De Los Santos Medical Center awarded Facilities Improvement Initiative of the Year - Philippines

Its strategic enhancements and commitment to affordable, quality healthcare earn top honours at the Healthcare Asia Awards 2024.

De Los Santos Medical Center (DLSMC) was honoured with the Facilities Improvement Initiative of the Year - Philippines at the Healthcare Asia Awards 2024. This accolade recognises the hospital's unwavering commitment to providing exceptional and compassionate healthcare, matched with a conscientious effort to maintain affordability. In 2023, DLSMC embarked on a transformative journey, focusing on enhancing patient safety and amplifying the value of services across all operational facets.

Prioritising the patient experience has always been at the forefront of DLSMC's ethos. The hospital has implemented strategic measures to ensure a seamless and pleasant patient journey from start to finish. Recognising the critical importance of time in healthcare delivery, DLSMC has significantly improved the turnaround time (TAT) for ancillary services and inpatient discharge processes. Ancillary Services achieved a remarkable reduction in TAT to a historic low of 20 minutes, while inpatient discharge TAT was reduced from 8 hours to 4.83 hours. These improvements were recognised with an award for Most Outstanding Quality Improvement Studies.

Patient care has been elevated through the Medication Safety Improvement programme, Hand Hygiene Education and Compliance initiatives, and the significant step of integrating Critical Care Specialists into the ICU. These specialists provide personalised, comprehensive, and multidisciplinary care, ensuring that patients receive the best possible treatment.

DLSMC has also invested heavily in its facilities to ensure comfort and well-being. Upgrades and new constructions include the Emergency Room, Outpatient Infusion Unit, Flood Control Project, Animal Bite Center, Sleep Lab, TB-DOTS, Wound and Stoma Care Center, and Centralized Material Management Unit. The Outpatient Registration Hub was updated to expedite medical insurance approval processes.

The hospital has not only focused on physical upgrades but also on programmes that ensure patient safety and involve families in care decisions. The implementation of Family Conferences and a Patient Safety Program has been pivotal in facilitating decisions that consider safety, economic implications, and clinical outcomes. This comprehensive approach has led to a Hospital Net Promoter Score of 83, surpassing the target of 70.

Recognising the critical role of doctors in the patient care journey, DLSMC has enhanced the Physician Portal, AppHub, and e-PF, streamlining processes for physicians. The My Scheduler portal has been introduced to improve OR theatre calendar management. Additionally, the hospital has ramped up efforts in scouting and training nurses.

DLSMC has also focused on Flagship Services in key areas such as Neurology, becoming an Acute Stroke-Ready Hospital, completing Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery modular training in OB-Gyn, intensifying patient care management in Cardiology, and enhancing services in joint replacement surgery and Sports Orthopedics.

Behind the scenes, the hospital's administrative teams have been diligent in brand building, forming strategic partnerships, and enhancing Safety and Cultural Transformation Programs, among others. These concerted efforts underscore DLSMC's mission to elevate patient experience and healthcare delivery standards, making it a paragon of excellence and affordability in healthcare.

As DLSMC continues to forge ahead, it embodies the vision articulated by its president, Dr Almario G. Jabson: accessing top-tier healthcare should not be prohibitively expensive. Through its distinguished achievements and innovations, DLSMC is setting a benchmark for healthcare excellence that is within reach of the broader community, reaffirming its position as a leader in the healthcare sector.

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 2025 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].