In a significant step towards enhancing healthcare accessibility and efficiency, Unilab Center for Health Policy (UCHP), a program under the Unilab Foundation (ULF), and the Philippine College of Emergency Medicine (PCEM) have officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). This partnership marks the beginning of a concerted effort to formally establish the One Hospital Command Center and Patient Navigation System. For its initial stage, the system will be first developed for the Department of Health (DOH)-retained hospitals within the National Capital Region (NCR).

UCHP is a program of ULF that provides a platform for a collaborative and evidence-based policy laboratory in pursuit of the goals of Universal Health Care (UHC). It also demonstrates identified health service delivery models through pilot projects that are data-driven and grounded in expertise and experience.

The initiative with PCEM stems from an ideation workshop led by UCHP in November last year, which involved various hospital heads and healthcare providers. PCEM's extensive experience and expertise, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, make it a valuable partner for this priority initiative.

“This project supports the eight-point agenda of DOH. It will guide setting up a patient navigation system essential for providing safe and high-quality healthcare, especially considering our limited health resources and the opportunities presented by healthcare informatics,” emphasized Ruben “John” Basa, Program Director of UCHP.

The enhanced patient navigation system would include real-time data utilization, centralization, strengthened coordination, and improved staff capabilities. It would ensure that Filipinos receive timely access to the necessary medical services. The initial step is developing a comprehensive roadmap aligned with the DOH guidelines and the Universal Health Care Integration System (UHCIS).  

“Emergency care is also part of UHC. The missing link is the system for implementation for better healthcare coordination; our current system needs to be improved in terms of interoperability. We need a solid national framework to refer patients to appropriate healthcare facilities to prevent mortality and morbidity,” said Dr. Jeremy Cordero, President of the Philippine College of Emergency Medicine.

Atty. Jose Maria A. Ochave, Unilab Foundation’s Executive Director, shared that, "While this collaboration will first cover DOH-retained hospitals, we see this initiative of UCHP and PCEM, as supported by the DOH, to expand and cover LGU-maintained and even private hospitals in NCR. And when we are able to demonstrate it works, this can spread to other parts of the country."

This collaborative effort underscores UCHP's and PCEM's shared commitment to driving health innovation and improving the delivery of healthcare services throughout the Philippines within the framework of universal healthcare.