St. Luke’s One Healthcare System earns recognition at Healthcare Asia Awards 2026

The hospital enhanced patient services through integrated digital solutions and sustained investment in its people.

St. Luke's Medical Center (St. Luke’s) received two category wins at the Healthcare Asia  Awards 2026, taking home Tertiary Hospital of the Year – Philippines for St. Luke’s Medical  Center Quezon City and CEO of the Year for Dr Dennis P. Serrano. 

The distinction reflects the hospital’s sustained investment in accredited care programmes,  medical innovation, and patient-focused systems that support efficient and coordinated healthcare services. 

Under the leadership of Dr Dennis P. Serrano, the hospital reinforced its role as the major private referral centre in the Philippines for complex care through consistent excellence in clinical performance, operational efficiency, workforce engagement, and community outreach. 

International accreditation forms a key component of the hospital’s clinical governance structure. In 2003, St. Luke’s Medical Center Quezon City (SLMC QC) became the first hospital in the Philippines and the second in Asia to obtain accreditation from Joint Commission  International (JCI), demonstrating compliance with internationally recognised standards for patient care and hospital management.  

In 2016, SLMC QC became the country’s first JCI-accredited Academic Medical Center Hospital. The designation acknowledged its roles in clinical service delivery, medical training,  and research. Its Primary Stroke Program also received certification under the JCI Clinical Care  Program Certification framework. Reaccreditation was later secured under the JCI 8th Edition standards, and the institution remained the Philippines’ only JCI-accredited Academic Medical Center between 2016 and 2024. 

The hospital also continues to set benchmarks in quality and safety as the first hospital in  Southeast Asia to receive JCI Clinical Care Program Certification for its Kidney Transplant Programme. This has strengthened transplant services and supported complex surgical procedures across the region. 

SLMC pioneered robotics surgery in the country with the Da Vinci Si in 2010, making minimally  invasive operations possible in many fields, including urology, gynaecology, ENT, and general  surgery. In 2024, the institution began introducing the da Vinci Xi Surgical System across both  hospitals. The team has achieved several milestones, such as performing the country’s first  robotic-assisted kidney transplant in 2023, the first robotic-assisted cardiac surgery in 2024, and  the first paediatric robotic-assisted ureteral reimplantation in 2025. These achievements show  how well the hospital has brought robotic systems into specialised care. SLMC has now completed nearly 3,000 robotic-assisted procedures across different specialties. These advances mean less invasive treatments, quicker recovery, and more options for complex cases, helping SLMC remain a regional leader in surgical innovation.

Digital systems were developed to enhance patient interaction with hospital services. The eHealth Hub mobile platform offers secure access to laboratory results, appointment scheduling, and billing information. A real-time discharge tracker was integrated to coordinate physician clearance, pharmacy preparation, and billing completion. Following the implementation, discharge turnaround time decreased, and bed utilisation increased. 

A culture of care shapes how St. Luke’s operates by strengthening teamwork, improving efficiency, and supporting staff across all functions. This approach resulted in an increase in associate satisfaction over 18 months. The benefits are evident in patient care, where stronger teams provide more attentive, compassionate, and coordinated service. 

St. Luke’s Medical Center is expanding access to indigent patients by opening the 40-bed  Evelyn D. Ang/Dāna Charity Ward, which fully subsidises their hospital care. The hospital also conducted community surgical missions in partnership with the local governments of Quezon  City and Taguig. In addition, St. Luke’s Medical Center launched the Health Equity and  Research (HERE) Foundation to support research initiatives, policy advocacy, and healthcare access programmes in the Philippines. 

Through sustained investment in people, systems, and innovations, St. Luke’s Medical Center continues to raise the standard of care in the Philippines, delivering outcomes that are globally competitive and deeply rooted in service to the Filipino.

Healthcare Asia Awards is an awards programme focused on acknowledging exceptional hospitals across Asia that redefine the standards of excellence in the healthcare industry. It proudly shines a spotlight on Asian hospitals that consistently go beyond conventional boundaries to provide top-tier patient care and have a lasting impact on their local 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 2027 awards programme and be acclaimed for your organisation's remarkable initiatives and contributions to the healthcare industry, please contact Julie Anne Nuñez-Difuntorum at [email protected].