Tuesday, October 20, 2026

At Experia Expo, LAU Medical Centers–Rizk and Saint John’s Hospitals demonstrated how medical innovation and community engagement can advance care and support healthier lives.

At Lebanon’s first interactive innovation expo, Experia, visitors met the people behind the LAU Medical Centers’ advances in care. Their curiosity opened conversations about personal health, prevention, and the possibilities of modern medicine. Leadership from both medical centers and the LAU Health System joined physicians and healthcare teams in sharing their expertise and helping visitors understand what these developments could mean for their own lives.

Held at Forum de Beyrouth from October 8 to 10, 2026, the expo explored how new ideas and technologies can shape daily life. Within its “My Life” pillar, LAU Medical Centers–Rizk and Saint John’s Hospitals connected advanced clinical care with the everyday decisions that help people stay healthy.

The booth and LAU Mobile Clinic welcomed distinguished visitors, including His Excellency Joseph Aoun, President of the Republic of Lebanon, and First Lady Her Excellency Nehmat Aoun. The medical centers also had the honor of welcoming His Excellency Dr. Kamal Shehadi, Minister of State for Information Technology and Artificial Intelligence and Minister of the Displaced; His Excellency Ahmad al-Hajjar, Minister of Interior and Municipalities; His Excellency Joe Issa El Khoury, Minister of Industry; and Mr. Pierre Choueiri, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Choueiri Group, whose subsidiary Promofair organized Experia.

“At the LAU Health System, we embrace innovation with a clear commitment: to advance medicine while keeping compassionate care at the heart of everything we do,” said Dr. Zeina Khouri-Stevens, Executive Vice President of the LAU Health System. “Experia is the ideal platform to share that vision with the world, showing how our expertise, research, and new technologies translate into care that makes a meaningful difference in people’s lives.”

The medical centers’ approach to prevention came to life through the first public activation of the LAU Liver Health Movement, which drew 472 visitors over the three days. Under the slogan “Slim Waist, Healthy Liver,” five interactive stations connected health assessments with medical guidance and practical steps toward healthier habits.

The movement addresses metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), a buildup of liver fat associated with metabolic risk factors such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. Often developing with few or no symptoms, the disease can progress in some people to serious liver damage, including cirrhosis and liver cancer.

Dr. Rajaa Chatila, Clinical Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, and Assistant Dean for Graduate Medical Education, initiated and leads the movement. Her research identified gaps in awareness among university students and healthcare professionals, underscoring the need for community education.

“Knowledge alone was not translating into action. We needed to reach people directly and help them understand why liver health matters before symptoms appear,” she said. “Experia is our first public step in taking this movement to the communities we want to serve.”

At “Know Your Risk,” visitors received measurements such as blood pressure, blood sugar, and waist circumference to better understand their health indicators. Through “See Your Liver,” at-risk visitors could undergo an ultrasound assessment inside the LAU Mobile Clinic. “Meet Your Liver” offered an opportunity to discuss results, ask questions, and receive guidance from gastroenterologists.

The next stations translated that understanding into everyday choices. At “Fuel Your Liver,” nutrition experts offered guidance on healthier eating and body composition. “Move for Your Liver” encouraged regular movement through activities led by LAU Athletics, with participation from student athletes. These experiences helped visitors explore how nutrition and physical activity could support their long-term health.

Planned activities in municipalities, schools, universities, and other community settings across Lebanon will extend the movement’s reach beyond Experia, bringing its stations and expertise to more people and encouraging earlier assessment.

Prevention formed one part of the medical centers’ presence at the expo. Their teams also showcased advances in care, from the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into health services to the launch of the LAU Robotic Surgery Program, the most advanced and comprehensive of its kind in the region.

At LAU Medical Center–Rizk Hospital, medical progress builds on a century of service. Since 1925, the medical center has cared for generations of patients while expanding its capabilities. Its milestones include Lebanon’s first transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI), a Comprehensive Stroke Center, and a Hybrid Operating Room integrating advanced imaging with surgery. The recent launch of the LAU Robotic Surgery Program carries that legacy into a new era of care.

“Our first century belongs to the Lebanese people we have served. Our responsibility has always been to provide the best possible medical and surgical care,” said Mr. Sami Rizk, Chief Executive Officer of LAU Medical Center–Rizk Hospital. “We carry that responsibility forward through the dedication of our teams, embracing new technologies and techniques while preparing future healthcare professionals to put these advances into practice.”

LAU Medical Center–Saint John’s Hospital brought the perspective of five years of growth and compassionate service to patients and families in Jounieh and across Lebanon. Its medical, surgical, diagnostic, and emergency services, supported by clinical teaching and research, expand access to academic medicine. Both medical centers serve as teaching institutions for LAU’s Schools of Medicine, Nursing, and Pharmacy, connecting patient care with the education of future healthcare professionals.

“Healing with compassion has guided our first five years. As we look ahead, we must pair that commitment with innovation,” said Dr. Sally Al-Rabbaa, Chief Executive Officer of LAU Medical Center–Saint John’s Hospital. “Experia gives us an opportunity to explore new developments and contribute to shaping the future of care.”

The relationship between prevention and clinical care also informed “From Prevention to Better Care,” the panel discussion featuring Dr. Karl Jallad, Group Chief Medical Officer of the LAU Health System. Live polls invited audience members to consider who bears responsibility for keeping people healthy, what prevents them from sustaining healthier habits, and where investment could have the greatest impact.

“Our responsibility is to help people stay healthy as well as care for them when they are ill,” Dr. Jallad said. “That means taking screening and preventive care into communities and making sure that early detection leads to continued support.”

He highlighted the LAU Mobile Clinic, developed with the support of Mr. Saad El Zein, Head of Marketing and Communications at the LAU Health System, as an expression of that responsibility. During the panel, he reported that the clinic had completed its 450th mission that morning.

Dr. Jallad described an integrated approach across the two medical centers to ensure continuity of care for patients moving between Jounieh and Beirut. He emphasized the importance of follow-up that helps patients stay motivated and track their progress, supported by technology that gives healthcare teams access to relevant patient information.

This continuum reflects the LAU Health System’s role as an integrated academic healthcare network connecting patient care, education, research, and community service. Alongside the two medical centers, the network includes LAU Health Clinics, which provide primary and preventive care on the Beirut and Byblos campuses; the LAU Mobile Clinic, which reaches communities across Lebanon throughout the year; and the Dr. Moise Khayrallah Center for Pharmaceutical and Medical Research, Lebanon’s first bioequivalence and biomedical research center.

“Our participation in Experia reflects our commitment to clinical excellence and to building on the legacy of our medical centers,” said Mr. El Zein. “As we embrace new technologies and pioneering approaches, we want every advance to serve a clear purpose: better care for our patients and a better quality of life for the communities we serve.”

At Experia, that purpose took shape in conversations that made medical advances accessible, assessments that encouraged early action, and guidance that connected knowledge with daily life. LAU Medical Centers–Rizk and Saint John’s Hospitals will carry this work forward through community outreach and ongoing patient care. From prevention to complex treatment, their teams give medical progress its direction: advancing medicine so people can live better.

By Meera Shamma