PH’s 1st dedicated cancer hospital rises in Taguig City
“Bright and pleasant” isn’t exactly a description one would associate with a hospital, but it’s the experience one gets when walking through the halls of the newly opened Healthway Cancer Care Hospital (HCCH) in Taguig City—where world-class, holistic and affordable treatments are developed with the well-being of Filipino cancer patients in mind.
Located in the Arca South community just a few minutes from Bicutan exit along the Southern Luzon Expressway, HCCH is part of AC Health’s Healthway Medical Network, and is the Philippines’ first dedicated cancer hospital. It’s founded on the belief that “every cancer patient deserves a human-centric approach to cure,” and therefore offers end-to-end cancer services, from screening to diagnosis, treatment and postcancer care—ensuring an integrated and seamless patient experience, in an environment that feels less like a hospital and more of a holistic healing center.
“This is a dream of ours because we’re passionate about bringing world-class cancer care to the Philippines at affordable rates,” says Paolo Borromeo, AC Health president and CEO.
That affordability is ensured by strategic partnerships with leading medical and pharmaceutical industry players, says Borromeo, such as Siemens Healthineers, Varian, Roche, AstraZeneca and MSD. He cites their rate for a chemotherapy pill called Tagrisso by AstraZeneca, which, at P2,995, is just a third of its typical cost in other hospitals. HCCH’s PET/CT scan, a vital diagnostic procedure for cancer, is only P48,000, which Borromeo says is also cheaper than in other institutions.
Centers of Excellence
HCCH currently has four Centers of Excellence for breast cancer, colorectal cancer, lung cancer and head and neck cancer, which provide comprehensive care for various cancer types, covering the entire spectrum from screening to survivorship.
The hospital also has specialized cancer programs for pediatric oncology, gynecologic oncology and hematologic oncology, among others.
Going beyond conventional pain and nutrition management for their patients, HCCH distinguishes itself as well through its Quality of Life (QOL) program—the first of its kind in the country. This holistic initiative addresses all facets of patient well-being, including psychosocial support that starts at diagnosis and continues into treatment and beyond. Seamlessly integrated with its Centers of Excellence, the QOL initiative ensures that patients receive comprehensive care tailored to their individual needs and, when necessary, can be paired with a dedicated “patient navigator” for a more comforting and supportive experience throughout their treatment and healing.
This program also takes into consideration the design of patients’ rooms and treatment areas. HCCH’s Infusion/Chemotherapy Center has 18 infusion units divided by walls instead of the usual curtains to ensure patients’ comfort and privacy. Even ward areas, called “quads,” are divided into four small separate rooms so each patient can move freely. All rooms have windows as well to ensure that natural light is able to stream in.
Comprehensive care
Dr. Manuel Francisco Roxas leads HCCH as its medical director and head of the Colorectal Center of Excellence, and is joined by Dr. Conrado Gabriel Lorenzo III, head of HCCH’s medical advisory board; Dr. Aldine Astrid Basa, head of the Breast Center of Excellence; Dr. Gerardo Cornelio, head of the Lung Center of Excellence; Dr. Gaudencio Vega, head of the Department of Radiation Oncology; and Dr. Daniel Alonzo, head of the Head and Neck Center of Excellence.
The idea, says Jaime Ysmael, Healthway Medical Network president and CEO, is to consolidate comprehensive cancer care services under one roof to not only elevate patient care standards, but also eliminate the need for them to seek treatment overseas or move between different hospitals. This also allows doctors to easily collaborate on cases and work on treating them in a more time-efficient manner.Borromeo also looks forward to future research partnerships they are building with leading institutions overseas, such as the National Cancer Centre in Singapore, and City of Hope in the United States.
“These partnerships will also help to both keep us on top of trends in terms of cancer, and give our doctors access to research and second opinions,” Borromeo says. “Our vision is to lead in cancer care, providing world-class treatment at a lower cost, thus extending the best value to a wider base of Filipinos.”
