A multidisciplinary team of doctors, nurses, nutritionists, therapists, fitness coaches, and counselors mans the Wellness Hub built through the collaboration of San Juan Medical Center and SM Foundation.
Eradicating diseases is like going into battle: the best path to victory is to prevent the conflict from erupting in the first place. And who could be more suited to lead this charge than a seasoned doctor who has spent most of his career in the military?
When Dr. Joseph Acosta, a retired general, became the new director of the San Juan Medical Center (SJMC) in 2019, he initially thought that the job would not be a challenge. After all, he had been the director of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Medical Center, commonly known as the V. Luna General Hospital, a primary care facility for military personnel and their dependents.
But when the San Juan City government outlined its vision for SMJC, the retired military doctor – fondly called Doc Gen by colleagues – saw the magnitude of the task before him.
“The San Juan City leadership wanted a real charity hospital,” Doc Gen recalled one of his first conversations with the then newly elected mayor. “That has always been on mind.”
And while a charity hospital may seem easy to visualize, the retired military doctor has something else in mind: an institution that provides holistic healthcare to its constituencies.
Therein lies the challenge.
Given the limitations, public hospitals prioritize caring for the sick. This means that very little, if nothing at all, goes to preventive healthcare.
Doc Gen said he understands why, given the limited budget, public hospitals have to prioritize curative services. This, however, did not discourage him from finding means to achieve his goal.
“Ang real charity hospital, dapat may wellness,” he said, referring to preventive healthcare services. “It’s holistic. Ang idea ng wellness kasi, gusto namin ma-prevent ‘yung mga sakit. Para mas kaunti ‘yung gagamutin namin.”
In the long run, investing in preventive healthcare is more cost effective as it can reduce the number of Filipinos requiring expensive care from specialists, according to Doc Gen.
“Kung nape-prevent ‘yung mga sakit na ‘yun, lalo na ‘yung lifestyle diseases… mas matipid para sa gobyerno,” he added.
Thoughtfully positioned within the hospital grounds, the hub is close enough for medical referrals yet set apart from high-stress clinical areas to create a calming, patient-friendly space.
Coming together for the community
To achieve his vision, Doc Gen thought of collaborating with SM Foundation for the possibility of establishing a wellness hub at SJMC.
“Hindi lang ito simpleng project na gagawa lang sila ng kiosk kaya’t mabuti na lang at merong partners tulad ng SM Foundation na tumutulong,” he said, adding that this would be the first of its kind in a public hospital.
In a matter of months, a section of the SJMC’s old hospital building was transformed into a fully functioning Wellness Hub.
Although still located within the premises of the hospital, the Wellness Hub is strategically located in a patient-friendly environment that is separate from high-stress clinical areas.
Among its features are Nursing Lounge for breastfeeding mothers and a designated Changing Area where patients can comfortably change to hospital gowns. For preventive healthcare, the hub has allotted spaces for TeenThrive Women’s Health, Men’s Health, Lifestyle Medicine, Comprehensive Care Suite, Sight & Sound, Diagnostic Suite, and Meditation Chapel.
Part of our holistic approach to wellness, the Meditation Chapel of the Wellness Hub offers a tranquil space for prayer, meditation, and spiritual reflection.
Planned future additions include Bite and Smile (Dental), Clear Imaging (Radiology), and Kinetics and Vitality (Gym).
The hub will provide prevention and wellness services to clients, including health screenings, nutrition counseling, stress management, fitness classes, mental health support and patient education, according to Doc Gen.
A multidisciplinary team of doctors, nurses, nutritionists, therapists, fitness coaches, and counselors will be available to those who will visit the Wellness Hub.
Healthier future
For Doc Gen, the SMJC Wellness Hub is just the start of a long crusade toward promoting better preventive healthcare in the Philippines, although things are already falling into places. The new facility now becomes an essential part of its goal of becoming a tertiary level training hospital.
With the support of SM Foundation, the hospital is better equipped to support the over 130,000 San Juan population.
To further support the hub’s operations, Doc Gen said they would leverage PhilHealth’s recently launched Yaman ng Kalusugan Program or YAKAP, an enhanced primary care benefit package for Filipinos that seeks to promote preventive health by covering costs for consultations and tests, among others.
Those who will visit the SJMC Wellness Hub will be registered to YAKAP, which will further subsidize the costs of the services.
More than just a room, the newly built facility provides a complete wellness resource, from screenings and counseling for fitness and mental health to healthcare education tailored to patient needs.
An online booking system will also be set up to streamline the process, although walk-ins may be allowed, depending on the availability of slots.
The next step, according to the SJMC director, is to encourage more Filipinos to consider their health even before they become sick.
“This wellness center is part of changing the culture,” Doc Gen said.
With this thrust comes the hope that using the blueprint laid out by SJMC and SM Foundation, more Wellness Hubs will be established in public healthcare institutions across the Philippines.
A resource for patients, hospital staff, and the wider community, the new space aims to extend holistic care that addresses physical, mental, spiritual, and social wellbeing.
The hub promotes preventive care, empowers individuals to take charge of their health, and helps reduce lifestyle-related diseases, improving wellbeing of patients. Meanwhile, through DigiKonsulta, SM Foundation supports SJMC’s implementation of PhilHealth’s YAKAP program.
