Human Capital

The global focus on health in recent years has been a shot in the arm for laboratories and other medical businesses and organizations. Companies established before 2020 in particular have experienced significant growth, a win–win scenario for those businesses and the public alike.

One example of this dramatic expansion can be found in the Philippines, where Singapore Diagnostics is reaping the benefits of its 2021 acquisition by Pathology Asia.

“We’ve been growing aggressively,” says Ritche Evidente, Regional Director at Pathology Asia and President and CEO of Singapore Diagnostics.

“Our footprint practically covers the entire north and south of the Philippines, 47 locations to be precise. And in terms of employee numbers, we’re probably three times the size we were in 2019.”

In fact, Evidente says that under Pathology Asia, Singapore Diagnostics is one of the largest independent laboratories in the Philippines.

“Last year we had a total patient volume of 1.2 million,” he says. “We were one of the very few facilities to remain open during the COVID-19 pandemic, and we remain among the better performing organizations in terms of quality.”

That last part is confirmed by both customer feedback and peer review. Singapore Diagnostics is a multiple Diagnostics Provider of the Year winner at the Healthcare Asia Awards.

“It’s not too common that you win the same award back-to-back, so I guess we’re doing something right,” Evidente says.

Growing in strength

Pathology Asia’s recent acquisitions, including that of Singapore Diagnostics, have given it greater muscle than ever to pursue its goals. It’s just as well, given the challenges faced by the healthcare industry in the Philippines.

“Most organizations here would have a turnover rate of around 30 percent,” Evidente says. “You have all these nurses, medical technologists and radiographers all going to other countries and getting paid more. Somehow, we’ve managed to embrace that challenge, and that’s why we have a very strong learning organization now.”

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“Since 2013, Abbott Laboratories and Singapore Diagnostics have forged a powerful partnership, combining our respective expertise to deliver exceptional healthcare services to improve the lives of patients. Our shared commitment to quality and innovation drives us to continuously expand our capabilities, ensuring the highest level of care for the growing needs of our community.” – Malone Guevarra, General Manager, Abbott Laboratories

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Singapore Diagnostics is a solid advocate of on-the-job training for new starters, and Evidente says it’s a crucial aspect of recruitment and staff retention.

“We feel it’s our mission to train people and prepare them for the next stages in life,” he says. “It’s how we’ve transitioned into a more human capital-oriented organization.”

Technology boost

Singapore Diagnostics’ other pillar is technology, which Evidente considers an enabler.

“We’ve seen continuous improvement in terms of technology across all aspects of the business,” he says. “For instance, we’ve somehow migrated toward a more paperless experience and a more interconnected healthcare world despite the expectations of printed results here in the Philippines.”

Such advancements in technology have been helped along by the fact that under Pathology Asia, Singapore Diagnostics is part of what Evidente deems a larger family.

“Expectations of investors and partners are significantly higher than when we were independent,” he says.

“The growth trajectory we’re on is a very basic expectation. That’s where our development of human capital and how we engage our employees begins to play a larger role.”

Falling as they do under the one large umbrella, Singapore Diagnostics’ people are, he adds, its secret sauce.

People-focused

“It really boils down to the people, and that’s something we firmly believe in,” Evidente says. “We should be making ourselves the first choice for graduates. The moment they’re out of college, people should want to work for and with us. That’s been an objective of ours, and that’s what’s driving our growth.”

Evidente says Singapore Diagnostics’ earnest intentions to improve the lives of its employees set the business apart from its peers.

“In a lot of healthcare organizations, employees just come and go,” he says. “Here, people tend to stay.”

Keeping them busy is a steady workflow that comes from being a business-to-business operator. “I’d say 95 percent of our business comes from other laboratories,” he says.

“We have a small direct-to-patient business, so a lot of our work is dependent on efficiency and cost-saving. Our clients want accurate results at the best possible rate, so that’s what we try to deliver.”

That delivery means meeting the most basic client expectations of turnaround time and quality, two areas in which Evidente says Singapore Diagnostics excels.

“Even if we have a customer located, say, 25 kilometers from us, we release the result faster than they could do it themselves. Our times are way ahead of the competition,” he adds.

Homegrown talent

As Singapore Diagnostics continues its transition from independent to being part of the Pathology Asia family, Evidente says the transformational journey is far from over.

“Two years ago, we realized that we’d grown too fast and were too thin in middle management,” he says.

“That’s when we decided to refocus our energy into training, mentorship and identifying the future leaders of the organization. One of our philosophies is that every manager should identify the next in line and be clearly preparing that person for the next stage.”

It’s working. Evidente says 97 percent of supervisors and technical managers are homegrown talent.

“We don’t outsource our future leaders’ program; we handle it ourselves. And that matters. We’re all contributing to this organization’s knowledge, and in the end, when it’s time for us to move on, that knowledge will take over and ensure Singapore Diagnostics and Pathology Asia’s longevity.”