Lifelong Learning for Filipino Healthcare Executives

This is a guest post of Jerome Babate, Chairman of the Board of the RO Diagan Cooperative Hospital of General Santos City.

As a business educator and consultant, I am particularly aware of the importance of education. You see the need for individuals to expand their professional competencies has never been greater. There have been changes in both the financing and delivery of service that continue to occur at a rapid pace, and the expertise and skills that are needed to respond appropriately to the resultant challenges (do) not come by easily.

One may note the traditional career ladders are giving way to new opportunities that extend to all aspects of the business continuum. The only way to do this is through deliberate, ongoing professional development.

I think our healthcare executives (hospital administrators, chief nurses, chief medical technologists, HR supervisors) must be assured that they have the management and leadership skills they need to advance their careers and serve their organizations effectively.

I certainly believe that our Filipino healthcare executives have a responsibility to foster their own professional development throughout their careers. In fact, healthcare executives also play an important role in supporting the professional development of their employees.

For healthcare executives, career development activities should include a commitment to regularly reading healthcare management periodicals, journals and books that provide insight into the trends, issues and challenges affecting the healthcare management field as well as a variety of media including Web-based or other resources offering broad-based business management information.

It is also advisable for them to participate in both in-house education and external offerings that provide a balance between healthcare management competencies and information related to overall management effectiveness. To remain effective, healthcare executives must embrace and master new information and emerging technologies that enhance professional performance.

I would encourage them to develop active networking that includes both one-on-one interaction with peers and professional society and trade association involvement such as the Philippine Hospital Association.
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This blog article was written by Prof. Jerome Babate. Jerome is a health care service management consultant. He has exposure in academia, non profit, and cooperative sectors.  His expertise is on organizational development, leadership and management development.

The PHIL. HOSPITAL ASSN. JOINS IN THE CELEBRATION OF THE 150TH BIRTHDAY OF ITS NATIONAL HERO DR. JOSE P. RIZAL

The Philippine nation celebrates his 150^th birthday,  June 19, 2011.  

So many things have been said and written about the man, be it in the internet, in books, in schools and speeches that would  find it difficult to think of what more can be done or said as a tribute to him on his special day. The Manila Standard Today’s June 18^th edition on page A7 showed a photo of PNoy and VP JBinay unveiling the commemorative logo at the Rizal monument in last December’s wreath laying ceremonies to mark the heroe’s death by musketry.

VP J. Binay and PNoy

On its own, the PHA have seen it fit to pay homage to the good Dr. Jose P. Rizal in the past National Hospital Week on account of his past endeavors as a doctor and in putting up a hospital in Dapitan during his exile in 1892.

L to R:  PHA E.O. Mac Caliwara, PHA President Dr. Ruben Flores, PHIC's Tito Mendiola,
PHA BOD Dr. Rudy Ante, PHA Legal Counsel Atty. Leo Olarte

PHA President Ruben Flores (center) flanked by (from left) PHA E.O. Mac Caliwara, PHIC EVP Tito Mendiola
PHA Director Rudy Ante (Bicolandia) and PHA Legal Counsel Atty. Leo Olarte. At the back are
the Secretariat Staff

To the Filipinos, Jose P. Rizal can mean  many things:

*A name of a street.  The name J.P. Rizal street can be found in many places.

*A name of a town or Province.  Rizal Province.

*A writer.  His most notable were “La Solidaridad” and “El Filibisterismo”

*A Doctor

*. He is a  street, he is a town, a province,  a writer, a doctor, a rebel, a revolutionary, a

monument, a park , a god,  a hero and a lot of so many other things.

The Philippine Hospital Association in this edition of its blog, gives tribute to the man, the hero and the hospital administrator, by encouraging all its members and friends to read up on his biography and his writings. As one read through his life, it will be hard to escape notice of his love for his country and fellowmen.  The sufferings he endured and sacrifices he made despite his being born to  a rich family and   possessing special gifts and talents makes one to truly appreciate his contribution to the Filipino people being free today.  

Extolling his virtues, Gat Jose Rizal in WIKIPEDIA  and Jose Rizal website (endorsed by the Committee on Higher Education) :

·         A polymath  and a renaissance man , meaning he was a man with much that was learned.

·         The 7^th in a family of 11, 2 boys and 9 girls

·         Reciting the alphabet at the age of 3, wrote a poem at the age of 8, earned from Ateneo a Bachelors of Art degree at the age of 16 with a grade of “Excellent”, took up course and passed examination on Expert Assessor likewise at the age of 16 and the Surveyor’s examination at the age of 17, finished his studies in medicine in Madrid at the age of 24 and finished his course in Philosophy and Letters at the age of 24, again with a grade of “Excellent” , travelled extensively in Europe and learned 22 languages which included Arabic, Catalan, Chinese, English, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Malayan, Portuguese, Russian, Sanskrit, Tagalog and other native dialects.

·         An artist, businessman, cartoonist, educator, economist, ethnologist, scientific farmer, historian, inventor, journalist, linguist, musician, mythologist, nationalist, naturalist, novelist, ophthalmic surgeon, poet, propagandist, psychologist, scientist, sculptor, sociologist and theologist.

·         An expert swordsman and a good shot.

·         Wrote the Noli Me Tangere and its sequel, the El Filibusterismo and his last poem, the “Ultimo Adios”.

His life was ended by musketry at the age of 35 in December 30, 1896, in Bagumbayan, Luneta , Manila.

He can truly be a source of inspiration and hope for all Filipinos. For the year 2011, his birthday coincides with Father’s Day.  While childless at his death, could he have been a good father, one might ask? Read his works and you be the judge if he would be deserving of being a father for all of the  Filipino people he loved so much.

I am glad I did this blog. I now know things I did not know or have forgotten about our National Hero, Gat Dr. Jose P. Rizal.

Happy birthday and Happy Father’s Day, Tay Pepe!

BICOLANDIA: Philippine Hospital Association’s June 26, 2011 Region 5 Conference in Legazpi City

June 26, 2011 Regional Conference Program Cover

Map

A L.E.A.P. greetings to all !!  L.E.A.P. is the acronym for PHA's Mission Statement of Leading, Enabling, Assisting and Protecting Hospitals towards Quality Service.

Year after year for as long as one can remember,  the Philippine Hospital Association had been holding its Regional Conference for BICOLANDIA or Region 5 in Legazpi City.  Main contributor to this choice is its being the hometown of the PHA long time running Director, Dr. Rodulfo Ante. of the Dr. Esteban V. Ante Memorial Hospital (formerly Sta. Teresita Hospital).  Dr. Ante has always assumed responsibility for the program and line-up of speakers taking due care in injecting freshness in the program.  Dr. Ante took the pains of surveying the PHA members in the area asking them for the topics that they want discussed in the conference.

Herewith for the guidance of those concerned is a copy of the program. 

Please Zoom In to view the program

Kindly take note of the interesting features and topics in store for the participants. For the participants in the subject Region, kindly be advised that the program will start as scheduled.

Let us see each other there and let us L.E.A.P. !

Below are some photos from the PHA collections taken during the 2008 conference in Legazpi:

L to R:  Former PHA Director Ding Aurelia, Former UNILAB VP Bob Romero and PHA E.O. Mac Caliwara

Dra. Ago enjoying light moments with Dra. Palma of DOH (ret.) and Dr. Ding Aurelia

Some of the Participants

Good attendance from Region V

More photos of attendees

Another View of the Good Turnout

At the registration Table

THE PHIL. HOSPITAL ASSN’S DAVAO CONFERENCE FOR REGIONS XI, XII and ARMM

 The Davao sojourn of the National Board and Secretariat to the heaven on earth place, Davao City, had them running around all day and night.  From the airport arrival,

PHA President Dr. Ruben Flores at the airport upon arrival

they proceeded to have lunch at Nanay Bebeng's, a restaurant fast becoming a popular eating place serving buffet lunch at PhP 299/head. Most of everyone has checked in at the Marco Polo Hotel by 2pm but had to rush to the Borneo Room at the lobby for the 3pm Board Meeting. The meeting started at 3:30pm and was finished by 6pm. As if the hectic day was not enough for the indefatigable members of the Board, they proceeded to grace the fellowship cocktails organized by HealthSolutions Enterprises whose aim is to equip all hospitals in the country with the best equipment the world has to offer.

PHA Secretariat Staff at the Fellowship Cocktails

L to R:  PHA Directors- Dr.  Ruben Flores, Atty. Bu Castro and Dr,  Jun Brana

Health Solutions Ent. Attending to Queries

HSI Marketing Executives with
BPI Leasing VP Sam Tang (2nd from Left)

Congratulations to the organizers, guests, speakers, participants, sponsors and other are in order!

Don’t just believe when we say that the Region XI, XII and ARMM at the Marco Polo Hotel, Davao City on May 29, 2011 was a success. Believe the photos below: 

PHA Directors Dr. Romy Maano, Dr. Rudy Ante and
PHA Legal Counsel Atty. Leo Olarte (standing)

PHA BOD and Secretary Dra. Janet Tan

 

The theme “A LEAP BEYOND THE HOSPITALS HORIZON:EMBRACING THE FUTURE” probably had something to do with the attendance of about 200 participants to the conference. Some 130 government and private hospitals were represented.

Pre-Opening Treats For The Early Birds. An innovation to the usual manner of conducting the conference in the past was to wait for all the guests of honor before starting with the Ceremonies.  This year, for the past 3 Regional Conferences ( Angeles City, Cebu City and Baguio City), the early birds were given treats with pre-opening ceremonies sessions.  Would you believe that there were participants from distant provinces waiting at the registration as early as 6;30am? Nevertheless, their efforts were rewarded by the 2 early topics:

1.        Cash Flow Solution to Hospitals’ Equipment Needs with BPI Leasing Corporation VP/Treasurer Mr. Sam Tang presenting.

2.       The Value of Social Media/Networking (Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Blogging) in Healthcare with COMLOGIK Business System Marketing Consultant Mr. Umbert Virtucio giving a comprehensive presentation.

A Song at the Snack Break. The tandem finished as scheduled  at 915am.  During the morning snack break,  Umbert Virtucio who was highly endorsed by PHA VP Hermogenes Jarin, rendered a song by Frank Sinatra:  “I Got You Under My Skin”.  To the delight of crowd, the PHA President Dr. Ruben C. Flores was made to sing the last stanzas of the song.  The two of them can definitely give most of our popular singing personalities a run for their money provided they do not sing the most dreaded song of the ‘ol blue eyes,  “My Way”.

No show.  All things considered, the program were on the up and up except for the inability to attend due to unavoidable circumstances of the Mayor of Davao, the Honorable Sara “Inday” Duterte, the supposed leading of the Christian Prayer by Dr. Sergio Managan-Medical Director of the Managan Hospital and Ms. Liezel Lom-Oc, Administrator of the Medical Mission Group Hospital who was supposed to lead the singing of the Philippine National Anthem.  

Dr. Jesus Jardin opened the program by welcoming and recognizing the presence of the participants.

Universal Health Care. Congressman Anthony Golez, Vice-Chair of the Committee on Health, regaled the crowd with his updates on the works in the amendment of the National Health Insurance Act of 1995, Universal Healthcare,  his wish of more government spending for hospitals.

Cong. Golez speaking before the crowd

Other Topics. PHIC and DOH Senior Officials, proceeded with presenting various updates on their respective turf.

 The rest of the program went on beyond the scheduled 5pm adjournment.  The participants were very enthusiastic during the open forum throwing a load of questions to the panel composed of Department of Health and Philippine Health Insurance Corporation Senior Officials.

Drs. Ruben Robillo, President of the PHA Region XI Council and Dr. Renato Diagan, President of the PHA Region XII Chapter handled their part as emcees for the morning and afternoon sessions, masterfully. 

The sojourn would not have been complete if one does not partake of the grilled Tuna Panga, Buntot, Bagaybay, etc, that LUZ KINILAW have to offer. 

Goodbye Beautiful Davao! See you again next year, I hope.