VRP bags Management Innovation of the Year Award as it celebrates its 50th anniversary

Vrp Medical Center bagged the Management Innovation of the Year Award—philippines in the Healthcare Asia Awards 2023. The award coincided with the hospital’s year-long 50th anniversary celebration which kicked off last February 19, 2023.

During the Healthcare Asia Awards gala at Shangri-la Singapore on March 29, 2023, VRPMC was introduced as a Top Covid Hospital in the Philippines for its rapid construction of an er extension with 16-bed capacity and other er amenities within a 50-day schedule with quality standards and protocols based on the department of Health’s strict requirements for the license to operate. The er extension doubled the er capacity of the hospital at the height of the pandemic, and saved more lives with Covid-19 patient recovery rate of 85 percent in 2020 up to 96 percent in 2022.

Present to receive the award were Virma Vergel de dios, VRPMC President; dr. Egarda Penserga, Medical director; Veronica Garcia, Administrator; eileen natividad, Ancillary Head’ and rosalie Operana, Marketing Head.

“We redirected the plans to innovate new products and services to meet the patient’s emerging needs, including digital health solutions. We developed new and continuously strengthened our services,” Vergel de dios said.

Staying afloat

WITH the concerted efforts of the management team, staff and stakeholders, VRPMC stayed afloat despite the financial distress. The hospital rebounded with the swift implementation of a hospital recovery plan which included efficient cost and cash flow management without compromising patient-centric care. The hospital administration also managed to not lay off employees and closed the collective bargaining agreement with the labor union with no liabilities.

The award could not have come at a better time for VRPMC as it celebrates its 50th year this year with the theme “The Future from the Beginning.” Instead of the usual week long celebration, the hospital management decided to make it a year long celebration with 50 events.

“Throughout the year, we will have a mix of major and pocket events and we had a grand kick off last February 19. We had a motorcade, a torch run and a thanksgiving mass. So Mom [de dios] wanted it to be very special so we had five priests, one principal celebrant for each decade and our principal celebrant was Msgr. Socrates Villegas,” related Garcia in an interview with Businessmirror.

Kick off

Present at the grand kick off which was held at Greenfields district Central Park were Mandaluyong City Major Benjamin Abalos, a representative of Mandaluyong City rep. neptali Gonzales Jr., and officials from the Mount Grace network. VRPMC was the first hospital to join the network 10 years ago.

“It was an exclusive event for employees but we also invited retired employees and doctors. Anyone who was with VRP was welcome to join. There were food concessionaires where guest were given vouches in denominations of 50, dancing and five performers from the last five decades,” Garcia continued.

The management also took advantage of the opportunity to formally launch its new slogan “Alagang VRP.” “ever since the pandemic, we have been using the ‘Alagang VRP’ branding so we also had an employee immersion training about our new slogan,” she said.

Reopening of centers

AS part of their anniversary celebration, VRPMC will be reopening and relaunching the centers and units that management was forced to close during the pandemic. The centers include the Cardiac rehabilitation Center, the new Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory, Kidney Transplant Facility, Wellness and Aesthetic Center, diabetes, Obesity and nutrition Center, among others.

To close the anniversary celebration, VRPMC will have a more formal gala where the hospital will launch a coffee table book. Other activities that are scheduled include an HMO night, Physician’s night and memorial lecture, golf tournament, among others.

“VRPMC is on the road to recovery. All the projects that were previously put on hold are becoming a reality one by one. no one is working from home now and everyone is on board,” Garcia said.