Over the course of 115 years, St. Luke's Medical Center serves as the country's leading health institution
Through continued efforts to usher in progress, St. Luke’s Medical Center remains at the forefront of change. This reputation as a trusted institution stems from the hospital’s commitment to values and people.
“Healthcare now is always trying to innovate,” begins President and CEO Dr. Arturo S. De La Peña. By constantly searching for ways to improve both the diagnosis and treatment of diseases with the help of technology, results are favourable for patients who seek the hospital’s array of services.
Given early disease detection and shortened courses of treatment, “you can serve more patients and lessen their worries,” explains Dr. De La Peña, who was formerly the Director for St. Luke’s Cancer Institute. “Just imagine some of the patients being treated for cancer, unnecessarily waiting 30 minutes. Shortening that aspect can improve their feelings,” he says as a practicing surgical oncologist. This brand of compassion places patients’ varied needs at the heart of the institution’s work.
HUMANS OF ST. LUKE'S
Behind every procedure and step taken towards healing and wellness are St. Luke’s dedicated doctors, nurses, specialists, and staff, all of whom tirelessly make their rounds. And throughout the organisation’s growth, creating a positive environment among them is key in sustaining excellence. Under a decentralised system of management, St. Luke’s nurses have a take in everything they do.
“You cannot be present all the time, so you must empower the people who are there at the front line,” says Dr. De La Peña on engaging the workforce. From here, “they develop [a sense of] ownership and honour in what they do.” This helps cultivate improvements in St. Luke’s, which was recently awarded the Pathway to Excellence designation by the American Nurses Credentialing Center.
“Gone are the days wherein doctors act as God, as the only ones deciding what’s best for you,” he says on the importance of teamwork today. “Development in medicine is so quick and extensive, that nobody can have a monopoly of mastering all aspects of healthcare.” This multidisciplinary approach sees the interplay between innovations in management, service, and employee engagement. These are the areas, which St. Luke’s was recognised for, as it took home the most awards at the 2018 Healthcare Asia Awards.
CORNERSTONE OF EXCELLENCE
The people behind St. Luke’s cooperate to achieve good clinical outcomes; wherein patients leave the hospital in a better condition. In an endeavour to create great patient experiences, each process has to be efficient from admission to discharge. This extends to family and friends who visit.
