This is the thrust of leading healthcare provider, Maxicare, in launching Maxicare Wing at the Metro Davao Medical and Research Center (MDMRC) last April 23. 

“We are upgrading the patients’ experience through the Maxicare Wing. As a patient, when you need to be confined and have medical care, you would go to a place where you are sure that you are getting of quality service and care,” Maxicare President and Chief Executive Officer Christian Argos said in an interview with SunStar Davao.

He underscored with the Maxicare Wing, patients are ensured of fast admission and discharge process, comfortable and spacious room and more importantly, access to the medical professionals and facilities of MDMRC.

The Maxicare Wing at MDMRC is the fourth of its kind launched by the healthcare firm, but the first to be outside Metro Manila.

Argos added that at the 14-bed Maxicare Wing, patients will get upgraded rooms with Wifi connection, electronic bed, and a 42-inch television with Netflix subscription. It has semi-private, private and private deluxe rooms.

The 1.2 million members-strong health company, Argos said, they chose MDMRC because of its impressive medical performance in terms of their patient care, medical protocol and standards.

“We have a wide network of providers, when we look at our data we are able to identify which hospitals and clinics give the best outcome, for Davao, one of the health institutions that have the best outcomes in service and costs is the MDMRC,” he said.

MDMRC Hospital Administrator Linell G. Malimbag, in a separate interview, shared the partnership with Maxicare will boost the hospital’s capacity in providing quality healthcare.

“With the Maxicare Wing using the seventh floor of the hospital, we are now 129-bed capacity, only six bed needed to fulfill our Department of Health-approved qouta of 135 beds,” she said.

Malimbag emphasized that though the Maxicare Wing prioritizes its members, it is not exclusive.

“If we run out of beds in the lower floors, and we still have non-Maxicare member patients that need to be admitted, we can use their room,” she said.

Moreover, the hospital administrator shared that they are eyeing the eighth floor of the hospital to be inaugurated within the year.

She also said that they will be having space planning next week to plan on how to relocate other offices to give more space for patient rooms.

“MDMRC has been operating for five years, we are relatively new, but we are always almost fully-booked, others (hospital) took some years to peak up in the business, but for us, we are already experiencing it in our fifth year. We can say that we are already at par with the rest of the players in the industry,” she said.

Maxicare will open two other wings in Cebu and Metro Manila this year. ( ASP with reports from Sheila Mae Vallente, NDDU Intern)

In 2010, Davao City was hit by a dengue epidemic which caused a serious shortage of hospital beds. I’ve personally known of some families who let their kids stay in their homes monitored by a doctor or nurse as hospitals could no longer accommodate them during that crucial period.

It was also around this time that a group of health professionals and investors saw the need to meet Davao’s growing demands in quality health care. Thus, in 2012, the Metro Davao Medical and Research Center, Inc. (MDMRCI) or more popularly known in Davao as Metro Hospital, opened its outpatient clinic and services to the public. These included the Laboratory, Diagnostic Radiology Imaging Center, Cardiovascular and Neurology Unit, and Pharmacy.

In 2013, Metro began operating its eight-story modern hospital. It offered a comprehensive range of medical and paramedical services aside from being a clinical research center.

Family-friendly hospital

Five years later, Metro has become one of Davao’s most reliable family-friendly hospitals with state-of-the-art facilities and equipment and the home of competent doctors and staff, not to mention its accessible location and convenient parking area.

The 135-bed Metro Hospital is Department of Health (DOH) and Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (Phil Health) accredited, and boasts of “bigger rooms and wider beds”, plus its no surcharge and no holiday rates advantage.

Metro Hospital has a naturally-ventilated building which is very welcome news for patients and hospital visitors (especially the elderly and children) as good ventilation and adequate sunlight lessens the risk of infection. In addition, special units are maintained by positive and negative air pressure ventilation.

Advocating healthy lifestyle

“Metro Hospital refers to its outpatient building as “Health Science and Wellness Center,” mainly because they want the hospital and medical center to be an advocate of healthy living, apart from providing treatment to the sick”, says Metro Hospital Chief of Clinics Dr. Jett Lu.

“What makes the facility different from others is that it provides proper guidance to people to help them attain a healthy lifestyle. The center prides itself with doctors specializing in aesthetic and anti-aging medicine, hair and scalp diseases–hair transplant and restoration, gynecologic oncology, sleep medicine, hematology, and other specialties of different clinical departments”, he elaborates.

“There is a total of 109 clinics covering majority of the subspecialties. Included in this center are a spa, diabetes center, weight management, hearing center, reading, occupational and developmental therapy, dialysis center, and rehabilitation center”, adds Dr. Lu.

Health care with a heart

Committed to provide excellent health care services to its patients, the dedicated people behind Metro Hospital proudly assure that they offer “Health Care with a Heart.”

“The Diabetes Ambulatory Care and Wellness Center does not just give treatment to people with diabetes. They also have counseling to the families and relatives of the patient for them to fully understand the situation and bearings of the patient,” details Dr. Lu.

In addition, Metro Hospital’s Cancer Center is one of the hospital’s premier centers. “We know cancer treatment is expensive. A day-stay at the Cancer Center is thus provided in Metro, where patients need not be admitted to undergo chemotherapy, transfusions and infusions”, cites Dr. Lu.

“Highly skilled and compassionate staff man each cubicle of the unit to provide all the special needs of cancer patients from diagnostic, therapeutic, counseling and support as we win them back to health in a sterile and friendly environment. All our adult and pediatric oncologists, hematologists and immunologists have been trained overseas”, Dr. Lu shares.

Metro at Cinco

Metro Hospital recently commemorated its 5th year anniversary celebration with the theme, “Metro @ Cinco, High Five! Healthier Families Just Got Better”, at the Davao Convention and Trade Center.

The affair was an unforgettable gathering of Metro Hospital’s doctors, medical staff and personnel to celebrate the institution’s continued success for the past five years. Doctors Lara Torno, Jessie Orcasitas and Mae Gallardo acted as the evening’s engaging hosts.

Instead of inviting a high-profile personality to deliver the Guest Speaker address, Alex Bacus, one of the hospital’s first security employees was bestowed this prestigious honor. Another pioneering ER nurse Zyril John Navaja extended his well wishes to the crowd.

Medical Director Dr. Yvette Yenco-Tan and Hospital Administrator Dr. Linell Malimbag likewise delivered their respective messages during the joyful occasion.

The hospital’s “Topnotcher Physicians” were given special recognition and cash gifts by Metro Hospital Board of Director Geoffrey Yenco as well.

A big high five to Metro Hospital for giving Dabawenyo families quality health care for the past five years!

We share photos of this happy milestone by Ariel Yanong Jr. of Blank Pixels.

Diabetes Ambulatory Care and Wellness Center
The Diabetes Ambulatory Care and Wellness Center does not just give treatment to people with diabetes. They also have counseling to the families and relatives of the patient in order for them to fully understand the situation and bearings of the patient.
According to Dr. Mae R. Gallardo, one of the medical internists, the center aims to provide effective management of diabetes through the full continuum of care committed to ameliorate the disease and seeks to deliver a holistic approach to improve diabetes outcomes and expunge the disease throughout the city. It will be handled by medical internists trained in ambulatory diabetes care.
The services offered are Diabetes Education, Family Counseling, Blood Sugar Screening, Basic Foot Café and Foot Services, Medical Nutrition Therapy, and Consultation.

Rehabilitation Services
The hospital also offers rehabilitation services – the All Care Physical and Wellness Rehabilitation Services of Long Island, New York by Fernando Tan, Jr. MD, PT. Dr. Fernando Tan will fly from the United States to Davao City for a week-long consultation starting on September 16.

MDMRC Pharmacy
Near the entrance of the MDMRC building is the hospital’s pharmacy which offers reasonable prices of assured good quality medicines. Prices in the pharmacy are competitive with those offered by commercial drug stores outside.
MDMRC wants to create the notion that their pharmacy is not the usual and ordinary pharmacy found inside the hospitals.

Laboratory
Patients are also assured of the quality and accuracy of results from their laboratory. The MDMRC acquired brand new diagnostic machines that will give precise results for better diagnosis.
From September 17 to 23, a 50-percent discount on all available laboratory tests will be offered.
The laboratory operates from 6:00 in the morning up to 5:00 in the afternoon. All of its sections are well-equipped with high-end facilities. The sections include Clinical d, Serology, Hematology, Clinical Microscopy, Microbiology and Histopathology.

Imaging Center
There are different pathways for admitted patients and outside patients towards the x-ray center. This ensures privacy for patients in hospital beds or in wheelchairs who are required to undergo x-ray. Outpatients waiting for their turn will not be traumatized by other patients who are being rushed to the x-ray center.

Research Center
It will be the first time in Davao wherein a hospital aspires to be a leading research center. According to Dr. Yvette Yenco-Tan, the Medical Director, the MDMRC is interested in research, specifically clinical research.

Health care with a heart
The MDMRC is committed to provide excellent health care services to its patients–the people in Mindanao and Southeast Asia. Dr. Tan said that the medical research for the development of profession will make the MDMRC worthy to be predicated with “Health care with a heart.”
“The target date for the hospital’s fullswing operation will hopefully be before the end of this year after the Department of Health (DOH) and Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth)  shall have done theirr inspections,” Dr. Tan said.
She also said that the idea of putting up a hospital started in 2010 at the time when Davao City was hit by a dengue epidemic.
According to Samuel Uy, hospital administrator, the hospital that took years in the making. It carries the special tagline that he truly believes in and that is, “when you do thing with your heart, you do it sincerely and not on monetary purposes.”
Many local guests are also expected to attend the opening today.

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