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Alvernia In The News
Enter the first Dragon babies
25 Jan 2012
 THREE babies were born at the stroke of midnight on Monday, making them the first born here in the Year of the Dragon.
Newborn babies Jamie Kao, Tristan Chen and Louise Tan were born at Gleneagles, Mount Alvernia and Parkway East hospitals respectively.
They clinched the honour by a matter of seconds – following closely on their heels were two babies born at Mount Alvernia Hospital and KK Women's and Children's Hospital, at two and three seconds after midnight.
The parents of the three babies received the monetary award given by giftmaker Risis annually to the first baby or babies born in the new lunar year.
This year, the gift of $8,888 was given for the first time in the form of a cash award, instead of an education investment plan that would be available for withdrawal only when the child turns 18.
The sum was shared among the three children.
Jamie was born to 28-year-old doctors Kao Nern Hoong and Ang Jo Anne. She is a planned Dragon baby who ended up arriving three weeks early.
Dr Ang said Jamie had been due on Feb13, but she had a few medical problems.
She went to the hospital with her husband on Sunday, planning to induce labour, but found to her surprise that an epidural started her contractions, and her labour moved along swiftly.
"I had told my whole family to go home, because the earliest the baby would arrive would be the next morning," recalled Dr Ang with a laugh. "Near midnight we had to ask them all to come back." Jamie is the couple's first child.
Dr Kao said the thought of having the first Dragon baby had not even crossed their minds when labour began.
"If not, my wife would have brought some makeup," he joked.
Unlike Jamie, Tristan's parents were not aiming in particular for a Dragon baby – but he will continue a tradition of Dragons in the family, said his father Vincent Chen, 37, who works in the banking industry.
Tristan's mother Yvonne Loh, 36, who works in the automotive industry, was born in a Dragon year, as was his paternal grandfather. Tristan has an older sister Natalie, 18 months.
Meanwhile, Louise was born to Singaporean Tan Chiang Seng, 47, and his Vietnamese wife Nguyen Thi Thanh, 32, a housewife.
The couple, who already have a four-year-old son called Lucas, said they were thrilled with Louise's birth in a Dragon year. Said her father, a supervisor: "When she was born, she smiled at me three times. I think that's very lucky."
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安微尼亚山医院传承50年的关爱文化
8 Dec 2011
 安微尼亚山医院由教会创办，50年前的宗旨就是要不分种族、不分宗教、不分国籍，为所有人奉献关爱。这一宗旨如今已成为医院的传统，帮助形成了医院的品牌特色。
获奖证明了品牌建立的成功，而好的品牌对医院的发展起重要作用。安微尼亚山医院（Mount Alvernia Hospital）成立至今已有50周年。今年是医院第三次荣获新加坡金字品牌奖。
医院总裁邱周发说："医疗行业的竞争相当激烈。在本地，公立、私立医院的数量一直在增长。现有的医院也都积极地进行了扩张和升级。从区域内来看，马来西亚、泰国也纷纷在招纳其他国家的病人。"
因此，如何在激烈的医疗业竞争中胜出，是许多医院面临的难题，安微尼亚山医院于是决定注重品牌的建设，以提供充满关怀的高质量医疗服务为品牌特色，走出一条不寻常的路。
邱周发说，医院由教会创办，50年前的宗旨就是要不分种族、不分宗教、不分国籍，为所有人奉献关爱。
这一宗旨如今已成为医院的传统，帮助形成了医院的品牌特色："不以盈利为追求，希望能竭尽所能地帮助社会，帮助所有有需要的人。"
而这不是说说而已的嘴皮功夫，医院为了能将关爱传统发扬光大，特意为所有的员工开设了一系列讲座，教导他们如何关爱病人。
邱周发说:"通过这些讲座，我们时刻提醒员工恪守医院五十年来的关爱传统，让他们能够有服务大众的使命感。
"我们也鼓励员工们参加社区健康检查计划，为一些社区和教会提供体检服务。目前已有超过90％的员工加入了这一项目。有些员工还专程去海外当志愿者，为有需要的人提供身体检查。"
此外，医院也将员工送去培训，让他们学会如何提供更好的服务。邱周发介绍说："去年年中到今年年初，所有的医生护士都上了服务培训课。通过这些课程和训练，他们更加体会到优质服务的重要性。"
朝一站式方向发展
在传承50年来的关爱文化之余，邱周发认为，要扩大医院的专科特长领域，才能真正做到为更多有需要的人服务。
除了已颇有名气的妇产科和小儿科，医院也逐渐开始扩大服务范围，计划将包括整形外科、眼科、肿瘤科、一般外科，到心脏外科和神经科等较复杂的专科。
邱周发说："当我们有来自不同领域的专科医生时，就能为病人提供更全面的医疗服务。"
因此，医院正朝一站式的方向努力，希望能吸引更多的专科医疗人员，为前来求诊的病人提供更多的选择。
为了服务更多的病人，硬件设施也需要进行升级。邱周发说，医院已经展开了一系列的改建工程，将在未来五年内扩充医院的面积、容量等，以容纳更多病人。
他也透露，院方已扩建了22个病房，包括14个单人病房。一个由安全岛改建成的停车场和餐饮设施等也已在去年年中落成。
他说，下一步的计划将要兴建更多的医疗诊所，并扩大现有设施的规模。"我们将建造一栋新的医疗诊所大楼，在现有的多层停车场上扩建七个楼层，其中三层将用于设立200个新停车位，另外四层将兴建56个医疗诊所。"
同时，院方也计划在靠近汤申路的出口兴建一栋五层大楼，设有实验室、放射影像设施、开刀房等，并扩建现有的大楼大厅，兴建新药房、病人询问处和厕所，以及面积达360平方米的餐饮空间。
邱周发说："两栋新大楼预计将在2012年完成。这些硬件设施就能配合我们正在扩充的软件设施，帮助医院顺利转型为一家全方位、一站式医院，为更多病患提供更齐全的服务。"
除了立足本地市场外，医院正准备往海外进军，为其他国家有需要的人提供物有所值、有爱心的服务。邱周发认为，连续三年荣获金字品牌奖，提高了医院在海外的知名度和公信力，为医院的海外发展鸣响了第一枪。
"目前，医院已在孟加拉和印度尼西亚分别设立了海外病人服务中心，为病人和家属提供多样化的服务。这些服务包括预约看诊时间、安排入院手续、翻译服务、家属住宿安排等。"
邱周发说："未来两年，我们还将建立更多海外服务中心，让外国顾客了解，新加坡的安微尼亚山医院能为他们提供物有所值、关爱贴心的服务。接下来的六个月内，医院还将在大厅迎接处设置患者教导中心，以便更好地接待和服务外国客人。"
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Putting heart into service
8 Dec 2011
 Mount Alvernia Hospital is committed to providing patients with the best health care
by lai yi ming.
SERVE all, with love — this is the motto that steers Mount Alvernia Hospital in establishing itself as a comprehensive health-care provider with a heart.
This year, its patient-centric efforts have again been recognised with its third consecutive Heritage Brand award, an accolade given to brands established for more than 30 years.
Says Mr Khoo Chow Huat, the hospital’s chief executive officer: “This is the third consecutive year that Mount Alvernia Hospital is participating in the Singapore Prestige Brand Awards and we are very honoured to be recognized as an SPBA Heritage Brand winner for three straight years.
“We see this as an affirmation of the progress we have made in advancing our brand, which was built on a strong tradition of care and medical excellence over the past 50 years.”
The hospital was founded by the Franciscan Missionaries of the Divine Motherhood (FMDM) sisters in 1961 and celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.
He says: “Mount Alvernia Hospital was born from a vision by the FMDM Sisters. They wanted to build a professionally run hospital for all people, regardless of race or religion, a hospital where everyone would be welcome, treated with consideration and dignity, and given the best possible medical care.”
The hospital was handed to a management team in 1986.
Mr Khoo explains: “‘Serve all, with love’ translates into a tangible brand promise to our customers who can expect from us high-quality medical services that are value-for-money, based on good ethics and delivered with compassion. This is delivered through our people, facilities and services.”
The hospital carried out a rebranding exercise in 2008 where the hospital logo was updated, customer service initiatives were rolled out and services and facilities were enhanced. This built on the hospital’s already well-established reputation.
“Having a strong branding and getting recognition like SPBA definitely helped to raise the profile of the hospital in the public eye. This is especially useful when we venture into new markets overseas where people may not be so familiar with the Alvernia brand.”
To ensure that the sense of mission is ingrained in staff, the hospital runs regular mission awareness sessions and conducts talks. Staff are also involved in community health screening projects where it provides health screening services in the community and churches, as well as overseas. More than 90 per cent of staff volunteer for these initiatives.
To develop its people, more sponsorships for professional development, including degree courses and overseas attachments are offered. It also concentrates on enhancing service values and behaviours by sending staff for training and equipping them with tools for delivering excellent service.
The hospital, which was known more for maternity services, has also developed into a full-fledged acute care general hospital equipped with the medical expertise and facilities to care for patients across a wide spectrum of medical specialties ranging from ophthalmology to orthopaedics, cardiothoracic surgery to neurosurgery and general surgery to general consultation, says Mr Khoo.
More medical specialists have been added to offer more comprehensive services.
It has also stepped up efforts to attract foreign patients. It now has two information centres in Bangladesh and Indonesia and plans to add more in the next two years.
In the coming months, the hospital will be unveiling its improved facilities, including an expanded main lobby, a new side extension and a multi-storey medical centre block.
It uses various media channels such as website, newsletters, advertisements, events and social media activities to communicate the changes and engage their audiences on an ongoing basis, says Mr Khoo.
“Health care is certainly a competitive industry. Within Singapore, more hospitals, both private and public, are coming up. Existing hospitals are also actively expanding and upgrading themselves.
He adds that Malaysia and Thailand have been actively positioning themselves as regional hubs and attracting foreigners to their hospitals.
“We will therefore have to focus on our main value proposition, which is to provide high quality medical care that is value-for-money and delivered with sincere compassion and empathy, and continue to enhance it, so that we remain an attractive health-care choice for consumers.”
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Quality health care at the right price
25 Oct 2011
 These sectors are the supporting, yet critical, pillars that contribute to quality tourism. They ensure our industries are not only equipped with the talent capabilities in today's changing consumers needs, but also strengthen Singapore's tourism landscape as the premier destination.
In recent years, Mount Alvernia Hospital has increased its outreach efforts outside of Singapore, reports NISHA RAMCHANDANI
MOUNT Alvernia Hospital is attracting a growing number of foreign patients each year, helping to strengthen Singapore's position as a destination for medical tourism. While foreign patients account for a minority of total patient numbers, the number of foreign patients that the not-for-profit hospital treats has grown at a clip of 20 per cent annually for the last three years, which is a fairly impressive pace. Its proportion of foreign patients rose from 3 per cent in 2007 to over 5 per cent in 2010.
"Traditionally, given our mission, Mount Alvernia Hospital has focused on local patients. Over the years, the hospital has seen an increasing number of foreign patients using our services, largely through word-of-mouth publicity," says chief executive officer Khoo Chow Huat.
"Since our mission is to offer quality value-for-money health care to people, we thought it will be good for us to share our value proposition with more people. Our focus will remain with locals but for foreign patients who are looking for Singapore-quality health care at a lower cost, we offer them an option."
Mount Alvernia Hospital was first started fifty years ago by the Franciscan Missionaries of the Divine Motherhood (FMDM) to help fulfil the need for good medical facilities in Singapore.
In recent years, Mount Alvernia Hospital has increased its outreach efforts outside of Singapore, namely by organising community health talks and events overseas. It is also leveraging on popular social media platforms, such as Facebook and YouTube, so that foreign patients have easy access to information on the services offered by the private hospital.
Mount Alvernia Hospital has also set up an information centre together with overseas partners in both Indonesia and Bangladesh, two countries where a number of its foreign patients come from. In addition to those two markets, foreign patients also travel from Malaysia for a variety of specialities, including ophthalmology, gynaecology, neurology, neurosurgery, and cardiology. Mount Alvernia Hospital also has plans to launch more information centres overseas in the next two years.
But even as Singapore strives to stand out as a medical tourism hub, other countries in the region are trying to do the same. "Within Singapore, more hospitals – both private and public – are coming up. Existing hospitals are also actively expanding and upgrading themselves," notes Mr Khoo. "Within the region, Malaysia and Thailand have also been actively positioning themselves as a regional hub and are attracting foreign patients to their hospitals."
He continues: "Unlike in the past, when we were the clear choice for regional foreign patients who can afford to travel for health care, there are now more options for these patients. Nevertheless, Singapore still has a strong positioning within the medical tourism market. We will therefore have to focus on our strengths and continue to enhance them so that we remain an attractive health care destination."
Singapore's biggest advantage is that it offers high standards of healthcare, reckons Mr Khoo, adding that the government's efforts to boost clinical research and open more medical schools will go a long way in ensuring that Singapore maintains its edge.
Service quality – specifically in relation to infrastructure and hospitality-related service – is also another area in which Singapore excels, although this is an area where other countries can probably match Singapore in time, he warns.
The cost of manpower is also higher in Singapore when compared to other countries in the region. "We just have to make sure we continue to do things faster, better, and with empathy for patients at all times," he adds.
Mount Alvernia Hospital itself is undergoing a face-lift in phases which will see it revamping as well as expanding its facilities. For starters, the hospital's front lobby will be renovated so that it will have a bigger waiting area, a larger retail pharmacy, a new convenience store, as well as more food and beverage offerings.
A side entrance block is also being added to the 303-bed hospital to allow for the expansion of its diagnostic imaging department, its health screening centre, and its operating theatre.
In addition, a brand new medical centre block is also being constructed, which will boost the number of medical suites under the hospital, giving it room to house more specialists. "This is important for us to become even more comprehensive as a hospital and to offer patients more choices. The block will also add more parking lots, which should help to ease the situation during peak hours," Mr Khoo says.
The hospital won Best Healthcare Experience at the 2011 Singapore Experience Awards, which is organised by the Singapore Tourism Board. The hospital says that it will strive to keep a strict eye on costs as well as ensure that its team of staff deliver a quality health care experience.
"We need to ensure we remain value-for-money," Mr Khoo stresses. "We do not save on equipment and professional staff as these are essential to ensure that patients get good care but we always find ways to do things more effectively and efficiently."
Meanwhile, the hospital also does its best to further develop its pool of talent, such as by increasing the number of sponsorships each year for staff attending degree or diploma courses and overseas attachments. "We will continue to look for more specialists to join us at the hospital to make ourselves more comprehensive and also to offer our patients more choices," Mr Khoo adds.
'Nevertheless, Singapore still has a strong positioning within the medical tourism market. We will therefore have to focus on our strengths and continue to enhance them so that we remain an attractive health care destination.'
– Khoo Chow Huat, Mount Alvernia Hospital CEO
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55岁修女跆拳道高手儿童医院教功夫
21 Aug 2011
 55岁狮城修女是跆拳道高手，如今在儿童医院教功夫！
修女沈燕月是本地首个拥有跆拳道黑带的修女。她17岁开始接触跆拳道，只用了两年就考到跆拳道黑带。
当时，她虽然对跆拳道深深着迷，但她告诉记者：“我必须放弃跆拳道，因为我相信上帝要我为人民服务，成为修女。”
随后，她成为修女，离开我国20年。
“我被派到英国修行近17年，又到非洲的津巴布韦帮助一些穷困的人。”
20年来，她虽没有练跆拳道，但对跆拳道依然无法忘怀。
2004年，她为了照顾患病的父母，回到新加坡，并在医院认识了新加坡跆拳道总会会长。
两年后，跆拳道总会在一家儿童医院开办跆拳道课程，医院刚好由沈修女所属的天主教机构管理，她因此受邀授课。
“看见跆拳道如何帮助孩子，真神奇。它不止为他们带来自信，给他们克服痛苦的意志力，还让他们的病情好转。”
看李小龙电影
爱上武术
看李小龙的电影，爱上武术。
公开组比赛 喜获铜牌
“由于父母强力反对，我无法自由在外习武。”结果教堂开办的跆拳道课程，圆了她的梦。
“我每次上课都是偷偷摸摸的。”，她说，当年为了参加跆拳道比赛，还曾冒充父母签名！
“当时我未满21岁，要参加跆拳道比赛，必须让父母在同意书上签名。”
但父母对她的选择大为不满，担心她在赛场上被打到遍体鳞伤，极力反对她参加和武打相关的活动。
她只好假冒父亲签名。
她笑说：“那是我最为骄傲的一刻，在公开组得了铜牌。”
沈修女的新目标是，有生之年在国际舞台上为国争光，取得金牌。
学跆拳道
2血癌患者 奇迹复原
血癌末期学跆拳道，竟奇迹般复原，还成为国手！
这次与沈修女一起踏足韩国参加青年营的两名学生，分别是15岁的洪雷易和14岁的尹莎拉。
两人都是血癌患者，2006年入院后跟随沈修女学习跆拳道，奇迹般的摆脱癌症的魔掌，并在2007年出国参加品势（Poomsae） 锦标赛，一举夺得金牌。
14岁的尹莎拉，原本两年前被医生宣判“死刑”，表示没经过化疗，就不能生存，但现在却可以蹦蹦跳跳，擂台上来个“飞毛腿”，神气十足。
目前已成为国手的洪雷易接受韩国媒体采访时说：“练习跆拳道后，身体出现很大的变化，身体和心灵得到锻炼的同时,也变得很有精神，去克服癌症。”（人名译音）
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National Day's first boy and girl
10 Aug 2011
 IT WAS the best birthday present Madam Tan Bee Geok could receive, even if it arrived a day late.
Madam Tan, who turned 39 on Monday, became the mother of a bouncing baby boy yesterday. Baby Augustine was born just seconds after midnight at Mount Alvernia Hospital.
A check with hospitals here showed that he was also the first baby boy to be born on National Day.
His father, Mr Toh Ho Beng, 41, told my paper in the hospital’s maternity ward: “Our son chose National Day to be born and, now, we don’t have to apply for leave from work every year to celebrate his birthday, because it will be a public holiday.”
Augustine was born after his mother spent four hours in labour, and he weighed 3.38kg.
The couple, who met at work, got married last month after a four-year courtship. They own a stall selling nasi lemak at a food centre in Yishun. They used to run the stall together, but have since left most of the daily operations to hired hands.
The couple, who are both divorcees, live with their fathers in a one-room rental flat in Teck Whye. Madam Tan’s three other sons from her previous marriage also live with them. Augustine is her first child with Mr Toh.
They hope to own a bigger flat of their own soon but, for now, their focus is on their newborn baby.
“I am just happy that the baby is healthy,” said Madam Tan.
The first baby girl born on National Day was Naila Irdina. She was delivered at midnight at Raffles Hospital, weighing 3.82kg, after her mother spent 23 hours in labour.
Her father, Mr Ahmad Mahmood, 28, is an engineer, while her mother, Madam Nur Irdina, 27, is a teacher.
Naila is their first child and the couple hope to have three or four children eventually.
The couple met at a tuition centre eight years ago and got married in June last year.
Mr Ahmad said: “Naila is a blessed child because not only is she born in August, which is the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, but (her birth) also falls on a historic day – National Day.”
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More choosing partial cornea transplants
8 Jul 2011
They offer lower risk of rejection by body over full cornea replacement
 THE 20-year-old son of MediaCorp artists Edmund Chen and Xiang Yun underwent a cornea transplant recently after a contact lens infection six years ago had badly affected vision in his left eye.
But unlike a traditional operation to replace the entire cornea, Mr Chen Yi Xi, like more and more eye patients, opted for a partial cornea transplant. He did a procedure called anterior lamellar keratoplasty (ALK), which involves removing the front layers of the cornea and replacing them with donor tissue.
The national serviceman is expected to fully regain his eyesight, said Dr Julian Theng, group medical director of Eagle Eye Centre, who performed the 90-minute operation last Friday.
The cornea, a transparent surface covering the front of the eye, controls the entry of light into the eye.
Compared with the traditional penetrating keratoplasty (PK) or full-thickness transplant which replaces the entire cornea, the ALK is harder to do as it needs more technical skills, say surgeons. But more people are opting for such partial transplants as the risk of rejection is lower.
Statistics from the Singapore National Eye Centre (SNEC) show a more than sixfold increase in ALK cases over the last decade – from 11 in 2000 to 68 last year.
Each year, about 350 cornea transplants are done here. About half the patients are Singaporeans and the rest are medical tourists.
Another partial cornea transplant, called endothelial keratoplasty (EK), replaces just the endothelial layer, leaving most of the cornea intact.
This very thin layer of cells functions to pump water from the cornea, keeping it clear.
Since the SNEC offered the procedure in 2006, the number of EK cases had risen from 16 then to 104 last year. The number of PK cases has fallen by more than a third, from 103 in 2000 to 68 last year at the SNEC.
In partial transplants, the risk of rejection is lower because less foreign tissue is used. This is a key consideration as rejection is the main reason for transplant failure, said SNEC director Donald Tan.
In the ALK procedure, chances of rejection are less than 1 per cent and, in the EK one, they are about 2 per cent, he added.
In PK, rejection rates are about 10 per cent.
“There has been a tremendous change in the way cornea transplants are being done today and we can see a shifting trend towards a preference for these complex (surgical operations), which give better outcomes,” added Professor Tan.
Surgeons in private practice agree.
Dr Leonard Ang, medical director of the Eye & Cornea Transplant Centre at Paragon Medical Centre, said about 40 per cent of his patients opt for such a procedure now. Ten years ago, the number was less than 20 per cent.
He attributes the surge to improvements in surgical techniques and development of more sophisticated equipment such as motorised blade systems.
“With these developments, there is a faster recovery time for patients and they can achieve better visual results.”
But not all patients are suitable for partial transplants. More than half will still need full transplants because many conditions damage the entire cornea, making partial transplants less effective.
Singaporeans are usually allocated corneas from their fellow countrymen or they can be sourced from the United States, the Philippines or Sri Lanka. The local supply is usually sufficient for domestic needs, said Prof Tan who is also medical director of the Singapore Eye Bank.
Last year, 143 corneas were harvested from dead Singaporeans. Local corneas cost about $2,200 while those from overseas range from about $1,200 to $4,200.
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爱儿顺利完成眼角膜移植手术陈之财心痛儿眼插16针
3 Jul 2011
 本地荧幕夫妻陈之财和向云的20岁爱儿陈一熙，上星期四在安微尼亚山医院（Mount Alvernia Hospital）进行眼角膜移植手术。2个小时的手术非常成功，治愈困扰陈一熙6年的眼睛顽疾。
陈之财今早受访时说，目前儿子左眼内仍插着16支细针，大约1个月后才能睁开眼睛，完全复原则需要半年时间，看了让父母心疼。陈之财说：“这些针主要是为了将眼角膜稳住，固定下来。”儿子手术成功，让为人父母的陈之财和向云感到非常欣慰。
两人齐声说：“希望儿子的未来能够一片光明！”
儿子强忍痛楚
陈之财透露，陈一熙在6年前因佩带矫正视力的玻璃隐形眼镜，意外刮伤而向某医院的眼科专科求诊，岂料却发现该儿子被放错药，隔天眼睛竟然严重发炎无法睁开。陈之财回忆道：“当时我要他忍一忍，我掰开他的眼皮发现眼睛有一层白膜，眼白部分更是红得像日本国旗那样，就知道糟糕了！”
见儿子状况不妥，陈之财立即带儿子到医院急救，护士用针刺进眼球中间，陈一熙左眼流血流脓，在医院躺了8天才出院。陈之财说：“我看了很心痛，但儿子真的很坚强，一直忍住痛楚......”，自此后，儿子一直处在“半盲”状态，视力大受影响，对他的生活造成一定困扰。
陈之财透露，他后来查到该隐形眼镜商非常无良，循环再售卖隐形玻璃眼镜，已经有超过10个介于8岁到17岁的孩童受感染。陈一熙的左眼就在这样的情况下受伤。祸不单行的是，受伤后的陈一熙在求诊时，怀疑医生放错药，导致眼镜严重发炎，让病况复杂化。
感激手术主治医生
陈之财说，该无良隐形眼镜公司已收盘，他后来带儿子到安微尼亚山医院的鹰眼科中心求诊，眼科总监唐添寿医生（Dr Julian Theng）的仁心仁术，为儿子带来一片光明，也让陈之财非常感动。
他说：“我当时代儿子到之前的医院复诊，但没有医生愿意告诉我儿子眼镜发炎的真正原因是什么。这6年来我们遍寻名医都没用，也很心灰意冷。后来经唐医生一说，我就恍然大悟了！”陈之财大赞唐医生：“这个世界上，原来还有这么有爱心、有耐心、有医德的医生。唐医生是以爱出发的，我知道他其实经常替穷人免费看病，这样的医生，在功利的社会中已经很难找到！”
陈之财说：“因为有前车之鉴，我之前一直在矛盾和犹豫，应不应该让儿子接受眼角膜移植手术。现在证明，这次决定是对的！”
儿子谈恋爱 父母给空间
向云也透露，目前在当兵的儿子，现在也开始谈起纯纯的恋爱了。看到儿子长大成人，身为妈妈的向云感到欣慰也给儿子恋爱的自由空间。
向云说：“儿子也会跟我谈这方面的事啦，不过因为他多少受爸爸大男人主义性格的影响，加上性格较内向，所以这方面还是比较内敛，哈哈。我会给年轻人空间去好好享受恋爱的过程啦！”
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三个男宝宝都是兔出第一婴
5 Feb 2011
 大年初一零时一到，三只“小兔子”迫不及待地呱呱坠地，赶在第一时间和家人一起庆祝新年。三个男宝宝齐报到，成为兔年第一婴，好事成三。
第三代“兔的传人”
这个农历新年，黄家不但迎来了一个可爱的兔宝宝，这个最新的家庭成员更是黄家第三代“兔的传人”。前天在康生医院（Thomson Medical）出生的Kaeson重2.88公斤，是黄德钦（38岁，会计师）和蔡慧清（35岁，银行职员）第二个爱情结晶。同样属兔的妈妈蔡慧清，这回可成为名正言顺的“兔妈妈”了。更巧的是Kaeson的祖母（黄德钦的母亲）也是兔年出生的。
前天在病房里，夫妻俩在为兔宝宝Kaeson选定英文名时发生了一段有趣的小插曲。
当记者向黄德钦询问儿子的名字时他说：“中英文都还没确定。不过，英文名会和姐姐一样选个“K”字母开头的名字，还要和妻子商量。”
黄德钦话还没说完，另外一头也在接受访问的蔡慧清被问起孩子的名字时，脱口而出说了个“Kaeson”。
黄德钦听了转头看着妻子，无奈地开玩笑说：“看来我没有得选择了。哈哈。”
除了Kaeson以外，另外两个兔宝宝的出世也让他们的家人在这个新年喜上加喜。
在鹰阁医院（Gleneagles Hospital）里，同样还没取中文名的Immanuel重3.18公斤，是梁伟雄（44岁，商人）和刘秀铃（39岁，家庭主妇）的第三个小孩。
母亲刘秀铃的预产期原本是在2月14日，没想到儿子等不及当情人节宝宝，赶在大年初一第一时间诞生。
梁伟雄夫妻虽然已经有三个小孩，但是当记者问他还有没有追第四个的打算，他开心地笑说，如果我妻子愿意的话我当然想要更多小孩。
他认为：“有小孩的家庭才算圆满。”
另外一个第一婴则是在安微尼亚山医院（Mount Alvernia）诞生的Clovis（重2.4公斤）。
宝宝原本的预产期是在两个星期之后，没想到陈诗琪（27岁，教师）却提前在除夕当天开始阵痛，让第一次为人父的杨伟翔（33岁，教师）有点慌了手脚。
但母亲陈诗琪还是感到十分兴奋，她说：“孩子提前出世是个惊喜。”
三个兔宝宝都会获得本地礼品经销商丽西施公司（RISIS）5000元的教育基金和一座24K镀金兔子雕像。
这是丽西施连续第七年给予新年宝宝这个教育基金。这笔钱将存进银行户头，直到宝宝年满18岁才能动用。
确认第一婴
自然分娩才算数
每天有这么多婴儿在各妇产科医院出生，谁是第一婴到底如何确认？
根据多家公共和私人妇产科医院给予本报的答复，通常只有那些通过自然分娩产下的婴儿才有资格成为节日第一婴。
以康生医院来说，如果产妇是通过催生生产，只要是自然分娩，也有机会成为节日第一婴；竹脚妇幼医院也把那些自然分娩不成功，必须透过紧急剖腹生产的婴儿考虑在内；安微尼亚医院则较严格，只考虑那些透过自然分娩产下的新生儿。
至于宝宝的出生时辰如何决定，竹脚妇幼医院分娩室副处长云秋蓉受询时指出，他们会以宝宝身体完全从母体出来的那一刻为准。
康生医院护理主任何素心指出，确切的出生时辰主要由为产妇接生的妇产科医生判断，另外还会由同在产房的接生妇和产妇的丈夫负责确定时间。
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私人医院40种一般疾病 可在卫生部网站查获医疗费
4 Jan 2011
 公众可上http://www.moh.gov.sg/mohcorp/billsize.aspx?id=302，以了解本地公共医院与私人医院的基本医疗费用数据。
卫生部已将私人医院约40种一般疾病的医疗费用公布在卫生部网站上，让公众可直接与公共医院的收费比对，做出更适合自己的选择。
卫生部长许文远昨天在卫生部博客上透露了这个消息，并认为这不但能提高本地医疗费用的透明度，让公众货比三家，还能鼓励各医院进行探讨，以进一步提升。
目前只有当一个医院的某种疾病病人人数超过30人，当局才会公布相关医院的医疗费用数据，而至今本地的私人医院，已有约40种疾病达到了这个数目。
虽然私人医院的医疗费用普遍比公共医院来得高并不稀奇，但也有例外的时候。
安微尼亚山医院的糖尿病眼疾（激光治疗）费用为1118元，就比公共医院A级病房中，收费最低陈笃生医院的1273元还要低，因此，许文远鼓励公众就医前多多进行筛选。
自2003年起，卫生部已开始在网站上公布70个最普遍疾病的医药费，并且每月更新。
这些数据深受国人的欢迎，因为公众可在就医前货比三家，而这也使得一些医院决定降低收费。
所有的公共医院都有参与这项计划，并在卫生部网站上公布70种治疗的中位数和第90百分位数医药账单。
目前当局虽然并没有强制要求私人医院公开相关数据，但这些医院也尝试遵循。
一些在私人医院执业的医生并不通过医院向病人收取医药费，因此医院没有完整的数据。
许文远在博客上说，尽管如此，安微尼亚山医院就成功向卫生部提交了所有70个病例的费用，显示私人医院还是可以做到的。
在过去一年的说服与引导下，目前所有私人医院已开始参与计划，虽然完整性仍有所不同，但许文远相信，假以时日，数据质量也会改善。
公众可上http://www.moh.gov.sg/mohcorp/billsize.aspx?id=302，以了解本地公共医院与私人医院的基本医疗费用数据。
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Private hospitals share more bill data
4 Jan 2011
 Patients can now compare costs of treating 40 conditions.
PATIENTS can now compare prices between private and public hospitals on treatments for a wider range of common medical conditions.
On Saturday, the Ministry of Health (MOH) updated its list of hospital bill sizes to include data from private hospitals for around 40 common medical conditions.
Previously, private hospitals – save for Mount Alvernia Hospital which complied fully – submitted bill sizes for only 10 out of the 70 common medical conditions tracked by the ministry.
Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan, writing in his blog yesterday, hailed the move as a "major achievement in our drive to promote bill size transparency".
He added that it took much cajoling to get the private hospitals on board.
"With persuasion and hand-holding over the past year, all private hospitals are now able to comply, though to slightly different degrees of comprehensiveness. But over time, data quality will improve," he wrote.
Comparisons between private and public hospitals cannot be made across all 70 conditions at the moment because some hospitals do not treat enough of those patients.
Mr Khaw explained that to ensure the data is comparable, MOH publishes data for a particular hospital only if it treated more than 30 patients with that medical condition in a year.
This left about 40 medical conditions with enough patients in private hospitals to yield comparisons.
The procedures for which there is now new bill data include haemorrhoid surgery, appendix surgery, gall bladder removal surgery and heart angioplasty.
Not surprisingly, treatments in private hospitals were generally costlier than those in public ones.
There were, however, some rare exceptions. Mount Alvernia Hospital charged the least to treat diabetic eye disease.
The median unsubsidised bill size was $1,118.
Tan Tock Seng Hospital, the next cheapest, had a median bill size of $1,273.
Mr Khaw advised patients to use the list to shop around for elective surgery. He also hoped hospitals would use it to reflect on how they could do better than their peers.
"This, I see as the greatest value of bill size transparency," he wrote.
MOH began publishing bill size data for the top 70 medical conditions in 2003.
The data, updated monthly, is available online at http://www.moh.gov.sg/ mohcorp/billsize.aspx?id=302
The online database was well received by the public as it enabled price comparisons.
In 2004, a price war among hospitals resulted in a more than $1,000 drop in the cost of Lasik, the surgical treatment for short-sightedness.
Yesterday, private hospitals told The Straits Times they supported the Government's move and had done their best to comply.
A spokesman for Parkway Holdings, which runs the Mount Elizabeth, Gleneagles and Parkway East hospitals, said the group had hired extra staff to help carry out the initiative.
The group has over 1,000 accredited specialists who run private practices with patients commonly paying their bills directly.
"Over the past few months, we have been working very closely with our specialists to ensure that bill sizes of diseases are accurately tabulated," said the spokesman.
Both Parkway and Raffles Hospital said that the list was unlikely to have any immediate impact on bills.
Raffles Hospital said it did not expect any price adjustments specifically in response to the new list, while Parkway said that any price change will be made only after careful consideration.
And while members of the public yesterday welcomed the inclusion of more bill data from private hospitals, some said price remains a secondary consideration.
Ms Wendy Tan, 30, who is seven months pregnant, said that the list would probably not influence her choice of doctor.
"I've already decided on my gynaecologist and I don't think I would change," said the pharmacist.
"For surgery, I think doctors are the most important thing. Only if it's a very minor procedure would price become a factor."
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BORN 01-01-11 00:00 HOURS
2 Jan 2011
 GOODBYE 2010
HELLO 2011
It is said from a new seed, a new beginning. For the people on this page and the next, the new year marks a fresh start and a new life – literally so, for some. Four bundles of joy were delivered at the stroke of midnight, in three hospitals, swiftly followed by a half-dozen more within minutes of the new year. The bumper crop of newborns – some expected, others coming ahead of schedule – kept their parents and labour ward staff busy through the wee hours of the morning. Chua Hian Hou talks to some of the proud parents of 2011's first babies.
And then there was light
Financial consultant Alvin Lim and his wife Lynn Kwek, an office manager, had been psyching their firstborn even before he was born.
Jan 1, 2011, they "told" their then-unborn child, whom they named Lucius, was a great time to come into the world.
Lucius – Latin for "light" – was clearly paying attention, because that was when he made his appearance, right on schedule at midnight.
In the run-up to the birth, Madam Kwek, 26, started pushing only 12 minutes before his arrival at Mount Alvernia Hospital.
"I remember reading that it took 20, 30 minutes at least, to push a baby out," said 36-year-old Mr Lim.
His only regret about the special event: not taking his notebook computer along to the hospital.
He had wanted to upload the pictures he took onto social networking site Facebook, to share the joy with family and friends.
"I take my notebook with me everywhere, every day. Except that day, and it had to happen," he said.
Drawing a blank with 4-D
Baby Damien was due on Jan 3, but all signs pointed to an early arrival.
That's why the Foongs were at Mount Alvernia's delivery ward as the new year beckoned.
Mr Donovan Foong, 40, and his wife Zou Ling, 30, a housewife, have an older child, three-year-old Rachel. "We were relaxed because we already knew what to do," said Mr Foong, an IT manager.
When signs pointed to Damien's early arrival, the couple hoped he would hold off his entry into the world till the new year. This, said Mr Foong, would hopefully give Damien a headstart in the school cohort.
That Damien was born on the dot at midnight was, he said, a "pleasant surprise".
When his sister asked about the time of Damien's birth so she could buy 4-D lottery tickets, he told her that knowing the number would do her no good – because tickets with four zeros are not available.
The Foongs said they might consider having another child.
"But we probably won't be able to make Nov 11," said Mr Foong, referring to the other hot date of the year, 11/11.
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2011年第一天零时零分零秒本地迎来四个元旦宝宝
2 Jan 2011
 四个自然分娩的男宝宝的预产期原本在1月3至5日之间，但他们都很"合作"地抢先在2011年第一天的零时零分零秒来到人世。
四个互不相识的妈妈大概想都没想到，她们的宝宝会不约而同地和2011年同时降临，率先成为本地的元旦宝宝！
事情就这么凑巧得令人难以相信，四个自然分娩的男宝宝的预产期原本在1月3至5日之间，但他们都很"合作"地抢先在2011年第一天的零时零分零秒出世。
在鹰阁医院的男宝宝还未取名，父亲杨浚昇（32岁，行销经理）说："平安就好，本来就没想过一定要是元旦宝宝。"
这是妈妈许君仪（31岁，电脑顾问）的第二胎，凑巧的是，五岁的大女儿杨新颍在另一大日子——8月9日新加坡的国庆出世。许君仪开心地说："真是太巧了。"
两个孩子都在鹰阁医院由郑弘医生接生。
另一个元旦宝宝叫洪子轩，父亲洪汉彪（40岁，资讯科技经理）与母亲邹玲（30岁，家庭主妇）结婚五年。
小子轩有个三岁大的姐姐洪韵淇，同样也是凑巧的是，小韵淇是农历初一出生的牛年宝宝。
原籍湖南的邹玲喜不自胜地说："这一切都太不可思议了。"
小韵淇本来对多了一个弟弟不很适应，但爸爸准备了绒毛玩具，说是弟弟送给姐姐的礼物，小韵淇才一下子变得开朗起来，主动找弟弟玩。
另一边厢，初为人父的林健豪（36岁，财务规划员）说，儿子的中文名字有待父亲决定。他说："应该会有个'儒'字，取儒家的精神。"
他讲述太太郭秀秀（26岁，业务经理）的生产过程时，满面春风。
他说，当时已是晚上11时45分，护士建议打开电视一同倒数，没想到孩子就这么顺利地在倒数结束时诞生，加上屏幕上的烟火齐放，仿佛是在给林家贺喜。
郭秀秀2008年曾流产，她说怀这个宝宝有点累，无法运动，身体很不舒畅，但一切都值得。
上述两个宝宝都在安微尼亚山医院出生。
还有一个元旦宝宝由家庭主妇爱莉（30岁）在康生医院诞下，重2.685公斤。丈夫朱海迪（30岁）是资讯科技人员，这是他们的第一个孩子。
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It lost its 'Apple' tag but kept core values
10 Dec 2010
 IN 2006, the four-year-old Apple Centre had its name taken away by US electronics giant Apple Inc, which wanted to keep the name for itself.
But the home-grown retailer, which specialises in Apple products, did not let the setback dishearten it.
Founder and chief executive Jimmy Fong, 45, renamed it EpiCentre, which he says "is very similar to Apple Centre" and represents the firm's aim to be the epicentre of people's digital lifestyles.
It started from scratch to re-brand itself, working with marketing and public relations companies to spread awareness of the brand and its message.
The move has paid off, with EpiCentre being named the overall winner of the Promising Brands category at this year's Singapore Prestige Brand Award (SPBA).
The award, co-organised by the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises and Lianhe Zaobao, recognises companies that have successfully managed and developed their brands to boost performance.
Now in its ninth year, the awards saw a total of 138 firms taking part this year, with 51 of them being named winners in five categories.
"Companies must claim 'mind share' by imbuing their customers with the unique ideas and values behind their products," said Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry and Education S. Iswaran, guest of honour at last night's ceremony at the Ritz-Carlton, Millenia.
"Today's increasingly sophisticated consumer base and crowded marketplace demand products with a distinctive brand and unique value proposition."
Mr Iswaran highlighted various government schemes to help firms in their branding and innovation efforts.
These include BrandPact by International Enterprise and Spring Singapore, and the Innovation Improvement Initiative Programme run by the Singapore Workforce Development Agency.
EpiCentre's Mr Fong said the SPBA award will be important to his firm as it moves overseas. It has stores in Malaysia and China and is planning further expansion, especially in China.
Mount Alvernia Hospital bagged the prize of overall winner in the Heritage Brands category.
Its chief executive, Mr Khoo Chow Huat, said the hospital updated its logo three years back and that it communicates its brand and value propositions through its name cards, brochures and websites.
Serviced apartments chain Frasers Hospitality, the overall winner for the Regional Brands category, strives to achieve consistency in branding for its 43 properties in 25 cities worldwide, said CEO Choe Peng Sum.
"All the properties that we have need to meet a minimum standard, what we call the 'gold standard'," he said.
"So... someone who travels to London, when they go to Beijing or Sydney or Singapore, they will encounter the consistent 'home away from home'."
Crystal Jade Culinary Concepts was a winner in the Regional Brands category, and was also named Most Popular Brand.
Mr Ip Yiu Tung, who heads the restaurant chain, said it relies on satisfied customers to spread the word to others. It also engages overseas media when it expands its operations to new countries.
The winners
Promising Brands: EpiCentre
Established Brands: Jollibean
Heritage Brands: Mount Alvernia Hospital
Regional Brands: Frasers Hospitality
Most Popular Brand: Crystal Jade Culinary Concepts
Special Merit: Singapore Disability Sports Council, Singapore Eye Research Institute, Society for the Physically Disabled, Singapore Red Cross Society
Jollibean and Cherie Hearts Group International were inducted into the SPBA Hall of Fame.
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品牌中的品牌
10 Dec 2010
 四个土生土长的品牌昨晚夺下"2010年新加坡金字品牌奖"（SPBA）四个组别的最佳品牌奖，并有两个品牌荣登金字品牌奖荣誉榜（Hall of Fame）。
在昨晚的颁奖晚宴上，贸工部兼教育部高级政务部长易华仁把最佳潜质品牌、最佳成名品牌、最佳悠久品牌和最佳区域品牌奖，分别颁给EpiCentre、豆乐（Jollibean）、安微尼亚山医院（Mount Alvernia Hospital）和辉盛国际管理（Frasers Hospitality）。
豆乐双喜临门，除了一举摘下最佳成名品牌奖，还登上荣誉榜。另一个登上荣誉榜的品牌是幼儿教育营运商Cherie Hearts。
由公众投选出的"最受欢迎品牌奖"则归翡翠餐饮（Crystal Jade）。翡翠餐饮今年也获得成名品牌奖和区域品牌奖。
作为本地一年一度最具代表性的品牌奖项，新加坡金字品牌奖已步入第九个年头。今年获奖的品牌不乏过往的赢家，当中也有不少首次参选的品牌。
今年共有138家本地企业参加。四个奖项的47个得奖品牌在上个月揭晓，即：SPBA—潜质品牌奖、SPBA—成名品牌奖、SPBA—悠久品牌奖和SPBA—区域品牌奖。大会也颁发4个特别表扬奖给4家非盈利机构。
于2002年成立的EpiCentre今年第二次报名参加金字品牌奖。公司执行主席兼行政总裁房德伦得知公司获得最佳潜质品牌奖后表示非常惊喜。
他说："获得潜质品牌奖的其他13个品牌都十分优秀，能获得这个组别的最佳品牌奖真是让人想不到。"
他表示，这要归功于所有员工的努力。"获得这个奖也会督促我们接下来更加努力工作，提供更优秀的服务，继续扩展我们的业务。"
豆乐已是连续三年参选金字品牌奖，过去两年都获得成名品牌奖。执行董事李美仪表示，今年赢得最佳成名品牌奖，同时登上荣誉榜，是"两倍、甚至三倍的快乐"。
她也把功劳归给所有员工，并表示接下来将继续参选金字品牌奖，因为这会鞭策公司不断向更高水平发展。
安微尼亚山医院去年获得悠久品牌奖后，今年再接再厉，夺得该组别的最佳品牌奖。
医院总裁邱周发说："获奖是对我们的认可，让我们确信方向是正确的，做对了事情。我们的品牌代表了充满关怀的高质量医疗服务。"
他表示，以后将继续在这条正确的道路上发展，并继续参加金字品牌奖。
辉盛国际管理也是第二次参加，总裁曹炳森说，夺得最佳区域品牌奖是对公司的鼓励，有助公司在海外与大企业竞争。
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安微尼亚山医院提升医院软硬件迈向全方位服务
9 Dec 2010
 坐落在汤申路的安微尼亚山医院（Mount Alvernia）拥有近50年历史。身为一家非牟利机构，安微尼亚山医院的竞争优势之一，在于它不派发股息给董事会，因此能节省资源，提供更低价格的服务。
这家医院报名角逐今年的"新加坡金字品牌奖"（SPBA），成为该奖项近年来少有的非牟利机构得奖者之一。
总裁邱周发指出，报名角逐该奖项，主要是院方建立品牌的策略之一。而获得金字品牌奖，对医院本身的意义重大。
邱周发说："身为得奖者，提高了我们在本地和海外的公信力。在本地，这个奖项肯定了我们为打造品牌所付出的努力和方向，也提高了公众意识，加强了我们的影响力。"
进军海外市场
建立品牌的另一个重要目的，则是进军海外市场。
邱周发说："我们并不满足于立足本地市场，也要在海外市场取得优秀的表现，为对海外患者所提供的服务增值，希望那些来新求诊的患者能了解到：安微尼亚山医院能为他们提供物有所值、有爱心的服务，成为他们的选择之一。"
除了加强医院的品牌等"软件"，安微尼亚山医院也致力提升医院的"硬件"。其中一项计划，在于扩充医院本身的设施。
自去年起，这家医院已经展开了一系列的改建工程，将在未来6年内，扩充医院的面积、容量、服务种类等，提供更完善的医疗服务。
邱周发表示，医院过去50年一路走来，发展已到了"瓶颈"，现有的容量不足以应付庞大的需求。
他说："这项工程将为医院重新定位，以支持我们未来十年的发展。"
工程分成两个阶段：第一阶段的重心在于重新调整病房的比重。
从去年中起，院方斥资600万元，扩建22个病房，包括14个单人病房，另外还建4家医疗诊所、一个由安全岛改建而成的停车场，餐饮设施，新病房已经在年中落成。
展开第二阶段工程
接下来，医院展开的第二阶段工程，投资额十分显著，目前正在工程招标的过程中，邱周发不愿在颁布工程前透露实际的数额。
第二阶段工程的重点，在于兴建更多医疗诊所，扩大现有设施的规模。
其中，院方将建造一栋新的医疗诊所大楼，在现有的多层停车场上扩建七个楼层，其中三层将用于设立200个新停车位，另外四层将用于兴建56个医疗诊所。
同时，院方也计划在靠近汤申路出口，兴建一栋五层新大楼，内含实验室、放射影像设施、开刀房等，并扩建现有的大楼大厅，兴建新药房、病人询问处和厕所，以及面积达360平方米的餐饮空间。两栋新大楼预计在2012年完成。
设立更多医疗诊所
邱周发指出，设立更多的医疗诊所，是医院未来的一个重要发展方向。这也反映出安微尼亚山医院计划扩大专科特长领域，以成为一家全方位医院的雄心。
传统上，安微尼亚山医院主攻的专科领域，主要在于妇产科和小儿科，然而，近年来该医院逐渐扩大服务范围，从整形外科、眼科、肿瘤科、一般外科，到心脏外科和神经科等较复杂的专科。
邱周发说："我们的医院能吸引来自不同领域的专科医生，为病人提供更全面的医疗服务。我们希望能成为一家一站式医院，有更多的医疗人员和专科，为前来求诊的病人提供选择。"
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Mount Alvernia Hospital Unveils new Parentcraft Centre
20 Oct 2010
Enhanced Facilities are a Response to Patients’ Feedback
 View PDF version
 Mount Alvernia Hospital (MAH) today launched the Alvernia Parentcraft Centre, a one-stop centre for parents of newborn babies.
The Alvernia Parentcraft Centre offers parents the convenience of a one-stop centre to cater to all their needs in preparing for childbirth and in caring for the newborn. MAH has been offering personalised consultation and advice by visiting each and every patient at their wards, going to their homes upon request and advising them over the phone. With rising demand from patients and parents/parents-to-be, there is a need for a full-fledged Parentcraft Centre. The Alvernia Parentcraft Centre features a cosy lobby and mini library offering a wide range of breastfeeding resources including parenting guides, books and reference materials on parenting and nursing.
Mr Khoo Chow Huat, Mount Alvernia Hospital’s CEO said, “The Alvernia Parentcraft Centre is a result of a thorough review of Mount Alvernia Hospital’s maternity facilities following feedback received from patients and the public. We have, over the years, been known for our Parentcraft and lactation consultancy, and are seeing a rise in demand for this service both from patients within and outside of MAH. The new Parentcraft Centre within MAH will allow us to better meet this need. With a one-stop centre that provides a comprehensive range of services, we hope to give, especially first-time parents, the confidence and support they need in caring for their newborn.”
.jpg) The Alvernia Breastfeeding Mothers’ Support Group is one of the best examples of how the Parentcraft Centre was designed with patients in mind. The Alvernia Breastfeeding Mothers’ Support Group grew out of a need for first-time parents to support each other during their nursing years.
In designing the new Centre, care was taken to ensure that nursing mothers who shared a common goal could come together, support one another and tap into the vast array of resources at the Centre.
Mount Alvernia Hospital champions the importance of providing professional quality care in taking care of newborn babies. Dr Ho Hon Kwok, Consultant Obstetrician & Gynaecologist, HK Ho Women & Fertility Clinic at Mount Alvernia Medical Centre said, “I'm pleased with the setting up of the Mount Alvernia Parentcraft Centre. This will be the nexus for all those involved with the care of the nursing mums to come together with their expertise under one roof. It is a significant milestone in the postnatal care of women for Mount Alvernia Hospital. I congratulate Mount Alvernia Hospital on this success.”
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The Alvernia Parentcraft Centre is staffed by a team of six full-time Parentcraft/lactation consultants. Services provided by the Centre include:
- Antenatal Consultation
- Childbirth Education
- Breastfeeding (1-1 Consultation or Group)
- Personalised Consultation on Newborn Care/ Bathing Baby
- Bottle Feeding and Weaning classes
- Healthy Weaning Diet for Baby classes
- Baby Massage Class
- Personalised Home Care Service
- Confinement Nanny / Caregiver Training
- Alvernia Breastfeeding Mothers’ Support Group
Minister of State for Community Development, Youth & Sports Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon, Guest-of-Honour at the opening ceremony said, “The hospital stay is an important touch-point for a mother and father of a newborn – especially if they are first-time parents. I am heartened that Mount Alvernia Hospital has made it a priority to provide new parents with a dedicated resource centre and crucial care support. Such support will ease the young parents into their new roles, so that they enjoy the experience of parenthood. This complements my Ministry’s efforts of putting in place policies, infrastructure and programmes to make Singapore the best place for families and children. ”
 Mount Alvernia Hospital has also published “Successful Breastfeeding – A Practical Guide” a comprehensive local publication on breastfeeding in Singapore. Written by Mount Alvernia Hospital’s Senior Lactation Consultant Ms Kang Phaik Gaik, the guide provides parents a wealth of information on breastfeeding, from the technical do’s and don’ts to the common misconceptions surrounding breastfeeding.
Mr Khoo added, “What is valuable about this publication is the local Singapore context that it gives to breastfeeding. Sister Kang’s many years of experience and rich knowledge can be found in this book which we hope all mothers can benefit from. It also demonstrates Mount Alvernia Hospital’s commitment to support the government’s pro-family policy; to look beyond the immediate clientele of patients to reach out to all Singapore parents.”
The book was launched at the opening of the Alvernia Parentcraft Centre.
For more information on the Alvernia Parentcraft Centre, please call 6347 6641 or email parentcraft@mtalvernia-hospital.org
- END -
About Mount Alvernia Hospital
Mount Alvernia Hospital (MAH) was the first private hospital in Singapore founded in 1961. Today, Mount Alvernia is a 303-bed general acute care hospital with tertiary medical capabilities and two multi-disciplinary medical specialist centres. The hospital is supported by over 1,000 accredited doctors, with about 100 specialists based on-site. More medical suites will be built and the pool of doctors is expected to grow when MAH celebrates its 50th anniversary next year. MAH has an established reputation for obstetric, gynaecology and paediatrics services and is a winner of the Singapore Prestige Brand Award 09 (Heritage Brand) with a unique brand promise to Serve All With Love.
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安微尼亚山医院展开改建工程
16 May 2010
 向来低调的安微尼亚山医院最近积极展开一系列改头换面的工程。
总裁邱周发说，因为医院去年的营业额达8000万元，发展已到"瓶颈"，现有的容量不足以应付庞大的需求。
静静地坐落在汤申路一角的安微尼亚山医院（Mount Alvernia Hospital），拥有近50年历史。或许是由于它位于小山坡、被高架桥围绕的地理位置，这家天主教医院给人的印象是低调而平实，默默地为病人服务。
然而，随着本地人口快速增长，对医疗服务的生态环境也开始改变。一向平静的安微尼亚山医院也开始动起来，积极展开一系列改头换面的工程。
总裁邱周发表示，工程势在必行，因为去年营业额达8000万元的医院，发展已到了"瓶颈"，现有的容量不足以应付庞大的需求。他说："这项工程将为医院重新定位，以支持我们未来十年的发展。"
提供更多单人病房
工程分成两个阶段：第一阶段的重心在于重新调整病房的比重。从去年中起，院方斥资600万元，扩建22个病房，包括14个单人病房，另外还建4家医疗诊所、一个由安全岛改建而成的停车场，父母培育室和餐饮设施。其中大部分新病房已开始使用，其余将在年中落成。
其中一个主要方针，在于提供更多的单人病房。邱周发指出，院方向病人收集的反馈显示，病人越来越重视隐私，要求入住单人房。
他说："主要的需求来自妇产科，毕竟新生儿的诞生是开心的事，很多亲朋好友都会来医院分享喜悦。至于小儿科，病人的爷爷奶奶往往会来探望，也偏好单人房。外科病人则并不特别要求单人房。"
院方表示，医院没有因新病房的建设而提高住院费，但每晚住院费380元的单人病房，入住率多数爆满。
接下来将展开的第二阶段工程，投资额十分显著，但邱周发不愿在颁布工程前透露实际的数额。
将建更多医疗诊所
第二阶段工程，重点在于兴建更多医疗诊所，以及扩大现有设施的规模，其中，将建造一栋新的医疗诊所大楼，即在现有的多层停车场上扩建七个楼层，其中三层将用于设立200个新停车位，另外四层将用于兴建56个医疗诊所。
同时，院方也计划在靠近汤申路出口，兴建一栋五层新大楼，内含实验室、放射影像设施、开刀房等，并扩建现有的大楼大厅，兴建新药房、病人询问处和厕所，以及面积达360平方米的餐饮空间。
邱周发指出，设立更多的医疗诊所，是医院未来的一个重要发展方向。这也反映出安微尼亚山医院计划扩大专科特长领域，以成为一家全方位医院的雄心。
传统上，安微尼亚山医院主攻的专科领域，主要在于妇产科和小儿科，然而，近年来该医院逐渐扩大服务范围，从整形外科、眼科、肿瘤科、一般外科，到心脏外科和神经科等较复杂的专科。
邱周发说："我们的医院能吸引来自不同领域的专科医生，为病人提供更全面的医疗服务。我们希望能成为一家一站式医院，有更多的医疗人员和专科，为前来求诊的病人提供选择。"
第二阶段工程的两栋新大楼，预计2012年完成。
在激烈竞争中有所作为
随着国人生活水平提高，越来越多病人从公家医院转而寻求私人医疗服务。本地医疗业迎来了更多区域医疗旅客，进而扩大私人医院的市场版图。
根据新加坡统计局2009年人口数据报告，新加坡人口从2000年的403万增长到2009年的500万。不过，尽管市场大饼变大了，邱周发坦言，本地医疗业者之间竞争也更加激烈，近期如雨后春笋冒出的新医院可见一斑。
他说："公家医院方面，邱德拔医院已经开始运作了，裕廊综合医院将在几年后开张，而私人医院如花拉公园（Farrer Park）和百汇（Parkway）医院开始营业也是几年内的事。在争取区域医疗旅客方面，我们也面对来自泰国和马来西亚的竞争。"
他指出，安微尼亚山医院的竞争优势，在于它的非牟利性质，由于不派发股息给董事会，所以能节省资源，提供更低价格的服务。
更多中高层收入病人
转而寻求私人医疗
另一方面，卫生部去年7月推出社区医院津贴的新框架，把病人收入从原本的三个收入层增加到九个收入层，相应制定津贴额。病人的收入每跨越一个水平，可享津贴就减少10％，使约半数中低层收入的病人受惠。对私人医疗业者来说，或许将意味着更多中高层收入病人上门。
邱周发说："有鉴于政府推行的支付能力调查（means testing）政策，我们预期将有更多'中高阶级'的病人转而寻求私人医疗。我们所扮演的角色，是为病人提供更多选择。"
为海外病人提供不同选择
他也指出，近期有更多来自马来西亚、印尼和孟加拉等国的病人上门寻求相对廉宜的医疗服务。尽管新加坡人还是医院的主要市场，但医院也致力为海外市场提供不同的选择。
邱周发说："过去半年来，我们看到越来越多来自区域，尤其是印尼、孟加拉和马来西亚等地的病人上门询问或求诊，数目增长了25％，目前占病人总数的5％。"
不过，医院的宗旨仍然在于救治患者。如何在竞争激烈的私人医疗界中有所作为？如何继续平衡商业利益和患者的利益？邱周发说："我们还是要获利，才能有资金继续让医院成长和作慈善，但商业利益并不是我们的第一考量，患者还是排在第一位。"
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Suite life at Alvernia
17 Apr 2010
The hospital's new single-bed rooms let patients recover in style
 Patients being admitted to the newly spruced-up Mount Alvernia Hospital could be forgiven for thinking they have checked into a hotel by mistake.
The 49-year-old hospital recently completed a $6-million renovation which, among other improvements such as more parking, included the addition of 14 new single-bed rooms, constructed from an extension of the hospital block.
The hospital was set up by the Franciscan Missionaries of the Divine Motherhood in 1961 as a not-for-profit institution, with 60 beds. With the new beds, it now has a total of 303.
The interior of the new single-bed rooms are as swish as a hotel room.
Forget regimented dull colour schemes and bare walls. Each 29 sq m room comes with timber cupboards, parquet flooring and light-coloured wallpaper.
Even the bedspread looks luxurious with its silky texture.
Single-bed rooms in the medical and surgical wards have a brighter look, thanks to neutral toned walls and brightly coloured bedspreads and curtains.
Those in the maternity ward have a cosier theme, achieved through darker shades of bedlinen and dark wood cupboards.
The children's rooms come adorned with Disney characters and bright colours including orange and lime green.
As for the rooms' bathrooms, gone are the stale, white tiles. The new ensuite bathrooms come with trendy beige tiles for a more contemporary feel.
The hospital increased the number of single-bed rooms to meet the demand from maternity parents and other patients who wanted privacy during their recovery time.
"This will give patients more options and choices as well as provide better comfort for their family members and friends who visit them," says Mr Khoo Chow Huat, the hospital's chief executive officer.
Room rates, at $380 a day, remain the same, regardless of new or old rooms.
Mr Khoo adds that "changes are made specifically to meet the changing needs of patients and address the feedback they have given us over the years".
Feedback from patients ranged from complaints of insufficient parking lots as well as not enough single rooms and food-and-beverage outlets.
The first phase of the renovations began a year ago. Apart from the addition of single-bed rooms, the hospital is providing 16 additional parking lots.
The roundabout at its entrance has also been given a new look.
A ward which was previously under-utilised has been converted into four new specialist clinics.
In the next few months, the hospital will add another food-and-beverage outlet, a playroom for children as well as a lactation client and parentcraft centre to make it a one-stop centre to help patients prepare for childbirth and parenthood.
The hospital's last major addition was in 1997, when a second medical centre was built, with 18 specialist clinics.
"The current renovation is aimed at adding facilities that are most urgently needed for the hospital to meet the needs of the patients," says Mr Khoo.
The hospital will next embark on the second phase of its renovations, which is expected to be completed over the nexttwo years.
A new medical suite block will be built over the existing multi-storey carpark. When completed, there will be 52 new specialist clinics, two new operating theatres and 166 additional parking lots.
The hospital's lobby will also be spruced up to give it a more updated look, and a new side entrance from Thomson Road with covered pedestrian walkway will be built.
"We see ourselves playing a greater role in providing health-care services that are affordable to not just the upper- but also middle-income families.
"We will be expanding our services and increasing our capacity to meet this need," says Mr Khoo, who adds that the renovations will be timely for the hospital's 50th anniversary next year.
Another private hospital, Parkway East in Joo Chiat, announced last month that it is planning to double its capacity by building a five-storey annexe that will house more than 100 beds.
The extension will bring the number of beds in the hospital to 220, up from 118 now, and should be ready in a few years' time.
Increasing the number of beds and adding on more specialist clinics in hospitals will help Singapore be on its way to becoming a medical hub.
For first-time mum-to-be Sally Wong, news about the new single-bed rooms at Mount Alvernia excites her.
"Hopefully, I will be able to stay in one of them when I give birth in two months' time," says the 29-year-old.
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公共医院表现糟?
26 Jan 2010
 国人去年对本地私人医院服务的满意度提高了；公共医院却相形见绌，在顾客满意程度上，与私人医院的差距再次拉大。
最新出炉的《新加坡顾客满意指数》（CSISG）报告显示，公共医院只获得67.1分，比2008年退步1.29分，但私人医院得分却进步2.53分，达到72.4分。
这项调查的受访者所考量的因素包括看医生所需时间、能否接受治疗、医疗质量、医生和医疗人员的质素等。满分是100分。
过去3年来，公共医院与私人医院间之间的差距，曾一度从8.2分缩小到1.5分，去年却再次扩大到5.3分。
针对两者差距拉大，亚历山大医院（AH）院长陆圣烈昨天在记者会上辩解，公共医院的价格几乎是私人医院的三分之一，而且公共医院资源有限，医疗人员的工作负荷远远超出私人医院，病人在公共医院获得的服务不如私人医院，在所难免。
他举例说："公共医院就像巴士，而私人医院是德士。相比德士的舒适和随传随到，巴士难免显得拥挤，还得花更多时间等车。但是巴士价格便宜，是大多数人使用的交通工具。同样，公共医院的责任是在有限的资源下，为大多数无法支付私人医院高额费用的人提供医疗服务。"
不过，康生医院总裁杨辉忠却驳斥这样的说法。他指出，私人医院同样面临顾客对服务要求不断提高的问题，关键是医院如何处理顾客的期许，达到他们的要求。
公共医院有何苦衷？这些理由成立吗？他们是否有所反省而尝试改善？《热点新闻》带你探讨。
公共医院成绩为何下滑?
原因1:病床不够
本地媒体昨天报道，公共医院过去几个星期的住院率平均90%或以上，许多医院出现病床短缺的情况，一些病人在走廊上的临时病床等了12个小时，才被安排入住病房。
政府国会卫生委员会前主席Halimah Yacob说："经济衰退期间，人们被减薪、裁员，或担心饭碗不保，因此更多人涌向公共医院看病，对医院的资源造成更大的负荷，在某个程度上影响了服务，如人们等待看病的时间拉长了。"
原因2:医生短缺
亚历山大医院（AH）在这次调查中的得分较2008年下降1.58分。AH院长陆圣烈昨天在记者会上也指出，公共医院资源有限，难以像私人医院一样，提供太多"无微不至"服务，导致公共医院的得分不如私人医院。
他说："本地公共医院和私人医院的医疗专家比例大约是1比1，但公共医院却需要照顾80%的顾客，而私人医院却只需要照顾20%病人。
"医疗专家与病人比例的不平衡，使公共医院面临的负担，远远超过私人医院，因此无法像很多人期许的那样，与私人医院一样，提供'更多'服务。"
原因3:病人要求太高
陆圣烈认为，那些以往在私人医院求医的顾客，转到公共医院就医，依然用私人医院的标准来衡量公共医院，由于他们对医院服务的期许非常高，他们的评分可能使公共医院的总体评分比从前有所降低。
他说："去年受金融危机影响，有不少从前使用私人医院的顾客，转而到公共医院就医。从'德士'换成'巴士'后，他们仍然用私人医院的标准衡量公共医院，对公共医院的评分就会降低。"
原因4: H1N1 流感造成不便
樟宜综合医院（CGH）的得分下降了3.36分。CGH发言人认为，其中一个原因是CGH基于H1N1流感疫情，限制探病人数的措施。
去年4月29日起，本地政府医院规定每名病人只能有2名访客，但随着第一波疫情逐渐减弱，政府医院相继在去年年放宽了限制。目前CGH允许每名病人一次有4名访客，但为安全起见，医院规定访客注册个人资料的要求维持不变。
发言人说："虽然这是必要的，却对病人和探访者造成了不便。"
去年本地顾客满意指数稍有改善
新加坡去年的顾客满意指数（CSISG）稍有改善，获得68分，高过前年的67.8分，但仍未超越2007年第1次进行这个调查时的68.7分。
新加坡管理大学（SMU）卓越服务研究中心（ISES）自2007年起，每年对本地8个领域的消费者满意度进行调查，去年共有32,888人参与调查。
去年评分的提高，主要是因为顾客对金融与保险，以及健康保健领域的服务更满意。健康保健领域得分比前年提升1.3分，达到68.9分；而金融与保险的得分，也从前年的67分，上升到68.2分。
交通及物流的得分保持不变。零售、餐饮、资讯通信、教育、交通及物流、旅游及酒店的得分都比前年差。
顾客满意度2大误解
服务质量高＝顾客就满意?
顾客满意度与业者提供的服务素质息息相关，但服务素质高，不一定足以让顾客感到满意。
CSISG调查显示，各个领域中，虽然有不少领域服务质量得分都比去年高，但只有少数的顾客满意度有所提升。
ISES主任林晓玲指出，除了前线服务人员的服务态度，产品的品质、该机构的声誉、外界的评价、服务的价格等其他因素，都会影响顾客满意与否。
她说："前线人员的一个微笑固然重要，但如果产品质量没有达到水准，一样无法使顾客满意。"
更多的投诉＝不喜欢业者?
顾客向业者投诉服务，代表顾客希望今后看到更多的改进；公司获得的直接投诉，也与顾客对公司的满意度成正比。
CSISG调查也显示，顾客更倾向直接向自己满意的公司投诉；对于满意指数得分不高的公司，顾客在遇到问题时，则不愿费心投诉。
ISES学术主任李德发助理教授说："只有对公司未来改进服务抱有希望，顾客才会费心指出问题；相反如果顾客今后不想再使用公司的服务，他们就不会直接向公司投诉，而是会选择和亲朋好友抱怨。"
私人医院为何成功？
私人医院的顾客满意程度皆上升，一律超过70分。
排名第一、上升幅度最高的是康生医院（Thomson Medical Centre）。总裁杨辉忠指出，TMC有各种病房类型，照顾不同顾客群的需要。医院采用系统化方法，分析顾客的需要和辨识服务表现的差距，以此改进医院系统的流程。
安微尼亚山医院（Mount Alvernia Hospital）总裁邱周发说，所谓"卓越服务"，就要超越顾客的期许。
"私人医院病人无法获得政府津贴，对我们的服务自然有更高的要求。作为一家私人医院，我们的挑战是如何达到和超越病人更高的要求。"
该医院去年推出了几项针对提高服务素质的措施，如成立卓越服务工作小组、推行出院后关怀计划，在病人出院后打电话给他们，了解他们的复原情况等。
对此话题有话说？请电邮到myviews@sph.com.sg或SMS至81235858
本地公共医院和私人医院的医疗专家比例大约是1比1，但公共医院却需要照顾80%的顾客，而私人医院却只需要照顾20%病人。 AH院长陆圣烈 共医院资源有限。
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