It all started when…

I was attending a top-level gathering of hospital CEOs & CFOs at the Syndicate of Hospitals in Lebanon in 2001. A new payment system was suggested by the Ministry of Public Health and it was a hot subject of discussion; the new Flat Rate system for surgical procedures was supposed to replace the old Fee-for-Service system. Most of the senior attendees were lobbying against the new system saying that it shall diminish their revenues and profitability. I had some preliminary calculations that showed the opposite of this thinking which pushed me to say: “The new Flat Rate system is a better payment system with more revenues and fewer payers denials!” I can remember the silence in the meeting hall for a while before the senior experts started attacking me and implying that: “We know better, we have our solid systems and data, and who are you and what do you have?” After some argument, I suggested doing a study with facts and numbers to prove my point of view in a 2-week period, and the President of the Syndicate respectfully gave me this chance.

The time of the meeting was 1:00 pm. I had to present my point in front of a challenging group of senior experts which will make or break me, this was my chance. My 1978 blue Toyota was not working so I had to take my motorbike to reach there on time. I got there to see the fancy cars parked in front of the Syndicate which made me park my old motorbike at the backside. I crossed the entrance and greeted the receptionist and went up to the meeting. The ambitious man from the lower social class, with relatively short experience in the field, is in the hall now to present his case to 12 elite hospitals’ CFOs who would rather see me stumble.

After one and a half hours of presentation and professionally challenging discussions of my comparative study of 52 most currently used procedures suggesting that the new payment system grants hospitals on average a 20-25% increase in revenues. I still remember the moment when the Syndicate President stood and said: ”Adel, chapeau bas, you proved us all wrong”. The Syndicate announced afterward that it strongly supports replacing the old system with the new one, and I was happy to see my impact changing into achievements at the national level. I decided at the time to start my dream career and attract passionate individuals with hidden potential to establish a healthcare development company with one heart, synchronized knowledge, and an inspiring vision to get our position in the market as management and business advancers.

This partnership was founded in 2002 and called “GATES” indicating that there are always gates around us to open for widening our perspective and exploring new horizons to make our work and life better. We just have to believe, dream and start our quest. GATES was awarded its first project from the Syndicate of Hospitals of Lebanon in 2002 which was titled: “The National Study for Costing Hospital Services”. This was followed by delivering with the Syndicate a comprehensive Training Program on Management & Quality for healthcare managers and professionals. The journey of passion, knowledge, and development will go on with GATES as it is going on for decades.

GATES Founder and Managing Partner - Dr. Adel Oleik

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