By Hazel Sartorio
With the condition of our environment and lifestyle today, it is only necessary to have our health checked every once in a while as to prevent life-threatening diseases. But sometimes, let us admit that it is a drag to visit the hospital because of its busy environment topped off with the undertone smell of bleach and isopropyl alcohol.
This is why ambulatory care is being acknowledged and patronized by citizens nowadays. Ambulatory care or known as outpatient care, lets patients walk in and out of the facility after a consultation or procedure. It is convenient, accessible, responsive and efficient. An ideal setting for consultation, diagnosis and treatment.
HealthFirst, a clinic that offers a wide range of outpatient medical services from services such as Executive Checkup, Ambulatory Surgical Service, Elective Surgery, Diagnostic Endoscopy, Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation. Next year, it will also offer other services such as IV Infusion Chemotherapy.
Dr. Jesse Baylon, HealthFirst’s medical director who has dedicated 30 years in the practice of Occupational Medicine in the country, says the clinic takes pride in having caring health professionals and a spacious facility designed with customer experience in mind.
“It is a well-equipped clinic offering consultations, physical therapy, laboratory tests and minor outpatient surgeries done in a welcoming facility,” he explains. “The SoHo branch is comparable to the ambulatory clinics in other more advanced countries where space is given emphasis to contribute to the well-being of the patients.”
HealthFirst has three branches in Metro Manila: The HealthFirst hub in SoHo Central, Shaw Boulevard, and two satellite clinics in Eastwood and Cubao. These strategically located clinics are open from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., making high-quality health care accessible to walk-in patients and company-based clients alike.
Collectively, there are over 80 top doctors working in shifts and servicing an average of 200 patients a day. These doctors also practice in the premier hospitals in the country and are considered to be among the foremost practitioners in the fields of cardiology, pulmonology, endocrinology, surgery, OB gynecology, geriatrics, pediatrics, dermatology and dental health. Moreover, HealthFirst boasts of a roster of developmental pediatricians, sleep medicine doctors, neurologists, medical oncologists, infectious disease doctors, ENT doctors and opthalmologists.
Trusted clinic
Unlike busy and congested hospitals, patients can get things done in HealthFirst without the agony of waiting in line in gloomy halls. In fact, the first thing patients notice upon entering the clinic is the warm and pleasant vibe.
“People are already stressed with work, and many patients are always pressed for time,” Baylon says. “So we make sure that at HealthFirst, they are the priority. In fact, patients can have an outpatient executive checkup so that they can still go back to work if needed. Our efficient services, complete health-care professionals and extensive network with other hospitals ensure that patients’ time is optimized when they are in HealthFirst.”
Baylon works closely with Dr. Julie Cheng, HealthFirst chief of Clinics, to make sure that patients are handled by an accommodating staff, and are given superior service.
Clinic centers
HealthFirst SoHo has bright interiors, and occupies the second and third levels of SoHo Central. The second floor is divided into six centers, each having its own reception area and a patient-care officer: Medical Consulting Center, Medical Exam Center, Laboratory, Imaging Center, Oral Health Center and Pharmacy.
The third floor is dedicated to the Ambulatory Surgery Center, Physical Therapy and Rehab Center, and the top-of-the-line HealthFirst Executive.
The Medical Consulting Center is where all consultations are held. It also houses the Women’s Health Area, Urgent Care Area, Ophthalmology and Isolation Rooms, plus the Pediatric Waiting Area, Lactation Room and Child Psychiatry Department.
At the Medical Exam Center, extractions and x-rays are done, as well as audiometry hearing tests, electrocardiogram (ECG), and spirometry to check lung function.
Services such as general ultrasound and 2D Echo are done in the Imaging Center, while results are processed in the laboratory, which are released as early as the same day the procedure was done.
For dental needs, the Oral Health Center has five dental chairs for dental procedures, which include orthodontics and dental surgeries. There is also a pedia dentist who takes care of the little ones’ teeth.
And to make purchasing medicines easier, there’s an in-house pharmacy for patient’s needs.
On the third floor, the Ambulatory Surgery Center has two operating rooms for procedures such as incisions, endoscopy, colonospcopy and outpatient surgeries. Across it is the Physical Therapy/Rehab Center where strengthening training and nerve testings are done.
And for those who want to have their Executive Checkup done in a relaxing setting, there’s HealthFirst Executive, a premium center where one is assured of privacy and comfort.
Aside from Executive Checkup, HealthFirst also conducts Pre-Employment Medical Examination (PEME) and Annual Physical Examination (APE) either in the clinic or through a caravan setup in partner offices.
Cheng says aside from providing comprehensive health service, health education is also one of their advocacies.
“HealthFirst sets up caravans in offices wherein we conduct lectures on stress management, overcoming obesity and maintaining proper posture to avoid back pain—especially in the corporate workplace where people sit in front of the computer for hours,” she explains.
They also have awareness programs on keeping free from illnesses such as tuberculosis, hepatitis and HIV, which are usually done in wellness fairs.
As Baylon reminds, “Prevention is always better than cure. People don’t have to be sick to visit the clinic, they can go there for preventive care, get vaccines and have routine checkup.”