Jan. 23, 2018

Sanford Health will enter five new countries and expand its presence in two this year.

The new countries are: 

New Zealand, where Sanford World Clinic and OmniHealth Ltd. will open a general practice clinic in February. It will be located within Auckland’s central business district. Its vision is to become the country’s leading health care provider.

Sanford is establishing a clinical research office in Ireland.

Ireland, where Sanford World Clinic and Hermitage Medical Clinic will establish a clinical research office to extend precision oncology services through a clinical research protocol supported by Sanford Research in the United States.

Sanford World Clinic is providing strategic and operational support to the Hospital Metropolitano health system in Costa Rica.

Costa Rica, where Sanford World Clinic is providing strategic and operational support to the Hospital Metropolitano health system, the country’s fastest-growing private health care organization.

Vietnam, where Sanford World Clinic is collaborating with Victoria Healthcare to support enhanced clinical and health care management education programs for Victoria physicians, nurses and administrative staff.

South Africa, where Sanford World Clinic is supporting the ongoing development of clinical research and educational programs in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders at Stellenbosch University and in partnership with a series of collaborators.

“With these partnerships, we are creating unique opportunities for shared learning,” said Kelby Krabbenhoft, president and CEO of Sanford Health. “This is not something we are pursuing for financial gain, but we believe this type of collaboration will help further our mission of health and healing.”

Sanford also is expanding its presence in China, where it has a pediatric clinic, to provide oncology support for the Ciming Health Checkup Group in a remote physician-to-physician partnership.

“We are excited about the oncology collaboration with Sanford Health and believe it could provide Chinese cancer patients with the most advanced treatment to improve the survival rate and the quality of life of patients,” said Dr. Hu Bo, chairman of the board for Ciming Health Checkup Group and chairman of the health care management branch of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association.

Staff at a Sanford clinic in Adenta, Ghana

In Ghana, Sanford’s largest international presence, collaboration continues to expand on the 23 clinics.

Sanford World Clinic is working to identify three to five new partnerships each year.

“We want to go where we can be impactful and create partnerships that will stand the test of time,” said Dr. Dan Blue, executive vice president of Sanford World Clinic. “We have outstanding partners in each of these countries who share a common goal — to advance health care around the world.”

With the new partnerships, Sanford World Clinic will be in nine countries with more than 30 locations. In 2017, Sanford acquired a minority stake in Isar Klinikum, a German hospital offering stem cell therapies.

The World Clinic initiative was launched in 2007 and based on Denny Sanford’s philanthropy. It has grown to include partnerships with other health care leaders in developing sustainable services worldwide. The original plan was to add five clinics in 10 years, Krabbenhoft said. Instead, the 30th clinic is close to opening.

“Sanford World Clinic started with an idea that every person has the right to receive quality health care close to home,” Krabbenhoft said, adding the initiative allows Sanford to be “a learning organization” bringing best practices from around the globe home.

“The first thing we wanted to do was be a credible authority on global health care delivery,” he continued. “The second thing we wanted to do was make sure people understood the name Sanford Health and that it would be recognized as a global brand.”

The third objective addressed dealing with health care based on unique geographies and populations to inform research.

“That would be fed into this organization and make Sanford a very unique, very special organization as it relates to global research,” Krabbenhoft said.

There are three U.S. World Clinic sites in California, Oregon and Oklahoma. As of Jan. 19, the Duncan, Okla., clinic transitioned its ownership and management to Duncan Regional Hospital. The clinic will continue to have the Sanford name.

“The World Clinic initiative has been on an incredible run the last 10 years,” said Micah Aberson, Sanford’s chief global brand officer. “We’re excited now to turn the page.”