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News — LOS ANGELES (Oct. 5, 2023) --  has opened a new, conveniently located office in .

The new office will help connect patients who live in Mexico with Cedars-Sinai experts in cardiology, oncology, neurology and other specialty areas. Consultants in the office will work with patients and families seeking referrals to care at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles and can help schedule telehealth consultations.

Additionally, the office will support ongoing collaboration and knowledge-sharing between U.S. and Mexico clinicians and researchers. The office will not provide on-site patient care.

“Fundamentally, our goal is to bring care and our knowledge closer to all the patients and communities we serve, and certainly the community of Mexico is near and dear to our hearts, not only as a bordering country, but also because Los Angeles is home to many Mexican-Americans, and their culture is woven into Southern California,” said , vice president and medical director of Cedars-Sinai International.

The new office boasts a spacious, modern design with expansive views of the city, and is centrally located in western Mexico City. While Cedars-Sinai previously has had offices in Mexico City, the new office represents a new chapter in Cedars-Sinai’s growing presence in Mexico and Latin America.

In 2022, during the height of the spread of the Delta variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, Cedars-Sinai investigators , and Jasmine Plummer, PhD, collaborated with Mexico City investigators on a  that tested swab samples from people in the Mexico City area who had COVID-19 symptoms. The investigators’ findings demonstrated that the highly contagious Delta variant was the dominant strain of the virus during that time, accounting for 78% of COVID-19 cases.

“Research collaborations like this can enhance our understanding of medicine around the world,” said , senior consultant and head of the Mexico office. “Especially during the pandemic, this example of global cooperation has been critical to paving the way toward a healthier future.”

In early 2023, three experts from the  at Cedars-Sinai addressed the Congreso Anual de Cardiología Internacional (Annual Congress of International Cardiology) in Guadalajara. , , and , presented breakthroughs in cardiology treatments and procedures to attendees of Mexico’s premier conference for cardiologists. More than 3,000 physicians and scientists across Latin America were in attendance. Marbán, executive director of the Smidt Heart Institute, said he looks forward to continued involvement in the yearly meeting to share leading-edge research developments and new treatment options.

Hassoun said, “It's not just about healthcare within the walls of a hospital, but it's about embracing the challenges of today through healthcare diplomacy.”

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