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.

PHA Visayas Townhall Meeting

Information.  Innovation.  Transformation. Empowering Hospitals for Sustainable Growth.

Self-Discovery as a Healthcare Worker

I saw a reel on Facebook about how highly functional performers get depressed, internally exhausted and burned out.  This triggered for me a moment to reflect internally on my strengths and weaknesses so that I could adjust the way I do some things in my daily life.

Self-discovery as a healthcare worker is a powerful tool for personal growth. It helps you to systematically evaluate your inner world to better understand yourself and make more informed decisions.  Self-discovery for healthcare workers involves developing self-awareness to understand one's own needs, emotions, and limitations in the demanding healthcare environment. It requires cultivating self-care practices to manage stress and prevent burnout, and integrating professional growth through reflection on successes, mistakes, and skills. This process leads to improved patient care, better interpersonal relationships, greater personal satisfaction, and a more resilient professional identity.  Focusing on strengths and weaknesses considers our internal world before we venture into our external environment.  We can't control what happens around us, but we can control how we react to the trigger.  After all, didn't Michael Jackson also sing "I'm talking about the man in the mirror..."

Key components of self-discovery include self-awareness, self-care, professional reflection and boundary setting.

Self-awareness breeds fulfillment and is a source of power that makes leaders creative, better communicators and confident.  Self-care is actively practicing behaviors and habits that promote physical, mental and emotional well-being to prevent stress and burnout. Self-care interventions has core elements from both "people-centered" and "health systems" approaches, underpinned by the key principles of human rights, ethics and gender equality.  Professional reflection involves thinking deeply and critically about what happened, why it happened, and what can be learned, leading to better decision-making, stronger skills, enhanced well-being and improved outcomes for yourself and those you serve.  This allows us to continue developing beyond qualification, with increasing encouragement for lifelong learning.  Boundary setting is establishing clear limits and expectations of how you want to be treated in relationships to maintain perspective and avoid being overwhelmed by your work.

Join us on #HealthXPH tonight at 7PM on BlueSky  to support this analysis of self-discovery as a healthcare worker.

STRENGTHS.  These are qualities that you already possess:

• Increased self-awareness
• Clarity on values and passions
• Enhanced decision making
• Improved resilience
• Better relationships

T1.  As a healthcare provider, what strengths can you bank on to ensure quality service? 

WEAKNESSES.  These are internal hurdes that need to be overcome and areas for potential improvement:

• Overthinking and Analysis Paralysis
• Emotional discomfort
• Resistance to Change
• Increased vulnerability
• Difficulty with Self-Acceptance

T2. As a healthcare provider, what weaknesses do you see in yourself that needs to be further improved?

Other messages from Jim Katzaman:

IMPACT.  The strengths and weaknesses of a healthcare worker have a profound and direct impact on patient care, infuencing everything from safety and medical outcomes to patient satisfaction and trust.

• Clinical Competence and Expertise
• Effective Communication
• Empathy and Compassion
• Attention to Detail
• Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving
• Teamwork and Collaboration
• Organization and Time Management
• Professional Behavior

T3.  How do you think self-discovery as a healthcare worker would impact patient care?

Flood Control

We have been hearing about climate change for more than a decade now, and it seems this year 2025 we are experiencing the prophetic warnings with volcanic eruptions, typhoons and flooding.