USTMAAA Foundation
The Road to Recovery: Hope and Healing at St. John Paul II Hospital
USTMAAA and St. John Paul II Hospital and USTH Clinical Division collaborate for health and longevity of the country’s oldest teaching hospital.
Patient-centered care is the road to recovery for both St. John Paul II Hospital and USTH Clinical Division.
It took a decade to build the magnificent St. John Paul II hospital, and just two years of Covid-19 to derail profitable hospital operations, a thriving residency program and vital patient care services. Patient admissions plummeted, learning opportunities for residents dwindled, and operating revenues fell short. “Our spirits were down and it was very tempting to give up,” USTH CEO, Fr. Julius Paul Factor, OP, shares candidly. Additionally, “a turn of events paved the way for the hospital and USTMAAA to drift apart.”
For USTMAAA and USTMAAA Foundation, collaborating on sustainable solutions was all that mattered, “our primary aim is not only to resuscitate the hospital but also to enable it to stand on its own,” Dr. Dionisio B. Yorro, Jr., MD, USTMAAA CME Director, writes. In 2023, the USTMAAA and USTMAAA Foundation along with hospital administration, launched a coordinated recovery effort. Targeted fundraising, operational support, and strategic investments were implemented to restore access, rebuild services, and fortify training programs.
The St. Martin de Porres Indigency Trust Fund raised over $200,000 for comprehensive patient care services and competitive residency stipends. USTH invested in brand new, state-of-the-art cardiac cath lab equipment, a new CT scanner and MRI machine. USTMAAA Foundation donated ECHO equipment, video-laryngoscope, EKG machines, a LAP tower, as well as a portable X-ray machine for use in the USTH Clinical Division. Today, the hospital is on a measured and steady path to recovery. Zero balance billing, influx of new equipment and a rejuvenated medical residency program help improve medical education, increase census, and ensure all patients receive continuous care, regardless of their ability to pay.