As the CEO of Memorial International Patient Care Network, a Houston-based organization that connects international patients with sophisticated medical care in the United States, Abeer Saqer has built her career around an unwavering belief that the patient always comes first.
Her business assists patients in oncology, cardiology, and reconstructive surgery to find the care they need. Her organisation manages every step of a patient's medical journey, coordinating medical records and qualification for treatment programs in US hospitals. She then oversees all stages of care, arranging consultations, scheduling diagnostic evaluations, coordinating between specialists, ensuring post-treatment follow-ups, and communicates with the referring physicians or sponsoring entities. But behind this polished professional system lies a deeply human story, one that prioritises empathy, cultural understanding, and trust.
Saqer's approach to case management is not limited to logistics. It extends to emotional support for patients who are far from home, ensuring they feel safe, understood, and guided throughout their medical journey.
Nearly three decades ago, Saqer began her profession in Houston as a clinical dietitian, assisting patients, and collaborating with physicians and nurses in prominent cancer research hospitals. That early exposure to patient care, and the challenges faced by those coming from abroad, shaped her lifelong commitment to bridging international healthcare gaps, creating a model of case management rooted in compassion and excellence.
Driven by instinctive compassion and with the help of hospital administrators, Saqer began to assist. Recognising her ability to communicate and connect, the hospital offered her a full-time role as an international patient service provider. With just one assistant, she made it her mission to ensure that every patient, regardless of background, felt valued and heard.
After leaving the hospital, Saqer transitioned into business consulting, advising entrepreneurs who wanted to expand or launch businesses in the Middle East. Though she found success, she missed the human connection that came from working with patients. That longing brought her back to healthcare, this time as an independent counselor, offering hospitals her expertise in patient coordination and cultural communication.
Over the years, her work evolved into a structured service model that would become the Memorial International Patient Care Network. Her approach is both compassionate and practical. She coordinates consultations across multiple specialties, manages patient records, and recently oversaw the development of a digital app that allows patients to access their medical data, appointments, and reports seamlessly. The app integrates multiple medical departments, a necessity, since many cancer patients face additional complications requiring cross-specialty coordination.
"I carry my patients in my thoughts constantly. I often fall asleep and wake up thinking about how to help them," she says. Her maternal instincts, she believes, have shaped her leadership style. "Being a mother taught me to stay ahead and be responsible. My job, in turn, taught my children that health is not taken for granted; it's a responsibility."
From a young dietician in a Houston hospital to the CEO of a healthcare network, Abeer Saqer's journey is not just one of career growth but of compassion in action. Every decision she makes, every patient she meets, echoes her belief that in health care, humanity is the greatest medicine of all.
