Cardinal Santos Medical Center (CSMC) recently signed into a partnership with US-based employment agency ADEX Medical Staffing (ADEX), and launched its latest nursing career development program entitled “Step Up: The Road to Becoming a Globally Competitive Filipino Nurse”, last April 29 via ZOOM and Facebook Livestreaming.
The event was moderated by CSMC’s Director for Nursing, Leona Paula Macalintal. Present as speakers were CSMC’s President and CEO Raul Pagdanganan, Head of Human Resources Maria Louzel Diaz-Tiozon, and ADEX Chairman and CEO Peter Leibowitz. Joining the event were the other members of the Senior Management Committee: CSMC’s Chief Medical Officer Zenaida Javier-Uy, Chief Financial Officer Marivic Mabuti, Head of Business Planning and Development Dr Shirard Adiviso, Head of Information Technology Cecile Marie Escano, Head of Ancillary Services Dr Monserrat Velasquez, and Head of Facilities Management and Safety Engr Deidre Malapitan. ADEX’s COO Tina Loh was also in attendance.
The “Step Up” Nursing Career Development Program was crafted in line with CSMC’s mission of providing world-class medical training to the medical practitioners within and outside the institution. As Diaz-Tiozon said, “It is our responsibility as a hospital to be better at developing and growing the careers of our nurses. We should be on our toes to make sure that we support their career aspirations, milestones and life stages.” The program’s goal is to support Filipino nurses by opening opportunities to become globally competitive, while ensuring safe, secure, and quality career placements through ADEX’s assistance.
“We are truly elated about having this [partnership] take flight, and we are sincerely looking forward to working with [ADEX] for so many years,” said Pagdanganan. “As our Filipino nurses step up to gain new and specialty training that will prepare them to integrate with ease into the mainstream healthcare industry in the US, [we hope they] grow a successful career as a global Filipino nurse.”
“The ADEX and CSMC partnership represents a new phase in the ongoing evolution of global nursing and patient care through migration,” said Leibowitz. “In the United States, it’s a well-known fact that Filipino nurses are the best. The emissaries that are coming to the States in the healthcare environment are truly giving not only CSMC, but the entire nation of the Philippines, a wonderful reputation. My vision is one day, we hope our clients see ADEX nurses and CSMC nurses as one global network with all of these attributes.”
CSMC also invited Jay Christopher Perez, a former CSMC nurse who migrated to the United States with the help of ADEX, to share his experience with both organizations, and how they helped him elevate his global career as a medical professional.
“Before becoming a Caring Cardinal Nurse, I worked in a secondary hospital in our province. I [made the decision] to work abroad back then, but I realized I needed sufficient experience before I embark upon my journey,” said Perez. “CSMC helped me further hone my nursing knowledge and skills. After a year of experience, I submitted my resume to ADEX. Like CSMC, ADEX has given me not only a career path [in nursing], but also the opportunity to be an immigrant in the United States.”
The event was concluded with an open forum, where questions were directed towards the executives present. Requirements, the application process, and other technical details were discussed during this portion of the session, and the controversial topic of ‘brain drain’ was also addressed.
“I think the world, in many regards, is coming together as one,” said Leibowitz. “The reputation enhancement of the Philippine medical industry is dramatic, and medical tourism is slated to grow by leaps and bounds. People will look to other places for medical care more and more, and where best to [look] than the Philippines?”
“I see this as a good opportunity to share our talent and Filipino compassion globally,” supplied Adiviso. “This is also an opportunity for our healthcare system to innovate more, not only for local but also for international requirements. As we have experienced during this pandemic, there is still a lot we need to do. I see it as a long overdue goal to strengthen our healthcare system, and to create more innovation in both the academe and in practice.”
“We want our nurses to be a part of a certain career planning,” added Pagdanganan. “The good thing about this particular, above-board program, is that right from the very start, we already sort out those nurses who may really want to go abroad, and those nurses who would prefer continuing their career here in the country. For those people going abroad, that means we will train them. At the same token, if we will be able to identify the nurses who will stay, we have continuous programs where we are also honing up their skills to be able to improve their career in the country.”
“It is for this reason that we look at this partnership indeed, as an option – a realistic and pragmatic option of career planning,” he concluded.
For more information about CSMC’s “Step Up” Nursing Career Development Program, you may reach them at 8727 0001 local 3402 or at 0956 970 5891. To get updates, like and follow them at www.facebook.com/CSMCCareers. For other programs and services that CSMC offers, please visit https://cardinalsantos.com.ph/.
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