Looking into VRP Medical Center’s golden years of caring beyond compare

Its management’s foresight and decisive actions during the pandemic allowed it to thrive despite the crisis.

VRP Medical Center (VRPMC) has served millions of patients for five decades now, having a yearly average of 140,000 patients. Formerly named Polymedic General Hospital, VRPMC has thrived and survived the test of time, even with the unprecedented global COVID-19 crisis that has recently severely hit the healthcare industry.

The public health crisis was a time of uncertainty and volatility for the company and responding to it was a big undertaking with extraordinary challenges. The pandemic affected its revenues, census, and foot traffic, as well as the apparent physical and mental stress and exhaustion of healthcare workers, frontliners, backroom staff, and management committees with round-the-clock business operations and decision-making processes of actions.

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

Despite the lockdown, VRPMC sustained its quality standards in business operations and passed the virtual external audits in the past two years and maintained its ISO Certifications with flying colours.

Another remarkable achievement of VRPMC was the management's foresight and decisive actions during the global crisis.

With the number of COVID cases coming to the ER increasing and the overcrowding of patients in hospitals worsening, VRPMC management has decided to construct an ER extension facility immediately to help save more lives.

“We redirected the plans to innovate new products and services that would meet the patients' emerging needs, including digital health solutions. We developed new and continuously strengthened our services,” Virma Vergel de Dios, VRPMC President said.

The ER team of consultants convened to design the facility and swiftly constructed the second Emergency Room on the open lot beside the main hospital building.

VRPMC completed the ER extension with the Ambulatory Consultation and Swabbing Unit within a 50-day time mark 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.

The rapid response and resourcefulness of VRPMC at the time of the pandemic were nothing short of exceptional and is a great way to bookmark its 50th founding year. Its swift and safe executive decisions during the global crisis made VRPMC a top COVID hospital in the Philippines. The company clinched the Management Innovation of the Year - Philippines award in the recently held Healthcare Asia Awards for such a response.

The prestigious awards programme aims to honour hospitals, clinics and other healthcare providers that have risen above the challenges and made a remarkable impact by innovating and reinventing initiatives to better serve patients and protect employees.