During our recent 4th MB Sustainability Forum, The Medical City was among our roster of brand sponsors, and I was especially happy that they had joined the Forum. I’ve had a long relationship with The Medical City (TMC), stretching back to when I was connected to ABS-CBN and its Cable Channel and Print Media Group. With the Manila Bulletin, they were enthusiastic sponsors of the very first UPLIFT Awards that we created during the health crisis; and continued that support with the shift to the MB Newsmakers of the Year.

So there’s a lot of rewarding history with The Medical City, and we were among the first to do a feature on their current President and Group CEO, Dr. Stuart Bennett. Advocating a TMC future that’s focussed on innovation, patient-centered care, and organizational growth; Dr. Bennett, who’s British, has steadfastly pushed the storyline that the Filipino deserves better, and that TMC is ready to lead the way in demonstrating how this can happen, by surmounting systemic issues that plague the healthcare landscape in the Philippines. In fact, it’s his view that our healthcare system can be truly world-class, and it’s often overlooked in the region. At the Forum, they spoke about how Sustainability is weaved into the way they operate, and in how health care is provided.

It was with pleasure that I joined The Medical City at their 58th Anniversary celebration that happened just the other month, at their Ortigas Avenue medical center. Entitled Together In Health: 58 Years of Trusted Care, one of the highlights of the ceremony was the introduction of Edu Manzano, a wonderfully trim 70-year-old as their newest brand ambassador. Interviewed by 1Lit host Jackie Go, several members of the audience that morning were visibly impressed by the revelation of Edu’s age; of his being senior citizen for a decade now, and still looking the way he does.

As for why The Medical City, and recounting the kind of experience he has enjoyed at the center, Edu was happy to share that, “A partner is one that journeys with you, with sincerity and care in the face of imperfection. I’ve had a number of tests and procedures, and I trust The Medical City for them, because you don’t just treat illness (here), you care for the person. Because treating isn't just about medicine.” It’s those intangibles and service with a plus, that squarely made Edu a believer when it comes to patient care at The Medical City.

On top of the flagship complex that’s found on Ortigas Avenue, The Medical City has evolved to four provincial hospitals - Clark, Laguna (South Luzon), Iloilo, and Pangasinan; and to over 70 primary care clinics nationwide. Annually, it serves over two million out-patients, and 33,000 in-patients across the TMC system.

Operating under a single brand, each medical center still manages to exercise some autonomy, and craft its own health care narrative. This I got to personally discover a few weeks after the 58th Anniversary party, when I was invited to the launch of the Wellness and Lifestyle Center at The Medical City South Luzon.

It was Dr. Cesar Espiritu, the hospital’s president and CEO who took me on an impromptu tour of the Center, and the ‘smart’ ward and hospital rooms found on the seventh floor - as I had arrived much earlier than the appointed time. One of the first things one notices on the seventh floor are the wonderful nature and travel images that have been enlarged, and adorn the walls of the floor - adding to the atmosphere of openess and greeness that the windows and pastoral view provide. It turns out that Dr. Espiritu has a storied secondary career as a camera buff, and these are his photos. The hospital is lucky to have them on its walls.

I’ve been at the Wellness and Aesthetics Institute at Medical City Ortigas, where I’ve done my annual Executive Check-Up; but I have to admit that at The Medical City South Luzon, the view of the mountain range in the distance, and of Mount Makiling in particular; is a unique value proposition that’s hard to beat, when you’re talking wellness and ambiance.

Taking me through the rooms found on the opposite end of the seventh floor, Dr, Espiritu explained how they were able to start from scratch in terms of outfitting and equipping these rooms, and so these rooms are wired in such a way as to make then ‘smart’ rooms - where each room is equipped with an electronic device that allows any visiting doctor to access, in real time, the centralized records and updated reports of the patients.

It’s about upgrading the patient experience, and enhancing the availability of whatever data and information the doctor may require. As with the Center, the emphasis is similarly on taking advantage of the natural surroundings - modern, high quality health care, while immersed in Nature. Not many medical centers can offer that promise.

And mind you, by carefully choosing the time I started my drive from Ayala Avenue, Makati to The Medical City South Luzon, at 11:30 a.m.; it took me all of 42 minutes to get to the Laguna medical center. When there’s inner city traffic, to drive from Makati to The Medical Center Ortigas could easily take longer!