Andres M. Licaros, Jr President & CEO, Asian Hospital and Medical Center (AHMC)
Healthcare has emerged as a leading issue in today’s world. The rapidly escalating life-threatening diseases are placing an enormous burden on society and the health system, challenging humanity at large. Adding to the increasing global health burden is the pandemic which has presented an unprecedented challenge to public health. During such challenging times, the leading healthcare facilities and hospitals have emerged as a ray of hope. Staying at the frontline, they are treating patients with care, saving lives, and constantly looking for a cure for deadly diseases and viruses. Adopting cutting-edge technologies, they are providing the patients with therapies, surgeries, and treatments that were not possible before.
One such prominent tertiary hospital which is dedicated to offering accessible, world-class integrative healthcare services to patients by nurturing innovation in medical science is Asian Hospital and Medical Center (AHMC). Established in 2002, AHMC is the first private tertiary hospital built in the southern part of Metro Manila. The premier tertiary hospital was founded with a vision to provide the Filipino people top-notch medical service that is at par with international standards. Accredited by the Joint Commission International (JCI), AHMC is renowned as one of the most advanced healthcare institutions in the Philippines. It is also a member of the Metro Pacific Hospital Group, the largest Philippine-based private hospital group managed by the Metro Pacific Investments Corporation, the local unit of the First Pacific Group headed by Mr. Manuel V. Pangilinan. “Our mission is to deliver accessible world-class, compassionate, and integrative healthcare service to every individual. AHMC is dedicated to serving all patients with nothing but the best,” affirms Andres M. Licaros, Jr, the President, and CEO of AHMC.
AHMC’s Journey of Excellence
Ever since its establishment, AHMC has garnered several accomplishments and innovated more services that cater to the different needs of its patients. Today, it continues to fulfill its commitment to providing holistic and compassionate healthcare by offering various services through its different institutes and departments namely: Asian Brain Institute, Asian Cancer Institute, Asian Cardiovascular Institute, Asian Ambulatory Care, Nuclear Medicine, Nursing, Radiology, Pathology & Laboratory Services, Pharmacy, and Rehabilitation to name a few. With over 1,000 doctors trained in various specialties and more than 400 highly skilled nurses, 1,000 employees, and staff, AHMC continuously provides high-quality patient care. Its goal is to lower the total cost of care while achieving excellent outcomes. “Striving to be the best at what we do, AHMC’s journey has been a learning process with a constant mindset of improving itself for the benefit of its patients and communities it serves,” opines Andres.
Keeping Patients at the Center of Care
A home away from home – this is what Asian Hospital is for the thousands of patients that it serves day in day out. Carefully planned and designed with a hotel-like ambiance, AHMC provides an environment that ultimately promotes healing, comfort, and care for the patient and their family. For the past 5 years, its Tatak Asian, Pusong Asian brand of care has delighted most of its inpatients and outpatients, which positions it to be at par with the top quartile of consumer goods and services in global satisfaction benchmarks. “Beneath this internationally competitive standing is our consistency amidst major adversities. The pandemic may have hit our shores but we are able to strike a good balance between our patients’ hi-tech and hi-touch needs by proactively listening to them. Our outlook has and will always be centered on our patients. This is what makes Asian, Asian,” adds Andres.
As a caring brand that thrives in giving the best of itself for the betterment of others, AHMC always keeps patients’ care and safety at the forefront. Now, as the world is entering into the new normal, AHMC has further intensified its campaign for everyone’s utmost safety. Asian Hospital is Tagged Safe and it is safer than ever because it implements strict safety protocols set by the Department of Health and AHMC’s Infection Prevention and Control Unit. It prioritizes everyone’s health and safety by ensuring that its clinics and facilities are disinfected regularly, its staff and doctors are fully vaccinated and using Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to minimize exposure to health hazards.
Presenting Inspiring Narratives of Healing and Hope
Since 2002, AHMC has been a part of thousands of people’s stories of hope and healing. It has touched many lives with a passionate commitment to providing the kind of care and comfort that is special and heartfelt. To celebrate those stories of healing, Asian Hospital and Medical Center embarked on a campaign entitled “#My Asian Story,’ featuring a series of testimonials of real people whose lives have been touched by Asian Hospital. The integrated marketing communications campaign creatively bridged inspiring stories of the ‘Tatak Asian Experience’ by using powerful testimonials across all stakeholders starting from patients and families, to doctors, nurses, and hospital staff. The campaign’s inherent hope for the stories was to inspire others to go through life’s tough phases more confidently and make them believe that life’s daring challenges can indeed be won.
Abiding by Its Precious Values
AHMC is built-upon its core values of fairness, integrity, teamwork, excellence, and respect which have been its cornerstone. It believes that everyone has the right to live and to live meaningfully. For AHMC, patients’ interests, safety, and care always come first, and thus it conscientiously pursue high-quality healthcare for patients. The hospital also emphasizes on teamwork. It believes that with a team of people from all walks of life, everyone can surpass their limitations and leave a lasting and meaningful legacy. The dedicated team at AHMC continually strives to learn and appropriately apply best practices at par with international standards to offer the very best of medical science to patients. The hospital ensures that each of its team members is treated with fairness and respect. “We value every individual’s opinion and belief regardless of their rank or station in life. AHMC welcomes and appreciates their unique and valuable insights. This is what we believe in at AHMC,” asserts Andres.
Aspires to Expand its Reach
Moving forward, AHMC aims to reach out to more patients in the communities it serves through high-tech connections. With its flagship institutes namely: Asian Cancer Institute, Asian Cardiovascular Institute, and Asian Brain Institute, it plans to further extend its reach to communities to provide the most reliable healthcare innovations in this field. AHMC also aspires to become one of the first “wired hospitals” in the country while staying true to its value-based proposition of providing excellent outcomes at the lowest possible cost with the most unforgettable experience, and in a safe environment. “We are embarking on an aggressive digital transformation journey that will enable doctors, specialists, and patients to connect even outside the hospital walls. This way, the expertise of AHMC goes beyond geographic creations. AHMC will be where patients and communities need us to be,” concludes Andres.