ISQua Emerging Leader 2015/2016
Introducing Roula Gharios Zahar
Roula Gharios Zahar has been selected by ISQua as the Emerging Leader for 2015/2016.
Roula is co-founder and Deputy General Director of Mount Lebanon Hospital in Hazmieh-Lebanon since 1997. She has been working in the quality field since 2002, and is member of the National Committee for Hospital accreditation since 2009. As board member in the syndicate of private hospitals in Lebanon, she contributed in the improvement of the accreditation process for Lebanese hospitals. Ms. Zahar holds degrees in economics from the American University of Beirut and hospital management from Saint-Joseph University, Paris-I Pantheon Sorbonne, Paris-Dauphine University in Paris. She earned a degree in mediation from Saint Joseph University and has contributed in several activities in family and delinquent youth mediation.
A word from our new Emerging Leader
"When I first started my career in hospital administration, Quality was a vague concept that barely attracted my attention and I never expected Quality would be my priority. Thanks to a group of foreign experts conducting accreditation in Lebanon, I embarked on this fascinating journey without suspecting to find such a passionate path and rewarding experience. Learning, leading, improving and measuring became my drives. Looking back at this evolution I wonder how it was sustained and how it evolved. Actually, after this initial hook, the incentive to continue improving quality faded. Once foreign experts were gone, I was tempted by my usual, comfortable routine specially that the accreditation process was slowed down in Lebanon. Quality improvement started to look like a one-time experience, a nice souvenir, comparable to vacation pictures. Would I have been engaged, involved and passionate without meeting and connecting with people, accessing relevant topics, sharing ideas, learning, getting updates and information and most of all being inspired? The answer is probably NO - not without my connection to ISQua.
Through its various activities and programs, ISQua has been incomparably effective in promoting quality improvement, accrediting accreditors, providing education and tools to the quality community, sharing knowledge, connecting experts and juniors to constantly sustain the momentum for improvement.
This board spectrum of activities culminates in the Emerging Leaders Program. As pointed out by my predecessor Emmanuel Aiyenigba “The effects of poor leadership (or its complete absence) are so tangible to me now. One would need a mind-altering substance to deny the problem.” Once more ISQua has been able to build a program that answers an important need: the development of Leadership in Quality Improvement and Safety in Healthcare.
Inspiring, supporting and empowering leaders in emerging countries is a well thought of, ingenious scheme to push further for much needed changes and progress in these countries. The use and development of local resources and capacity in order to achieve excellence goals and fill the gaps is undeniably the safest way to sustainable better health outcomes.
I would like to thank ISQua’s members, experts, staff, experts and board for leading the way, for directing and motivating quality lovers and specially for sustaining the motivation, providing the tools to those who are engaged to promote quality and safety in healthcare.
Please remain our guiding light, raise the bar so that we achieve the best and help us unite around this passionate goal. I hope to be able to make a difference, and be up to your trust.
Roula Gharios Zahar
September 2015