Ensuring universal healthcare remains a top priority in the Philippines, demanding sustained innovation in hospital service delivery. The Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center (BGHMC) recently took a significant step in this direction in their recent public revalida with the Institute for Solidarity in Asia (ISA), last April 12.
BGHMC bagged the Gold Trailblazer Award and was conferred the Proficient Status under ISA’s good governance framework, Performance Governance System (PGS). The public revalida is a democratic exercise that validates the public institutions’ completion of the four stages of the PGS. Enrolled institutions include the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office and the Department of Health (DOH), among others.
Aiming to generate the impact of better health outcomes, more responsive health systems, and financial risk protection for its stakeholders, BGHMC is positioning itself as a 1,500-bed capacity Apex Hospital offering Advanced Comprehensive Multi-Specialty Services catering to Northern Luzon Healthcare Provider Network by 2025. This strategic position further solidifies the medical center’s status as the largest hospital in the region and one of the pioneer institutions for Universal Healthcare in the Philippines.
Leading this transformative effort is BGHMC’s Medical Center Chief, Dr. Ricardo B. Runez Jr. During the revalida, he outlined the challenges faced and initiatives implemented to turn the institution’s strategic goals into reality. As the Philippine healthcare landscape evolves, BGHMC’s focused approach aims to pave the way for a healthier future for all Filipinos.
From its humble beginnings of attending to patients in a modest, grass-roofed Sanatorium in 1902, BGHMC has undergone an extraordinary transformation. Today, it stands tall as a stellar medical institution, catering to the healthcare needs of hundreds across Baguio and its neighboring regions. BGHMC set foot on the first stage of the PGS in 2018, garnering a Gold Trailblazer Award, and was conferred the PGS Compliant Status with a Silver Trailblazer Award the following year. Between 2019 and 2023, the hospital’s capacity saw significant growth, reflecting its expanding role in the community with the enactment of the Universal Health Care Law.
Currently, the hospital has several functioning specialty centers, and with its health facility enhancement projects, there was a significant increase in each specialty center’s functionality.
“For the 16 specialty centers we have been establishing, according to the functionality scores of the DOH based on the presence of manpower, the services offered, the fixed assets, and trainings, there are several of them that have already reached 90%. That already includes the Brain, Burn Center, ENT, and Opthalmology,” Dr. Runez said.
This remarkable achievement did not go unnoticed by the panel, chaired by ISA Fellow and Philippine Heart Center Assistant Director for Nursing Services, Dr. Linda Buhat. Co-panelist DOH Undersecretary for UHC Policy and Strategy Cluster, Usec. Lilibeth David expressed her congratulations on the milestone the hospital has achieved.
“I was very impressed by your presentation with the health facility enhancement projects that we always monitor in your area. We are very impressed with the rise up of all the edifices that we see in BGHMC,” Usec. David said.
In addition to its specialty centers, the medical center also established a strong intranet system allowing its management to disseminate information efficiently. Currently, BGHMC has a number of in-house programmers and developers to ensure that their IT mechanisms are up and running. To strengthen its rapport and relationship with its patients, the medical center launched a strategic tool called “KumusText”. This program has been a successful communication channel in obtaining feedback and improving the overall patient experience.
“This is a way we monitor our patients [and] how they do after we send them home. Basically, this is to maintain linkages with our patients, called our “KumusText” program,” the medical center chief shared.
In his presentation, Dr. Runez also zeroed in on the medical center’s close collaboration with its very own Multi-Sectoral Governance Council (MSGC). Their partnership with various experts provides them more leverage to forge bonds between the hospital and the community.
“The MSGC is really supportive of our projects. Health isn’t a problem of a hospital alone but a problem of the community as well – the water that we drink, the environment we’re in, the food that we eat. The members of the MSCG have a really vital role in producing that link to the hospital towards the preventive aspect of healthcare,” Dr. Runez shared.
Following their conferral of the Proficient status and receiving the coveted Gold Trailblazer Award, Dr. Runez imparted his immense gratitude to all those who strived to help the medical center achieve the accolade.
“We would not stop in achieving all our breakthroughs needed to help all the hospitals in Northern Luzon. Again, ito po ang pinapangako ng BGH—tutulong po kami sa mga ibang nangangailangan dito sa Northern Luzon. Again, thank you very much.”
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The Institute for Solidarity in Asia (ISA) is a non-partisan, non-profit governance reform organization that envisions a Dream Philippines where every government institution delivers and every citizen participates and prospers
