KFSHRC Wins Apex Award For Excellence From The American Association For Respiratory Care

King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre has received the 2025 Apex Award of Excellence for its Respiratory Care Department, placing the institution among only 21 recipients worldwide. The recognition underlines the department’s adherence to top professional standards, evidence-based respiratory care, and safe patient services within a highly competitive international assessment.

The honour aligns with Saudi Vision 2030 targets for world-class healthcare, as the Respiratory Care Department is positioned as a key referral centre for complex respiratory conditions. KFSHRC reports that the award supports its efforts to provide safer, more efficient care while prioritising patient safety, clinical outcomes, and overall experience.

The American Association for Respiratory Care grants the Apex Award to healthcare providers, education programmes, and transport services specialising in respiratory care. KFSHRC’s Respiratory Care Department has been evaluated against 14 strict criteria, which cover clinical competence, operational performance, patient safety systems, and staff professional development, confirming alignment with leading international benchmarks.

KFSHRC explains that this year’s Apex Award reflects intense global competition, as applicants represent a wide range of institutions and clinical settings. Being named among the limited number of 2025 awardees highlights the Respiratory Care Department’s strength in respiratory medicine and its ability to sustain high standards across different models of care delivery.

The Respiratory Care Department has developed a comprehensive service model that covers critical care, long-term home ventilation, pulmonary function testing, and diagnostic sleep studies. The department also provides pulmonary rehabilitation services, which support patients with chronic respiratory disease and help improve daily functioning, quality of life, and stability after hospital treatment.

Beyond direct patient care, the department is accredited as a specialised centre for training respiratory critical care professionals. It delivers structured education programmes and clinical training, strengthening its scientific profile. This role supports the development of respiratory care skills within Saudi Arabia and contributes to improved practice standards in regional and international networks.

Continuous quality improvement remains a priority for the Respiratory Care Department, which pursues performance-enhancement projects and more efficient operations. The department focuses on patient experience and satisfaction measures, while investing in clear career pathways and retention schemes for respiratory professionals, reinforcing an internal culture of quality, learning, and ongoing improvement.

KFSHRC notes that this Apex Award adds to wider institutional recognition in global rankings. The hospital ranks first in the Middle East and Africa and fifteenth worldwide among the top 250 academic medical centres for 2025. It is also identified by Brand Finance 2024 as holding the highest valued healthcare brand in Saudi Arabia and the region.

International listings further include Newsweek’s World’s Best Hospitals 2025, World’s Best Smart Hospitals 2026, and World’s Best Specialized Hospitals 2026. These positions, together with the 2025 Apex Award for the Respiratory Care Department, indicate that KFSHRC continues to be recognised for clinical quality, advanced services, and strong academic and training roles.

With inputs from SPA