Small Changes in the Right Direction

You can't please everyone so don't even try.  It would just be a waste of time.

Serving a government hospital, we want to find ways to make things easier for employees and more efficient to deliver our targets. Innovation is key.  There is need to do research, and by this I mean:

1.  Identifying the problem

2.  Identifying the barriers and enablers to solving a problem - collecting data so that the solution is based on evidence

3.  Innovating on policies and process flows that can solve the problem by changing the way things are done, preferrably utilizing technology to make things easier and more efficient and less costly - analyzing data and making conclusions and recommendations.

4.  Discovering best practices that may be replicated and strengthened once there is proof of concept and proof of solution

5.  Monitoring and feedbacking and documentation to tell the story

What works and where did we go wrong.

Millenials tend to engage in things that have meaning to them.  They are no longer like their predecessors who would blindly follow and say "yes sir/madam" or instead of answering "no" would respond instead with "ok po, gagawan ko ng paraan..."

This feels like a sieve identifying needs versus wants.  It is important to focus on one's priorities so as not to be distracted by cheap frills and negativities.  Keep your eye on the prize.

LEADERS use their wings to fly

These are some of the things expected of leaders.

People are generally obedient to set rules if instructions are clearly given.  Leaders don't even need to give task assignments.  They just need to make sure the whole team has the same vision and that we are all moving towards the same direction.

Don't play favorites but use carrots or sticks.  Be generous with praise.  Be private with correction and criticism.  Give more emphasis on merit than connections.

Nobody is perfect.  Leaders need to lead by example exhibiting honesty and humility.  Asking for help is the best way to gain trust.

Sometimes you feel that keeping quiet and inhibiting oneself from making comments and expressing opinions is the best way to keep the peace, but it's like ducks in a pond:  above the water everything is calm and still, not realizing that underneath the tranquility, all the hidden negativities keep paddling where you can't see or hear them.  Better to be out in the open about one's feelings, thoughts and emotions compared to repressing and losing one's voice.

 

Labor and Delivery

Doing what I love doing - being part of the miracle of bringing in new life into the world.  It's like riding a bicycle.  You never really forget the skills and maneuvers, like outlet forceps delivery.  It's muscle memory!  It's a bit sad that this skill is slowly disappearing, but happy for mothers whose labor can be expedited without much harm to mother and baby if done properly.

Happy birthday Kalia!  You're a gift from God!

Ikigai

 

World AIDS Day 2025

 

📢 Key Messages for HIV Awareness and Control in Cebu

These messages focus on life-saving treatment, access to services, and overall wellness.

1. Treatment Works: HIV is Not a Death Sentence

 * Antiretroviral Vials (ARVs) are provided for free by the Philippine government through DOH-accredited HIV Treatment Hubs in Cebu (e.g., Kaambag Clinic at Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center).

 * Undetectable = Untransmittable (U=U): Once a person living with HIV (PLHIV) consistently takes their ARVs and achieves an undetectable viral load, they cannot sexually transmit HIV to their partner.

 * The Goal: With consistent treatment, PLHIV can live long, healthy, and productive lives, and prevent new infections.

2. Know Your Status: Testing is the Gateway to Care

 * Testing is the First Step: HIV counseling and testing is the crucial first step to accessing comprehensive treatment, care, support, and prevention services.

 * Confidential and Accessible: Centers and community-based organizations offer free, confidential, and safe testing and counseling.

 * KAAMBAG Clinic is open on Mondays, Tuesday, Thursdays, Fridays from 6:00AM to 10:00 PM.

 * Prevention and Protection: For those who test negative but are at high risk, Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) is available in Cebu's treatment hubs and clinics as an effective prevention method.

 * A Call to Action: Cebu officials and health advocates are normalizing testing, urging Cebuanos to get tested and integrate it into routine health check-ups.

3. Live Long and Strong: Healthy Lifestyle and Adherence

 * Adherence is Key: Taking ARVs daily, as prescribed, is the most important factor in achieving an undetectable viral load and maintaining good health.

 * Holistic Wellness: Maintaining a healthy lifestyle (good nutrition, exercise, and mental health support) is vital for PLHIV to live long, productive, and fulfilling lives.

 * Erase Stigma: The commitment to a healthy life and the success of U=U helps in reducing the stigma and discrimination that remain significant barriers to prevention and treatment in Cebu.

Minimum compliance

 

My mother spoke some harsh words to me that shocked me to my core, that I did not know how to communicate well.  I was actually not practicing non-violent communication because she felt that i needed to be always right.  

I heard this as well from colleagues who said to my face that I didn't know how to listen.  Worse is that I was described as a leader who always needed validation.  So insecure. So needy.

Today, the phrase that stuck to my ears is that "I am not in the same boat as the rest of the team."  It had to reach this level of severity that I had to endure the humiliation of mutiny. I have somehow failed in connecting with my team so make sure we were aligned with the same targets, a bitter pill to take.  Such a humbling experience.

My first instinct is to quit, realizing that I did not have the moral ascendency over my team.  I had a smalled tight-knit group of trusted leaders, but they failed to convey these concerns directly to me until the tension spilled over and the team needed courage and strength in unity to confront me with their concerns 

I've never been one to settle for minimum compliance, but I've learned during my masteral courses that "DONE is better than perfect."

76th Philippine Hospital Association Annual Convention and Exhibitd

Attended the 76th PHA Annual Convention and Exhibits at the Manila Hotel with the rest of the EXECOM members.

Surgery: it's like riding a bike

Soon as I arrived at the airport, I rushed to the hospital because I had a patient with ovarian new growth in complication, and we had to do remove the ovarian mass, the uterus and the contralateral ovary.  I realized that even after a long time bot doing surgery, I still know how to operate.

The next night, my pregnant patient who was term, was supposed to have routine non-stress test.  In the end, it was her doctors who got stressed because the baby's heartbeat dropped 70 beats below the baseline, and we had to do an emergency cesarean section.  Just like my midnight operation the night before, it was the same team: same anesthesioiogist, same scrub nurse, same circulating nurse, different patient.  I realized that I still know how to do cesarean section!

There is muscle memory and once you learn it, you know it for life. It's like riding a bike!

Digital Transformation

 

Our top management is wondering why with a lot of manpower, the hospital cannot still submit insurance claims on time compared with a private hospital that only assigned 13 staff as claims revirwer and insurance processing staff?

The answer:  electronic health records!

Treeplanting part of Disaster Risk Reduction Management

Doing a root analysis of the flash foods that ravaged most of Metro Cebu, the forests in the uplands have been denuded to pave the way for development of housing projects.

How do we encourage people to plant trees and continuously care for these trees if they keep asking "what's in it for us?"

It's not enough to do tree planting because the people who live in the mountains just cut off trees for firewood.

Overachievement

This post I came across on Instagram got me thinking about what I think is emotional constipation.

Everybody says I am a workaholic, and I find that it is abnormal that when my time is suddenly freed up of meetings or workload, there are times I suddenly feel lost or that the rug was suddenly pulled out from under me... is this the reason why? Have I been using work as a clutch to fill in the void of love and self-worth?  Do I feel safe so long as I am productively achieving goals?

Is this sense of independence of not needing anyone or choosing not to connect so as not to be hurt a way to self-regulate, a coping mechanism?

Exhaustion is how I sleep.  There lies an urge to maximize the waking hours to be productive and not to waste time.

This resonates so much in me because of the childhood trauma of hearing "why are you so incompetent?" which pushes me to try harder to become better and opening the idea that I am not enough as I am.

My worth is not earned.

I am enough.

I am loved.

I am enough as me.

I don't need to meet expectations other than my own.   At the end of the day, I don't have to be strong or to achieve.  I can be soft and be accepted for all my flaws and scars.  It's ok.

Survivor

Sometimes the negative thoughts can weigh you down and the hurt is too painful to bear that one considers what if this could all end in a blink of the eye?

What if unknowingly I am the one causing and spreading negative vibes to others?

What if after always talking about non-violent communication, I am the one causing hurt to others with thr way I speak?

What if something that's a small mistake made bigger by my words and thoughts and actions?

What if I could simply give up and retreat and not try too hard?

What if my passivity is what makes the environment toxic and unbearable?

What if I wasn't meant to be where I am now and that I should just leave?

What if?

Emotionally constipated

Priest realizes I am emotionally constipated.

Leadership meetings

 

The Philippines is Shaking

 

When rules are broken

I remember during the COVID19 pandemic learning about SARS COV2 RTPCR results being forged and sold in the black market just to get thru border controls.  There were rumors about a private hospital charging as much as P10,000 for tests that were done at a government facility free of charge.  Today we are indignant about corruption in ghost flood control projects, but how do we point out these concerns without being afraid of our own safety?

From the smallest error and non-compliance swept under the rug, we develop that culture of "lagay" or payments and bribes under the table just to let transactions push thru despite rules and guidelines. 

Is there really a grey area between right and wrong?

Do honest law-abiding citizens always have to agonize over reporting wrong behavior, whether it is the simplest transaction or whether it involves millions and billions worth of contracts - isn't wrong, still wrong?

There was a time when I was so sensitive and so emotional, I was crying over each slight criticism.  A fellow worker gave me good advice that we should not always react with emotion, but to use logic instead.

Slowly, I am learning not to care about what other people think of me.  Losing sleep over their opinions is a waste.  We are taught that we cannot please everybody so we shouldn't even try.  Be true to yourself and focus on what you need to achieve and the challenges you need to overcome.  The rest are just noise.

Doktor para sa Bayan

The Doktor Para sa Bayan: Academic Excellence, Research, and Community Service

Batch Primacordis is the first graduates of the CNU-VSMMC College of Medicine with 22 medical scholars conferred with a medical degree.

Marc Jebrick Ilustrisimo is the first and sole cum laude and a recipient of several academic awards.  

“CNU-VSMMC was not just a school, it was a promise, that no matter your background, you deserve a fair shot at becoming a doctor.  The chance to pursue medicine did not come for free as it was paid for by the taxes of jeepney drivers, kasambahays, teachers, OFWs, and by the hundred million Filipino taxpayers.”

A Solidarity Drive for the medical students of the CNU-VSMMC College of Medicine made me realize that I would want to continue teaching these students even without salary.  Hearing the aspirations of our students to become future doctors and healers is very inspiring, giving me hope to seeing the universal health care become a reality someday... 

The "Doktor Para sa Bayan" Act (Republic Act No. 11509) was enacted with clear, ambitious goals to address long-standing challenges in the Philippine healthcare system. The expected outcomes are centered on improving the country's doctor-to-population ratio and ensuring equitable access to healthcare services, especially in remote and underserved areas.

A "Doktor Para sa Bayan" is expected to be a well-rounded physician—academically competent, community-oriented, resilient, and deeply committed to serving the Filipino people, especially those who need it the most.

A "Doktor Para sa Bayan" is a unique individual who combines intelligence, compassion, and a strong sense of duty. They are a beacon of hope for communities that have long lacked medical care and are a vital part of improving the health and well-being of the entire country.

Dean Jarungchai Vatanagul shared that the three pillars of the college of medicine include: (1) academic excellence and accountability; (2) research and advocate for evidence-based health policies; (3) compassion and commitment to service.

Join us tonight on Blue Sky at 9PM MLA time on #HealthXPH to discuss the "Doktor Para sa Bayan": Academic Excellence, Research, and Commitment to Service

T1.  In your opinion, what attributes do you expect a "doktor para sa bayan" to have and how do they manifest these characteristics?

T2.  How should these "doktor para sa bayan" be trained differently from other medical students?

T3.  Aside from legislation, what other kind of support do you think the "doktor para sa bayan" would need?

We give of our essence, and not of our excess!

Tonight was special because we were celebrating the birthday of a great man - one that changed the face of a big government hospital and the culture of government employees.  Considering he requested that he not be given gifts and instead raise funds for the medical students of CNU-VSMMC College of Medicine.  How selfless can one be to use his birthday, which comes but once a year, as a fund-raising activity for his "baby" the future "doktor para sa bayan".

There were three pillars that keep us apart from the other medical schools in the Philippines: Academic Excellence, Research and Service to the Community.  In all these, our students have shown what they could do!  No more hiding, now they're shining like they're born to be.

Our students are being nurtured differently, made para sa bayan, made to serve the Filipino people!

Publication is currency!

Tricia Robredo's post said "publication is currency" and it got me thinking that I keep on encouraging people to doing  research and publishing, but failed to focus on my own career in research.  My last publication was in 2013 and that was a disaster!  Totally focusing on work made me forget that I also needed to work on myself - my health, my wellness, my lifestyle.

Tonight's #HealthXPH tweetchat is about physician's lifestyle changes and how it impacts patient outcomes.

I observed that I do not respond well when others impose their beliefs in me.  When others bluntly point out my failures and weaknesses and try to dictate what I should and shouldn't do.  I appreciate more those who maintain a supportive attitude without judgement.

People who cannot be replaced easily

 

Strong leadership is not always democratic.