he was approached to open the doors of the Fouad Khoury Hospital. In 1976, the hospital was reopened, but attempts to buy the hospital from Khoury were not successful for legal reasons and thus in 1976, a partnership was formed between him and 11 other stakeholders. Among those stakeholders is the current owner of the hospital, Dr. Kamal Bikhazi, who, from 1984 to 1994, bought the shares of all the other stakeholders. This was made possible with the prolongation of the civil war, when, for financial and security reasons, these stakeholders put up their shares for sale. Throughout these years, Bikhazi had already taken over the administration of the hospital. Not until 1994 did he become the sole owner and CEO of Fouad Khoury Hospital, with his family members as associates.
In 2005, Bikhazi acquired a 30-year lease giving him sole ownership of the building, and the right to remodel and renovate. This was made possible through the acquisition of a license in mid-2008. Whereasthe hospital parameters now cover the 4th, 5th and 6th floors, when the project will be completed in two and a half years, it will include the entire building. Plans include remodeling, equipping the hospital with the most recent technological medical apparatus and maintaining sanitary standards.
Hospital Staff
Bikhazi, the CEO, and his daughter, Rima Bikhazi Azar, the assistant CEO, note that the total number of staff members in all departments is 125. As for the doctors, whereas there are 8 full timers, there are over 60 other doctors who work part-time or per case. They should be qualified and approved by the board. The 8 full time doctors include 3 anesthesiologists, 2 Primary Care doctors - or family doctors, 2 X-ray specialists, and 1 Laboratory Doctor. Additionally, the 125 staff include 40 nurses, 10 lab technicians, 8 in the radiology department, as well as a dietician and cooks. The security and cleaning personnel are outsourced.
Occupancy and Rooms
According to Bikhazi, the occupancy rate of the hospital in the past was 90 to 100% with 1,500 surgeries performed every year; today the occupancy rate is 40 to 50%, with 3,000 surgeries performed per year.
Clearly, the number of procedures occurring in the hospital are higher than the occupancy rate, which indicates that with the improvements in technology and medical equipment, patients are undergoing operations and walking out of the hospital, rather than spending over-nights. For example, previously, a breast cancer patient undergoing an operation would sleep in the hospital for 7 days, while today, she would spend one night in hospital care. This high turnover is very significant, as today, the number of procedures that a hospital performs determines its worth rather than its occupancy rate. It is estimated that there are 200 to 300 patients per month attending the hospital, while 1,500 to 2,000 people visit the laboratory on a monthly basis.
Departments and Equipment
Fouad Khoury Hospital houses a number of different departments that provide the best services to its patients. These include the Department of Medicine, the Department of Surgery, the Diagnostic Radiology Department, Cancer Prevention and Early Detection, in addition to the Anesthesia Department, Laboratory, the Private Clinics, and Emergency Room.
Through their hard work, the Bikhazi family hopes to turn Fouad Khoury Hospital from a family institution to a corporation, and thus establish it as a landmark in Lebanon and as a comprehensive medical facility.
Nevertheless, Bikhazi adds that development is directly proportional to the stability of the country, and that the more stable the country remains, the more likely the hospital is to grow and develop.