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President's Message
Brrr! Brrr! Hello from Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. We experienced our first snow fall yesterday Dec. 5. Of course the kids woke up very excited and as we were waiting for their
bus had a snowball fight with their fellow riders. It’s very cold at 18 degrees and we have to have 4 layers of clothing under a winter jacket. Gloves and bonnets are a must or
you’d feel like your ears are about to fall off!! Winter is definitely here.
We arrived in Cincinnati after a grueling 18 hour flight from Manila, August 08 to a warm temperature much like the Philippines at 80 degrees. We were met by Dr. Edward
Lim at the airport and brought to their home. We stayed with them for 3 days before we moved to our apartment on August 11. We moved into the apartment with just our
luggage’s full of clothes and nothing else. Edwin had to get from a friend some rice, sugar and salt as it is a tradition when moving to a new house.
Daniel’s first question was “Is this our new home”? Why is it empty? Well, through the kindness of all our friends and Dr. Lim, we were able to slowly fill-up the apartment.
We first had beds with clean sheets! Then, a dining table with four chairs. Therese had to sit on my lap while eating, for a few days before the 5th chair arrived.This is just to
give you a foretaste of how we first started our sabbatical in Cincinnati.
The next few days were just as hectic. We were not over our jetlag and yet we had to get things going. Edwin started his Fellowship August 13, the next Monday. I had to go
to the school of the boys to get them registered and enrolled. The good thing about the public school system in America is that they accept everyone living in the district.The
boys are enrolled in one of the top 50 public schools in America and its free! Daniel is second grade and Patrick is first grade. Next we needed to connect ourselves to every-
one, even to you, we had to get a computer, cell phones and a TV, which was the single most requested item by the kids.
From then on it was getting adjusted to our new environment and way of life. The kids love their school. I found a pre-school for Therese that she goes to for 2x a week for 3
hours each time. She loves it! Our schedule revolves around school. They have so many activities that most our weekends are taken up. We usually go to museums and the
zoo whenever there is a free Saturday. Sundays are pretty much for Sunday school and going to mass.
Christmas is something the kids are looking forward to. I was able to book a flight using our World Perks miles (meaning it’s free) on Dec. 21 to go to New York and be with
Magsino’s and Kuya Arthur. We will also get a chance to go to Washington DC. Our parking lot landlord Mr. Armando Carandang was gracious enough to invite us and we
might get a private tour of the White House and the Pentagon.
We will definitely miss spending Christmas in the Philippines. Nothing can compare to the joy and the way we celebrate it. Our Lantern parade and fireworks, Arnold’s dinu-
guan, and Ka Iska’s puto during our Noche Buena, arrozcaldo, Chinese ham, queso de bola etc. etc. But most of all we miss you our staff, school staff, doctors, patients
and friends. There is no place like home especially at Christmas. Daniel and Patrick wish everyone Merry Christmas; they said to include their greeting in my letter. They miss
Tanauan very much and are very excited to go home in June. Daniel is planning to do a presentation of the Philippines to his class before school ends. He is quite proud of
being Filipino. He is very popular among his classmates because “I’m such a funny guy, mom, I make them happy”.
We hope your Christmas is a happy one. From our family to yours we wish everyone God’s bountiful blessings this season and for the coming year.
Have a wonderful Christmas everyone! Love and Prayers from Edwin, Sol, Daniel, Patrick and Therese.
Dr. Edwin M. Mercado
President and CEO
Message from the COO
When Dr. Edwin Mercado approached me to find out if I was interested in running the hospital, I initially had reservations. My background was in retail and manufacturing and I wasn’t sure if the principles in running a shop or a factory can also be applied to running a hospital. I quickly found out when I joined DMMC last March 2007 that apart from the medical aspect which I am still constantly learning, a hospital is lot like establishments in the service industry. It is more capital intensive than most but at the heart of the business are not the machines but the People who use those machines. And everything that is done boils down to one thing – and that is to deliver to the customer competent and compassionate service, one that exceeds their rising expectations and one that can brand itself as “Serbisyong DMMC”.
This “Serbisyong DMMC” is about the 50 years of trust that DMMC has earned within its community; it’s about constantly upgrading its facilities like the newly opened laboratory complex to better serve its patients; it’s about venturing into new fields such as the wellness segment with the newly opened Aesthetic Center; it’s about updating our consultants to have the best consultant pool and training our medical staff through continuing medical education efforts and exposure to new procedures; it’s about investing in the future through our DMMC Institute of Health Sciences; it’s about empowering not just managers but all members of the DMMC family through the Employees Coordinating Council; it’s about rewarding those who have served well and faithfully through their years of service or performance excellence; and last but not the least, “Serbisyong DMMC” is about having patients who consider DMMC as their first choice when its comes to their health and well being.
As we enter into the last half of 2007, let us face our challenges as one DMMC family. Dr. Edwin and Ma’am Sol might be in the USA but rest assured that they are constantly with us, still guiding and supporting us. As one of the newest members of your Management Team, I would like to thank you for the wholehearted support that you have shown me during the past month and I look forward to a more fruitful and productive relationship during the months to come. Let us continue to do our best so that one day we can say that we are part of the best hospital in the region.
God Bless Us All!
Arlene Ledesma
COO
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