Chong Hua Hospital recognised at Healthcare Asia Awards 2025 for iCARE Virtual Assistant Program

The initiative has improved response times and patient satisfaction within the hospital.

Chong Hua Hospital has been named the winner of Customer Service Initiative of the Year - Philippines at the Healthcare Asia Awards 2025, celebrating its iCARE Virtual Assistant Program.

The hospital noted a major gap in its customer service, specifically the large volume of patient inquiries that are left unanswered. To address this challenge, the hospital launched the iCARE Virtual Assistant Program, which is designed to improve accessibility, responsiveness, and trust.

“Our Virtual Assistant Program was built on a thorough understanding of our patients' needs. We conducted a detailed analysis of incoming inquiries, identifying common themes and unmet concerns. Many patients sought clarity on services and procedures but often faced unanswered calls. This realisation sparked our initiative to create a program that eliminated barriers to information access and enhanced overall patient satisfaction,” Engr Ferdei Bartolabac, Senior Vice President for Operational Excellence at Chong Hua Hospital, said.

To ensure the iCARE Virtual Assistants (VAs) delivered exceptional service, Chong Hua Hospital designed an extensive training programme focussed on understanding hospital services and procedures, developing empathetic communication techniques, and providing real-time and accurate responses to patient concerns.

“The VAs served as vital conduits for change, providing feedback from patients to our clinical and administrative units,” Bartolabac added.

Through this continuous feedback, Chong Hua Hospital was able to implement targeted initiatives such as a Patient Portal Administrator for real-time assistance as a Centralized Information Database that enhanced the comprehensiveness of information within the hospital’s website.

The impact of the iCARE Virtual Assistant Program has been nothing short of remarkable. Responsiveness improved by 94%, with inquiry handling time dropping from 390 minutes to just 24 minutes. Google Trust Ratings also surged from 3.2 in 2022 to 4.0 in 2024. Meanwhile, the hospital’s Net Promoter Score (NPS) climbed to 80%.

“This initiative reflects our dedication to not only meet but exceed the expectations of the community we serve,” Bartolabac said.

The Healthcare Asia Awards honours exceptional hospitals across the region that have redefined the standards of excellence in the industry through their innovative solutions and substantial contributions to communities.

The Healthcare Asia Awards is presented by Healthcare Asia Magazine. To view the full list of winners, click here. If you want to join the 2026 awards programme and be acclaimed for your organisation's remarkable initiatives and contributions to the healthcare industry, please contact Julie Anne Nuñez at [email protected].