A gold-standard presentation opened this year’s Public Governance Forum – Online Revalida, with the Ilocos Training and Regional Medical Center (ITRMC) earning a Gold Trailblazer Award during their conferment of the PGS Complaint status last January 27.
As the only tertiary hospital in the province of La Union, ITRMC has been able to situate itself as an end-referral hospital in its catchment area due to an efficient and effective healthcare provider network. With its notable performance, the medical center was recognized as one of the top-performing Department of Health hospitals in 2019 and 2022.
ITRMC embarked on its PGS journey in June 2019 and was conferred the PGS Initiated status with a SIlver trailblazer award. In its pursuit to deliver better healthcare and service to the public, ITRMC positions itself as a people-centered, Multi-specialty Apex Hospital or “Sillag ti Amianan.”
Dr. Eduardo M. Badua, ITRMC Medical Chief II, presented their roadmap and goals in order to achieve their strategic position. He shared that measuring clinical outcomes is one of their core functions and vital to taking their specialty centers to the next level.
To remain consistent with their performance and deliver the best care to their patients, Dr. Badua revealed that they are working to institutionalize their best practices and incorporate them into policies.
“At the end of the day, all our systems, we want to put them institutionalized and ensure that good policies will be cast in stone no matter who will sit as medical center chief or changes in management,” he shared.
During the panel evaluation led by Institute for Solidarity in Asia Trustee, Atty. Alex Lacson, ITRMC was commended for its low turnover rate and asked what steps they took in order to have commendable employee retention.
“You make them feel that they are part of the team and that they are important. The improvement of our financial position also benefited our employees, as our Philhealth claim increased the income by 15 to 20%,” Dr. Badua responded.
Dr. Badua also emphasized that bringing healthcare closer to the people of La Union and nearby areas is a cooperative effort between specialty and tertiary hospitals.
“An apex hospital cannot stand alone. ITRMC is now embracing public health and is now embracing specialty and tertiary health centers. COVID has been a good opportunity to hasten the provision of quality healthcare,” he explained.
Following their conferral, ITRMC aims to become more prepared for patient surges and establish the Health System Development and Care for Universal Health Care program, which will reach final integration in 2025.
In his acceptance speech, Dr. Badua expressed his appreciation to the panel and members of the Ilocos Training and Regional Medical Center.
“Definitely, this will be part of the story that we are writing. The accomplishment cannot be done by any one, but it can be done by one united organization, and that is the ITRMC. I believe and hope that this award shall serve as an inspiration to make ITRMC become a genuinely people-centered organization,” he said.
