A promise to deliver ‘Care Beyond Cure’

(From left) Ayala Corp. Board of Director Eric Francia, AC Health President and Chief Executive Officer Paolo Borromeo, Santa Rosa City Vice Mayor Arnold Arcillas, Ayala Corporation Adviser to the Board Fernando Zobel de Ayala, Laguna Municipal Health Officer Dr. Odie Inoncillo, Healthway Philippines Inc.’s President and Chief Executive Officer Jaime Ysmael, and QualiMed Health Network Group Chief Operations Officer Margaret Bengzon

Ayala Corporation reaffirmed its commitment to continue investing in the healthcare sector with a multi-pronged event on May 8 that officially marked the launch of the Healthway Medical Network (HMN). HMN falls under the company's medical division, AC Health, and is responsible for integrating the brands and services of Healthway Clinics and Qualimed Hospitals through various formats nationwide.

Fittingly held at the new Healthway Qualimed Hospital in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, the event, dubbed “Care Beyond Cure,” involved a discussion on the importance of multi-sectoral collaboration in healthcare; a presentation of AC Health updates; AC Health's Care Card turnover ceremony to the province's local government units; and the grand unveiling of the venue's new signage.

No less than Ayala Corporation's Fernando Zobel de Ayala witnessed the jam-packed program, which celebrated the continued growth of their important vision.

“We have big aspirations for AC Health and the HMN. Given the growing importance of health care for both the Ayala group and the national agenda at large, this is an opportune time to expand,” declared the esteemed business leader whose commitment is rooted in his belief that every Filipino deserves access to quality health care.

“The integration and launch of HMN and its promise to deliver 'Care Beyond Cure' exemplify Ayala's relentless pursuit of excellence in its unwavering commitment to nation-building,” he added.

Paulo Borromeo, president and chief executive officer of AC Health, likewise said in his welcome address that his division was established in 2015 out of a genuine desire to address gaps in the healthcare sector.

Since then, Borromeo said AC Health proceeded to invest in different healthcare sectors to create a network that spans the entire continuum of care. As such, AC Health now works across three pillars in the pharmaceuticals, digital health, and the clinics and hospitals groups.

Borromeo furthered that since its establishment, AC Health has grown sizably and is proud to have the foundations of an ecosystem that can effectively respond to the gaps it sought to address.

“To date, AC Health has served 6.1 million lives, and this success is in large part due to the integration and collaboration that we have created within HMN,” Borromeo elaborated, noting that much of AC Health's accomplishments are a result of extensive collaboration not only within the network but also beyond.

He added that AC Health eagerly anticipates expanding services across its network, achieving organic and inorganic growth and relentlessly pursuing the goal of touching the lives of one out of every five Filipinos.

“Our expansion efforts encompass various key areas: our steadfast commitment to expanding the drugstore footprint; to be fervent champions of affordable medicine; and to innovate and improve the digital health platform,” Borromeo continued.

“Alongside the brand integration, we are also integrating our processes, including procurement and other shared services, as well as our IT platform, as we are launching our unified electronic medical records and clinical information system later this year.”

As for expanding clinics and hospitals, AC Health plans to open three more clinics in Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, and Davao this year, growing its network to a total of 15 outpatient centers. Furthermore, there are plans to put up health and wellness centers in tourist areas like El Nido in Palawan and Boracay.

Notably, the highly anticipated Healthway Cancer Care Hospital, the first of its kind in the country, is scheduled to open its doors in September 2023.

“All our endeavors for expansion, innovation, and growth are done with the patient in mind,” Borromeo underscored.

Indeed, under the banner of “Care Beyond Cure,” the unveiling of the HMN signifies more than a mere name change, such that it represents AC Health's “unwavering dedication to providing compassionate, coordinated care that is always patients first.”