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A Quality but Practical Approach to Executive Check-Ups

As the consciousness for wellness continues to give rise to more opportunities for preventive health care, an increasing number of Filipinos are flocking to the doctors’ clinic seeking to get a regular medical check-up. This is based on the fact that timely executive check-ups may indeed avert an impending heart attack, prevent further deterioration of kidney function or even save a limb from being amputated.

However, the rising cost of medical services has precluded easy access to the aforementioned preventive health care and has been deemed by many patients to be impractical or unnecessary. But this need not be the case, if it were up to Centuria Medical Makati, a 28-storey, 74,000-square-meter facility that seeks to revolutionize preventive health and outpatient care, the delivery of preventive health care and wellness services can be made accessible and affordable. With such preventive health care and wellness services being set up at the Executive Screening Center at Centuria Medical Makati, the promise of being able to deliver a practical and sensible approach to quality preventive health care can become a reality.

For this to move a step closer to being achieved, the Executive Screening Center has forged a partnership with Centuria Medical Makati and went on to strategically package its wellness services.

Packages for different needs
As a way to conserve financial resources and curtail unnecessary expenses to be incurred by the patients, the team of Dr. Oscar Cabahug has come up with wellness packages that are generally suitable and appropriate for each particular patient group.

“What we want to do is to tailor-fit imaging and laboratory tests according to the individual needs of particular patients. It does not make sense to advise patients to do the entire range of imaging and laboratory tests if he or she will probably not benefit from the conduction of the majority of those tests. Aside from being impractical, the conduction of blanket screening tests will result to prohibitive healthcare costs,” said Dr. Cabahug, the medical director of the Executive Screening Center.

What we need to do is to limit the imaging and laboratory tests to those which can detect medical conditions before it can lead to something irreversible or before it can lead to further organ damage.

Patients under the age of 50 will be recommended to avail of the Basic Health Package. This package covers all the necessary basic imaging and laboratory screening tests including a chest x-ray, an upper abdominal ultrasound, an electrocardiogram and basic laboratory tests. Other tests may be recommended which will rely heavily on the result of the initial consultation and assessment. All these basic and additional tests are evidence-based, avoiding tests and consequent treatments which are unnecessary, expensive and potentially dangerous.

“A test will only be recommended if there is enough evidence to reasonably detect conditions which are reversible, preventable or curable,” Dr. Cabahug stated.

A male adult 50 years of age or above can avail of the Golden Health Package for Males.

“In addition to the Basic Health Package, an ultrasound, a blood test and examination by a urologist to detect prostate conditions will be included. These are recommended only in this age group based on the premise that unless symptoms are present, a man younger than 50 years is not likely to have a prostate condition,” Dr. Cabahug said.

In the same manner, a woman 50 years of age or above will be advised to avail of the Golden Health Package for Females. In addition to the Basic Health Package, this would include breast and gynecologic imaging and examination by a gynecologist to detect breast and gynecologic conditions that are relatively more common among women in this age bracket.

Additional add-ons may also be recommended after the initial consultation and assessment, including gastrointestinal endoscopy, ophthalmology, ENT and dermatologic consultations.

Strategic partnerships within Centuria Medical Makati
The Executive Screening Center’s practical approach to wellness is further strengthened by its partnership with Advanced Lab Solutions of Hi-precision Diagnostics, a partnership that will make available imaging and laboratory tests at competitive rates.

The Executive Screening Center will also be working in partnership with other specialty centers like The Surgery Center, ENT Specialists and Hearing Center, various dental groups, a breast clinic, and an eye and vision center to allow for a greater degree of convenience for their patients who may be in need of other specific consultation and/or treatment.

“With the wide network of specialists available within Centuria Medical Makati, we will definitely be able to offer comprehensive specialty services that can be made accessible to the patients availing of the wellness packages,” Dr. Cabahug said.

A set of criteria to provide quality of care
To ensure the provision of quality of care to its patients, Dr. Cabahug stressed on the methods in choosing the members of its medical staff.

First and foremost, the members of the medical staff must be properly credentialed by the accredited specialty societies. In order for a dermatologist to become a member of the medical staff of the Executive Screening Center for example, he or she must not only have completed the necessary training program but must also be a diplomate and fellow of the Philippine Dermatological Society and so forth.

“Then on top of being properly credentialed, the members of the medical staff must also be willing to handle patients who are just availing of the wellness services,” Dr. Cabahug said.

This is based on the fact that most specialists have been trained to provide secondary and tertiary care and, preventive primary care might be less of a challenge to them.

“But most important of all, we get relatively young albeit experienced clinicians who are still in the middle of their career. We harness their youthful energy tempered with experience,” Dr. Cabahug added.

Aside from its medical director, operational management of the Executive Screening Center is shared by its associate directors Dr. Marvin Basco and Dr. Gentry Dee. The medical staff is composed of three internists headed by Dr. Don Izzy Yee, four gastroenterologists headed by Dr. Gentry Dee, five cardiologists headed by Dr. Mariel Bago, two pulmonologists headed by Dr. Newell Nacpil, three endocrinologists headed by Dr. Juan Maria Ibarra Co, six gynecologists headed by Dr. Diana Bongala, three dermatologists headed by Dr. Camille Angeles and occupational medicine headed by Dr. Jacqueline Abola. In addition, other accredited specialists will be on call as the need arises including a neurologist, a rheumatologist, two nephrologists, two urologists and two general surgeons.

Today, waiting for medical conditions to become symptomatic or serious and irreversible is needless. With a facility like the Executive Screening Center at Centuria Medical Makati, preventive health care and wellness services has now been made available in a place that offers the convenience of a hospital in a home-like atmosphere. With such an innovative medical facility, coupled with a smart and sensible approach to preventive health care, wellness is now definitely within reach.

Source: The Daily Tribune | March 6, 2016

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