Every day, cancer care is changing. New treatments, smarter planning, and faster workflows are giving patients better chances of recovery. Making this work in real life requires more than technology. It requires leaders who inspire their teams, innovate with purpose, and put patients first.
Dr. Mymoona Alzouebi leads with exactly this approach. As Head of Radiation Oncology at King Fahad Hospital Al-Ahsa, she currently serves as the sole radiation oncologist, single-handedly managing the radiotherapy service, while also overseeing departmental strategy, clinical governance, and service expansion. Her vast experience in the UK’s NHS as a senior Clinical Oncologist and her leadership in Saudi Arabia have shaped a radiotherapy service capable of delivering advanced, patient-centred care with world-class standards.
Let’s explore how Dr. Alzouebi is transforming cancer care!
Leadership Philosophy & Vision 2030 Alignment
Dr. Alzouebi’s leadership philosophy is deeply rooted in the principle that clinical excellence must drive innovation. She explains, “My core leadership philosophy is clinically driven, data-informed, and people-centered transformation.” Every initiative she leads begins with patient benefit and safety, while empowering her team to take ownership and innovate within their roles.
This philosophy aligns seamlessly with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 healthcare transformation goals. Key objectives include expanding equitable access to advanced radiotherapy, incorporating evidence-based best practices in line with international protocols, advancing digital oncology workflows, and building national talent across all disciplines. Through this approach, Dr. Alzouebi has guided her department from its early stages into a strategic oncology hub capable of delivering world-class outcomes.
Her focus on patient-centered innovation ensures that technology serves a purpose beyond novelty. Whether deploying IMRT, VMAT, or IGRT techniques, or exploring new digital workflows, every decision is assessed against its tangible impact on patient care. This framework has not only improved clinical efficiency but has also reinforced the department’s reputation as a regional leader in oncology.
Team Contribution & Collaboration
The success of any transformation rests on the strength of its team. Dr. Alzouebi’s department exemplifies how collaboration and professionalism can drive remarkable results. The team has spearheaded the rapid expansion of tumour sites treated, implemented advanced treatment techniques, and successfully commissioned new technologies and treatment pathways.
A culture of collaboration is deeply embedded in daily practice. Formal clinical peer review has improved decision-making, digital documentation, and streamlined workflows, while reducing planning and initiation delays. Staff engagement in quality and safety initiatives remains consistently high. Dr. Alzouebi highlights, “What I value most is their collaborative mindset and boldness in innovation. Even under tight timelines, the team demonstrated professionalism, resilience, and a shared commitment to elevating cancer care for our region.”
From physicists and radiation therapists to nurses and IT specialists, every member contributes to a shared mission. This collective focus ensures that patient care is not only timely but also precise and responsive, enabling the department to achieve ambitious goals such as delivering emergency radiotherapy within 24 hours.
Cultivating a Culture of Continuous Learning
Continuous learning forms the backbone of Dr. Alzouebi’s approach to clinical excellence. Structured teaching and peer review are interwoven into daily routines, ensuring that staff across all disciplines remain at the forefront of radiotherapy advancements. Weekly contouring peer reviews, plan quality assessments, and participation in VARIAN workshops, both in-house and internationally, reinforce a culture of inquiry and continuous improvement.
Competency pathways for new staff, upskilling initiatives, and structured teaching programs have immediate clinical impact. The department introduced same-day consultations and CT simulations for urgent cases, enabling rapid treatment initiation for high-priority patients. Hypofractionated regimens were also implemented, improving patient compliance, reducing treatment burden, and enhancing overall satisfaction.
Structured follow-up programs and standardized toxicity assessments ensure early detection and management of side effects, further strengthening patient care. By embedding continuous learning into every facet of the department, Dr. Alzouebi fosters an environment where innovation is not a one-time event but a constant, measurable process.
Patient Advocacy, Community Integration & Governance
Patient experience and feedback are central to the department’s philosophy. An experienced senior radiotherapy clinical nurse and coordinator plays a pivotal role in nurturing patient relationships, coordinating care pathways, and managing referrals across specialties. Regular departmental meetings, structured feedback analysis sessions, and the collaborative development of patient education pathways create a continuous loop of improvement informed directly by patient voices.
A major governance milestone under Dr. Alzouebi’s leadership has been the incorporation of the UK Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) individualized, site-specific radiotherapy consent forms. These were adapted to local clinical practice and treatment techniques and professionally interpreted into Arabic, enabling their implementation within a Ministry of Health hospital. This initiative strengthened informed consent processes, enhanced patient understanding, and ensured the use of nationally accredited consent documentation aligned with international standards.
This integrated approach to patient advocacy and governance ensures that clinical advancements translate into meaningful outcomes, improved satisfaction, and strengthened trust. Through close multidisciplinary collaboration, the department delivers cohesive, culturally aligned care strategies that support the holistic needs of patients and their families.
Key Achievements & Milestones
Under Dr. Alzouebi’s leadership, the department has achieved remarkable milestones:
- Single-handed clinical leadership of the radiotherapy service as Head of Department
- Rapid expansion of tumour sites treated using advanced techniques
- Launch of same-day CT simulation for all urgent cases
- Implementation of formal documented clinical peer review planning for every patient
- Establishment of a comprehensive paediatric radiotherapy service
- Implementing data incident reporting and governance process
- Zero major QA deviations during external audits
- Referral-to-treatment planning time reduced to 5 days for curative cases and 2 days for palliative care, with emergency treatments delivered within 24 hours
- Structured teaching, mentoring, and competency pathways for junior colleagues
- Adoption of UK RCR individualized, site-specific radiotherapy consent forms, adapted locally and translated into Arabic for use in an MOH hospital
These achievements reflect a systematic, patient-focused approach, emphasizing both operational efficiency and clinical excellence.
Embracing Emerging Technologies in 2025
Looking forward, Dr. Alzouebi is piloting AI-assisted auto-contouring and adaptive radiotherapy workflows. These technologies, supported by a multidisciplinary team of therapists, physicists, oncologists, and IT champions, promise to enhance precision and reduce treatment delays. In parallel, the department is establishing a stereotactic radiotherapy service for select tumour sites, expanding its capabilities and regional leadership.
The adoption of these technologies aligns with a broader vision of digital-first oncology, where clinical decision-making, workflow efficiency, and patient engagement are all enhanced through innovative tools.
Vision for a Global Referral Centre
Dr. Alzouebi envisions the Radiotherapy Centre at King Fahad Hospital Al-Ahsa as a hub of regional and global excellence. This vision encompasses comprehensive radiotherapy capabilities across all tumour sites, integration of international clinical trial evidence into daily practice, and the establishment of a national training hub for Saudi radiation oncology professionals.
She also emphasizes a patient-centered, culturally aligned model of care, underpinned by a digital ecosystem capable of integrating AI-assisted workflows. By combining clinical excellence, technological innovation, and robust training programs, the centre aims to become a benchmark for oncology care not only in the Kingdom but across the globe.
Advice to Future Leaders
Dr. Alzouebi’s advice to emerging leaders is succinct and profound: “Lead with purpose, remain curious, and anchor every innovation in patient benefit.” In an era of rapid technological advancement, she reminds us that compassion, ethics, and collaboration remain the true foundations of excellence. These values, she believes, will define the next generation of healthcare leaders capable of transforming patient care at scale.
