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ONE SPIRIT OF INNOVATION
Many Well Springs
Of Success
11 Third Hospital Avenue, #07-00, SNEC Building, Singapore 168751. Tel: (65) 6225 0488. Fax: (65) 6557 2138. www.singhealth.com.sg
2002 Financial Year In Review
Members of the SingHealth Group
ONE DISTINCTIVE PURPOSE & MISSION
Many Lives
Made Better
Our Vision
TO BE a renowned organisation at the leading edge of medicine,
providing quality healthcare to meet our nation’s aspirations.
Our Mission
WE DELIVER quality care to every patient through comprehensive
integrated clinical practice, innovation and lifelong learning.
We are dedicated to meeting the needs of:
• Our patients - excellent and cost-effectiveness healthcare
• Our staff - continuing development and welfare
• Our nation - partnership in promoting health
Our Values
• Compassion
• Integrity
• Openness
• Respect
• Commitment
• Collegiality
• Professionalism
Chairman’s Foreword
4
Group CEO’s Message
7
SARS Photo-Journal 2003
10
Health Management
17
Service Quality
21
Purchasing And Supply Management
23
Information Technology
25
Valuing Our People
27
SingHealth Institutions
29
Leaders Of SingHealth
46
Key Figures FY 2002
51
CHAIRMAN’S FOREWORD
SingHealth's cluster of hospitals, specialist centres and polyclinics has turned three.
When public healthcare was divided into two clusters in April 2000, we hoped
that such a grouping would bring about seamless care for our patients. In
addition, hospitals and clinics could share and learn from each other in order
to improve the way things are done.
While we have made significant progress, the outbreak of Severe Acute
Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) has greatly affected our lives. As a nation, we
have been battling this disease in the true spirit of solidarity and professional
commitment. We have operated as a single force and not as separate clusters
ong Wah
Mr Lim Y irman
Cha
or institutions.
Healthcare workers based at Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) have fought
bravely to help contain the virus, while healthcare professionals from
SingHealth, have also joined in to boost the treatment and control efforts.
Our staff have been holding the fort at their respective institutions, coping with the increased
workload. They should all be commended for their dedication and contributions for they have answered the call of
duty to their fullest capacity, and exceeded what is expected of them.
Outside the time of crisis, there are several improvements for our patients as a result of clustering. Previously, when
patients were referred to different hospitals, they had to go through investigations and provide medical history at
each hospital. This has cost our patients precious time and money. SingHealth has worked hard to improve this
aspect of our patient care. With the introduction of our Electronic Medical Records (EMR) system, patient information
is captured only once and made available as it moves through different parts of our care system. This makes things
easier for our patients, and also helps our team of healthcare professionals provide better care.
Our institutions now come together to provide care that puts patients first. We call these our Health Management
Programmes (HMPs). This year, we started work on three such programmes, looking into cardiovascular, diabetes and
geriatric care. With HMPs riding on a shared IT platform, seamless care for all SingHealth patients is now a reality.
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We have also improved the non-clinical aspects of our service to our patients. We have built sheltered pedestrian
walkways for the convenience of patients and visitors. Our waiting areas have been made more comfortable. We have
introduced better transportation services, patient chaperone service, SMS reminder service and other innovative
initiatives that have been well received.
In both big and small ways, we continue to improve our care to all our patients. Through our core values, we are
committed to the delivery of clinical excellence and genuine care.
Besides quality of care, we continue to address the issue of affordability of healthcare. Subventions and Medifund
disbursements have reduced the cost of healthcare for subsidised patients. For private patients, the average medical
and surgical bills here are about half that of the private hospitals.
We are mindful of not unnecessarily adding to the cost of care. Our institutions continue to develop clinical pathways
for patient care. They help ensure a high standard of care to all patients. We also constantly take steps to prevent or
prescribe unnecessary investigations and treatments. This in turn helps to control costs for our patients.
Our Group Purchasing Office (GPO) orders supplies and medicines in bulk. Due to the high volumes we purchase as a
cluster, our orders have resulted in lower prices. This has earned us savings, which helps contain costs borne by our
patients for their medications. It represents a real and tangible benefit of clustering.
In 2002, we continued to invest effort and resources in a wide spectrum of research activities. We have done bench
research to address issues such as cancer research at the molecular and genetic level. We also performed clinical
research such as treating blood cancers without the use of chemotherapy. This will mean a less traumatic experience
for the patient. We even studied practical applications such as the use of water mattresses to lower fever in newborn
babies. This innovative team idea minimises pain and discomfort for patients and has
helped save time and thousands of dollars. In all these research activities, our focus
has been clear: to find better ways of improving treatment for patients. It is hoped
that the cost of care can be reduced and new ways of treatment can be found.
Training forms the foundation for grooming young talent, including Clinicians at both undergraduate and fellowship
levels. We have also paid attention to opportunities for continuous professional development of staff. This enables
them to experience career enrichment and equips them for the challenges of knowledge evolution and new
disease patterns.
SingHealth also continues to look after our staff, who have displayed outstanding commitment to our patients. A pilot
management development programme has been initiated to groom our future leaders. We have also looked into
helping our staff achieve a work-life balance through useful services such as takeaway meals and childcare. Ultimately,
we hope to help our staff to successfully juggle their personal and work responsibilities.
The early successes have been promising. We have made encouraging progress as a cluster. However, we must continue
to improve and provide our patients better healthcare. Our patients' interests and the preservation of our nation's
good health come first. Whatever we do with our systems, procedures, policies and organisation structure must be to
serve this ultimate objective.
Mr Lim Yong Wah
Chairman
6
GROUP CEO’S MESSAGE
FY 2002 has been a defining year for us at SingHealth. We started to make
real progress to realising the benefits a group of institutions could bring
about - together - for the benefit of our nation’s healthcare needs. I am
pleased to share some highlights with you.
SingHealth embarked on a Change journey last year that saw us addressing
critical issues facing the healthcare system in the years ahead. The proposed
changes were thoroughly thought through, debated and agreed upon by the
leadership at corporate and institution level, driven by enthusiastic
champions and sponsored by heads of institutions. From this, we defined three
fundamental strategic thrusts on which to base our business and operations:
Mastering The Fundamentals of managing our cluster
Valuing Our People
Kiat
r Tan Ser
Professo
EO
Group C
Shaping Our Future towards becoming a world-class academic medical institution
Mastering The Fundamentals
Reorganisation and restructuring of the Group Purchasing Office (GPO) through the Purchasing and Supply Management
initiative leveraged the existing resources within the cluster. The group’s effort to date has achieved $7 million in savings
for SingHealth alone. It has also set up a full purchasing methodology that goes beyond pharmaceutical purchases.
We are proud to see the completion of Phase I of our Electronic Medical Records (EMR) system, as of the end of 2002.
Every member institution is now online with results reporting and the Hospital Inpatient Discharge Summary. A patient
can have his laboratory tests done in CGH and the results can be accessed online anywhere within the cluster - be it at
the polyclinics or other member institutions. Similarly, clinical summaries of inpatient discharges can be accessed
anywhere within the cluster as soon as they are discharged. Phase II - order entry and e-prescription - is already being
rolled out in selected areas and hopefully this will be as successful. Clinical pathways (based on evidence-based
medicine) are also being incorporated into the system and will be made available.
What does this mean for patients and the practitioners? For the patients, this will mean a more integrated and higher level
of care with his records and other information made available to all his caregivers without delay and unnecessary duplication
of laboratory investigations. For the doctors and other care providers, patient management is made easier and better
co-ordinated without delay. Disease profiles today are more multi-systemic and multi-organ in nature and the individual
specialist is in a better position to plan his treatment in conjunction with others, having the information made available
instantaneously online through the EMR system. Hopefully this will allow us to practise Medicine holistically.
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As the biggest public healthcare organisation, we are committed to providing the best care possible within the limits
of our resources. We recognised the need for continuous improvement in both our clinical and service qualities to our
patients. I’m pleased to report that we have made significant progress in improving the quality of our service to our
patients. We have met or exceeded many of the parameters of measurement which we signed in our Service Agreement
with MOH. Based on the Maryland QIP indicators, an established and widely accepted system of quality measurement,
I’m also pleased to report that of the 17 indicators measured, SingHealth has performed above the national average in
10 of them and equalled the national figures for another four indicators.
As a firm believer in clinical excellence, we have always strongly supported our teams of professionals in their
groundbreaking endeavours. The list of original and innovative treatments, which our healthcare teams from all our
institutions have successfully carried out, is just too long to enumerate but I pay tribute to their ingenuity and
commitment to improved patient outcomes.
Valuing Our People
We recognise that as a healthcare organisation, the single most important factor in determining our success is our
staff. We need to recruit, nurture and retain the best and most talented if we are to succeed in our mission. Several
programmes have been instituted to achieve this goal.
A new Clinician Scientist scheme was created last year to encourage budding
medical scientists to move into the exciting research field. To date, six have
been appointed and more will join the scheme. It allows them to
concentrate on their research projects with little or no remuneration
disadvantage, while still engaging in some clinical work.
Our nursing leaders have also worked hard at restructuring and
expanding the roles and responsibilities of our nurses. Career paths have
been expanded and widened to include management, clinical practice
and research and education. Similarly, the Allied Health professionals
are being encouraged to upgrade and take up training opportunities
that are now available.
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Shaping Our Future
Research has always been one of the three pillars of foundation of any creditable academic medical organisation. It is
the pillar of knowledge creation and engine of innovation that will ultimately lead to improved patient care and
outcomes. With the appointment of a full-time Scientific Director last year, guided by the SingHealth Research Council
to oversee all research activities within the cluster, we are poised to take this to a higher level.
Teaching is another pillar of SingHealth’s foundation and our institutions have a legacy of teaching excellence. In our
heritage lies Singapore’s first medical school, the King Edward VII College of Medicine, which was located within the
Outram campus. We are proud that SingHealth has been chosen to house the nation’s second medical school. This has
involved many months of hard work over the past one year in developing the infrastructure and exploring collaborations
with world-class medical teaching institutions in this endeavour to support teaching excellence.
The journey of improvement has only just begun. We are heartened by clear and positive results over the past year.
But, we know we must keep up the momentum and continue to strive even harder. Our strategies and focus are clear
before us: clinical excellence, commitment and collaboration.
We must reinforce and build Clinical Excellence at all levels and across all institutions.
We must continue to demonstrate Commitment to our patients, staff and our nation.
We need to foster Collaboration across all levels - between individuals, departments, divisions and institutions and
our other stakeholders.
We need to prove that we can deliver the best healthcare possible, through our expertise, commitment and collaborative
efforts. Together, they form “The SingHealth Way”. These are our shared values and they continue to guide and propel
us towards greater achievements.
We are humbly confident that we are now on track to deliver the SingHealth promise, that is to help deliver Medical
Excellence and Genuine Care to Singaporeans, and all who seek us for an answer to their healthcare needs.
Prof Tan Ser Kiat
Group CEO
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The Human Spirit Prevails
A SARS PHOTO-JOURNAL 2003
The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) arrived unannounced, unexpected and unwanted
at our shores. Singapore was transfixed and transformed; lifestyles took a drastic, cautious
turn. At the forefront of this fight against this enemy are our healthcare workers who
have gone beyond their calling, to save and protect lives.
SingHealth moved rapidly, equipping ourselves to deal with this unknown and
dangerous disease. Changi General Hospital, KK Women's and Children's Hospital,
Singapore General Hospital, the National Specialist Centres and SingHealth Polyclinics were
transformed into fortresses and our normal routines adapted drastically, to contain and defeat SARS. Every fever was
treated with the utmost suspicion. Stringent infection control was practised, to the point of paranoia. We went the
extra mile, to hold SARS at bay.
We pledge that we will remain committed
to our task of caring and catering to the
nation's healthcare needs. We remain
vigilant as we continue our strategy of
early detection, isolation, containment
and treatment of SARS.
On High Alert
Building Barriers Against SARS
Strict infection control measures were recognised as the way to go to keep
To keep SARS at bay, action plans were carefully mapped out and executed
our staff and patients safe. Personal protection guidelines were issued, and
efficiently in order to respond to the fluid and ever-changing situations. The
all available protective equipment - masks, goggles, gowns, gloves, aprons
SARS taskforce and operations teams worked together to integrate the Medical,
were distributed to our wards and clinics. All medical, nursing, ancillary and
Nursing, Allied Health, Operations, Communications and Epidemiological
frontline staff also received training in infection control and made time to
functions into a streamlined and efficient workflow. Every day brought its
undergo fit testing for masks to ensure that all precautionary measures against
challenges; from ensuring the timeliness and accuracy of information as well as
SARS were implemented.
watching resource levels for manpower and supplies, to anticipating potential
new trouble spots, ensuring that infection control measures were effective in
keeping our staff and patients safe.
“
The stakes are very high. We cannot afford to fail in
this battle. I have the confidence that with the team
that we have, the doctors and nurses in particular,
we will succeed in containing the problem until
there’s a vaccine to eradicate the SARS virus.
Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong in an open letter
to all Singaporeans
”
“
The SARS crisis compelled the different institutions
to work in a closer way than ever before, and we
will build on this new-found cohesion and
teamwork. I intend to bring about even greater
unity of purpose, closer teamwork and stronger
operational integration across the cluster.
Prof Tan Ser Kiat, SingHealth Group CEO
Screen, Screen, Screen
We set up screening counters at all major entrances of our hospitals, national
centres and polyclinics to screen patients and visitors for fever and track their
contact history. Separate triage counters were set up for patients with fever
and/or contact history at all our entry points.
“
Although this is not the first infectious
disease we faced as a healthcare
institution, it is the first time that we
are dealing with a relatively unknown
disease spread by close contact and
affecting so many healthcare workers.
Mr T K Udairam, CEO, CGH
”
”
“
Don’t give up, and don’t be despondent. We are in
this together, and we will look out for one another.
Let’s focus on the positives, and be proud of the care
you are providing to our patients.
”
A/Prof Tay Boon Keng, SGH Chairman Medical Board
and Chairman of the SARS Taskforce, in a message
to Outram Campus staff
“
Our staff have been absolutely great in the way
they have responded - both those who
volunteered and have been deployed to TTSH
as well as all the rest here in KKH who have
pitched in to work extra hard to make up for our
reduced numbers during this period.
Dr Jennifer Lee, CEO, KKH
”
Mdm Kiew Miyaw Tan, a Health Care Attendant with the
Urology Centre left lasting impressions on the people she
worked with during her three days at the Urocentre.
Despite her short working stint, many took an instant liking
to the lady with a ready smile and pleasant demeanour. Dr
Christopher Cheng, the Head of the Department of Urology
represents our collective feeling as he says, "Mdm Kiew left
a deep impression with us although she was only in the
UroCentre for three days. She was very friendly and 'chatty'.
She would stop to talk to various people and always wore
a smile. Her untimely demise reminds us of how precious
each living moment is, and that we should rally to fight
this unseen enemy together.".
Remembered For Their Selflessness,
Inspired By Their Courage
Dr Alexandre Chao, Consultant Vascular Surgeon with the
Department of General Surgery had cut short his leave
Learning To Live With SARS
voluntarily and returned home immediately to help out when
Staff adapted to new working styles and habits at work while some
were also assigned to take on new roles. Temperature taking became
the order of the day, as staff were required to take and record their
temperatures three times a day. Any staff who was unwell, or had
temperatures above 37.5 degrees was made to report sick at the staff
clinic where they were assessed. Full personal protective equipment
were also worn by all staff as they performed their duties which, though
the SARS virus hit SGH. With the entire surgical department
uncomfortable, was necessary for the safety of our staff and patients.
Compliance audits were also instituted to make sure that all precautions
were being taken for the safety of all.
so calm and reassuring even under the most difficult
put out of action, he and another doctor shouldered the
extremely heavy surgical workload. His passing has left us
only a memory of his selflessness and courage, but as our
Group CEO, Professor Tan Ser Kiat puts it, "Alex became the
instant icon of the ideal doctor, excellent clinical skills but ever
situations, treating his patients with great compassion,
empathy and genuine care.".
Keeping Loved Ones Free From SARS
There was a need to restrict the number of visitors coming into the hospital during the height of SARS to minimise the
possibility of infection to and from the hospital. To lift up the spirits of our patients, they were supplied with newspapers
and magazines, and we launched a special in-house request radio show. Family members were also provided with
daily updates from doctors and were able to keep in touch with their loved ones via our videophones, get well soon
postcards and e-mail messages.
“
The SARS outbreak has shown us how important it is
for everyone to pull together and work as "Singapore
Inc.". It has been fantastic working with others from
all aspects of healthcare and beyond towards a
common goal - getting Singapore SARS-free.
Dr Ling Ai Ee, Head, Virology, SGH
Singapore Salutes Our
Healthcare Workers
The community's support and contribution
through their well-wishes, tributes and donations
have warmed the hearts of healthcare workers, and
given them strength as they continue caring for
those in need. The concerted effort and collective
will of the nation's people in support of healthcare
workers have indeed been a great motivator and
morale booster for all staff.
”
ONE SEAMLESS HEALTHCARE SOLUTION
Many Faces
Of Delight
HEALTH MANAGEMENT
SingHealth’s Health Management Programmes aim to achieve two objectives:
I. Provide an integration of patient-centred and quality clinical patient care and
II. Improve the efficiency and effectiveness of our healthcare delivery system in the face of rising healthcare costs as
well as an increase in aging patients and chronic diseases
The Health Management Programme is a collaborative effort of Senior Consultants, Family Practitioners, Nurses, Allied
Healthcare professionals as well as administrative support.
Each programme is cluster-coordinated to involve process review and improvement, collection and analysis of clusterlevel data, standardisation of a number of key clinical pathways, introduction of Enhanced Primary Care facilities at
Polyclinics for primary care level treatment of conditions and development of a system of triggers to move patients to
the most appropriate care setting.
These Health Management Programmes have been specially devised based on the three most critical medical problems
in Singapore - Cardiovascular, Diabetes and Geriatrics. The ultimate goal is to integrate into a seamless healthcare
system at community care and individual institution care level to provide the best benefit and care to our patients.
Cardiovascular Health Management Programme
To combat the rise of heart and heart-related problems, the SingHealth Heartcare
programme now allows heart patients to be co-managed by the National Heart
Centre, Changi General Hospital and SingHealth Polyclinics.
Through this seamless programme, Cardiologists and Physicians now have online
access to patients’ medical records. This enables them to cross-refer patients swiftly,
share patient medical information and provide better care through the latest medical
treatment and management information through regular training updates.
Patients benefit from greater convenience and flexibility as they can
receive follow-up treatments through our SingHealth Polyclinics at
more reasonable rates.
Our seamless healthcare system has benefited more than 300 heart
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to affiliate General Practitioners who are members of the SingHealth General
Practitioner’s Empowerment Programme (GPEP). This provides even greater convenience
and flexibility for our patients and assures them of the right care at the right level.
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Diabetes Health Management Programme
The incidence of diabetes increases with an aging population, which is therefore of high concern to us, given our
changing demographics. It became imperative to SingHealth to take the lead to examine this disease in a serious and
in-depth manner, and ascertain how we could contribute as clinical leaders towards improving the management
of patients.
Our concern for our patients has led us to identify the three core
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categories of diabetic groups to assist us in providing better and more
effective medical attention to patients with diabetes.
The core categories include the "At-Risk" group, which comprise the
elderly and those with a history of inherited diabetes. The second
category is the "General" group which covers those diagnosed with
diabetes but have stable conditions. The third category is the "Complex" group who are
diabetic patients who develop and face recurring problems.
Our first project, the "Patient Movement" effort, has started to address the
problems of diabetics in the General Group. This movement has been created
to further equip and enable our SingHealth medical team to offer the most
comprehensive care and treatment to diabetics and share our medical
expertise with other affiliated doctors. This has resulted in timely patient
care at the appropriate levels, which tremendously benefits our patients.
Although this programme is still in its infancy stage, we believe that with
our rigorous development, testing and feedback, it will be progressively
rolled out across the cluster. To our patients, it is another
testament of SingHealth working together as one, for
their benefit.
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Geriatric Health Management Programme
At SingHealth, we are keenly aware that the elderly have the highest healthcare needs as they often face an onset of
multiple medical conditions. The elderly represent 16 per cent of polyclinic attendances,
21 per cent of admissions to acute care wards, and 80 per
cent of admissions to community care hospitals and nursing
homes. These numbers will balloon if concerted strategies,
efforts and programmes are not developed to address this
growing phenomenon.
Hence, the Geriatric Health Management Programme has been
drawn up to focus on the three objectives of maintaining
wellness, preventing common health conditions and managing
the diseases of our patients.
Our first programme focuses on elderly patients who are admitted
for geriatric or orthopaedic treatment as well as neurosurgery. These
patients will be sent for a basic vision testing service offered by the
Singapore National Eye Centre - "Project Eldervision". As deterioration of vision is common among those with high risk
medical issues, this allows the elderly to benefit from early detection, protection and management
of eye-related problems.
We have also initiated a concurrent programme in Orthogeriatrics
to identify our patients' conditions, assess medical impacts and
identify strategies for better combined treatment and a more
cost-friendly care structure in providing excellent medical services
to the elderly.
With these, we hope to continue paving the way to better management
of geriatric health.
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ONE SERVICE BENCHMARK
Many Fulfilling
Moments
SERVICE QUALITY
At SingHealth, we believe that Clinical Excellence needs to be delivered with Genuine Care from the heart. Care that is
real, that comes from somewhere deep within the heart driving our staff to always be compassionate, informative,
pro-active and collaborative.
Service Quality (SQ) initiatives have centred around:
Improving Accessibility
Fast Track Referral For Cardiology Patients
The improved referral system gives fast track appointments to
patients to see Heart Specialists at the National Heart Centre by
prioritising their medical urgency. This provides hundreds of patients
with better and quicker access as well as treatment at the appropriate
level of care. The system also allows patients who no longer need
specialist care to be referred back to the polyclinics for monitoring.
They will benefit from lower consultation charges and the
convenience of going to a polyclinic near their homes. The referral
system which has started with the eight SingHealth polyclinics
will be expanded to include private family physicians in the
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Improving The Service Experience
SMS Reminders, Enhancing Patients' Waiting Experience And Perception
Waiting at Specialist Clinics has become more pleasant with SMS reminders and
the Auto-SMS queue system which will send SMS to patients to inform them of
their queue status. This system is well received by patients. They appreciate the freedom to
move around and the ability to make better use of their time while waiting for their appointments.
Consistency In Service Standards
Service Quality Indicators (SQI) have been aligned cluster-wide to facilitate benchmarking across-the-board and ensure
consistency in service delivery standards in the entire SingHealth group of institutions.
Building A SingHealth Service Culture
A rigorous training curriculum helps to build a strong culture and inculcate values of Genuine Care in all our staff.
A Directory of Service Quality Training Curriculum for nursing and frontline staff has been developed to better share
the training resources available in the group, and equip our staff in areas such as service language, professional image,
telephone techniques and effective communication skills.
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ONE COMMON SOURCE OF PURCHASE
Multiple
Savings For All
PURCHASING AND SUPPLY MANAGEMENT
Purchasing is crucial as it makes up more than 40 per cent of SingHealth’s expenses. Before our two public healthcare
clusters were formed, individual hospitals and institutions were purchasing their supplies through their respective
Materials Management Departments.
Recent restructuring of the Group Purchasing Office (GPO) through the Purchasing and Supply Management initiative
leverages on the existing resources of the cluster at no extra cost. Last year, we achieved $7 million in savings for SingHealth.
The ultimate goal is for such savings to translate into reduced supplies and drugs costs for our patients. These savings
can also be channelled to patient service and welfare enhancements, as well as infrastructure support.
By benchmarking the GPO against international standards of share of purchases handled, $35 million in estimated
savings may be achieved over a three-year period.
A number of innovative measures are being introduced to
institutionalise the success achieved. These include:
• Developing a comprehensive spend database for medical
supplies and pharmaceuticals through standardisation of
The Purchas
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product codification
• Systems and performance indicators to enable crossinstitution benchmarking of spend by categorisation of
goods and services, thus constantly improving operations
• Codification of new cluster-wide procurement practices
for various goods and services
• Establishment of new negotiation standards for various
goods and services, in line with new procurement
practices
There are also on-going efforts to streamline and improve the coverage of pharmaceutical
purchases, including an initiative to develop a cluster-wide Pharmaceuticals and Therapeutics
committee to oversee the standardisation of drugs as well as monitor utilisation across the cluster.
In the spirit of cross-cluster collaboration, SingHealth is sharing its practices with the National Healthcare Group to
create even more leverage and drive more cost efficiencies in purchasing at the national level. Ultimately, patients
will emerge clear winners as SingHealth continues to improve procurement efficiencies and drive down supply and
drugs costs.
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ONE INFORMATION HIGHWAY
Fully-Integrated
Healthcare Experience
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Information Technology (IT) has led the way to better patient management by incorporating the systems of all our medical
institutions. IT consolidation has enabled many positive spin-offs, that have led to improved patient care in SingHealth and
management efficiency. The standardisation of the four key application areas that impact
patient service, patient care and clinical management include:
• Electronic Medical Records (EMR) system
• Data Warehouse based on a common platform for Management Information
and monitoring of Clinical Quality
• Common systems for administration and management of Finance, Material and
In-Patient Operation through a major ERP project due in 2004
• Commencement of a cluster-wide Outpatient Administration System
development
Through IT integration in the SingHealth cluster, we are one step closer to realising
our vision of facilitating shared care across the Eastern Public Healthcare Cluster.
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Our patients also benefit through the various IT enhancements at SingHealth,
which include:
• The EMR system where patients’ medical records and clinical processes are made
available online. This provides timely and accurate patient medical history that can be shared
across the cluster, and gives patients the flexibility and convenience to move between different SingHealth
institutions to seek treatment
• ePrescription that allows our Clinicians to rely on IT systems to provide checks on drug allergies, drug-to-drug interaction
and drug-disease interaction which reduces the occurrence of medication errors
• The Outpatient Administration System (OAS). This replaces the diverse systems across the cluster with seamless front
office interactions with patients across all institutions within SingHealth, thus improving patient service quality
• Wireless and Mobile Computing. This allows Clinicians to carry out their duties without being deskbound through
deployment of handheld or mobile devices
• eDiet. This allows ward staff to take patient meal orders using a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA)
• eBilling, made available to third-party payers online. This shortens the billing cycle and
facilitates patient service
• eAppointments. Patients are given the flexibility of booking their appointments online,
which in turn improves patient service and shortens patient waiting time
• The Image Management System which stores radiology images and scanned medical
records. Immediate access to these clinical information enhances doctors’ provision of patient
care. This also eliminates the occurrence of misplaced hardcopy radiology films and medical records
SingHealth is now able to bring about better patient care with improved operational efficiency. The
patient experience is also bettered with state-of-the-art IT solutions, which enable speedy access to
essential clinical data for step-down continuum of healthcare at the polyclinics after patient discharge.
25
ONE ROAD FORWARD
Many Sources
Of Inspiration
VALUING OUR PEOPLE
Our people represent our most vital assets and strengths. As an organisation,
we are committed to valuing our people. Over the past year, we have focused
on two important aspects of human resource management - evolving a
robust leadership development system, and helping our staff better
manage work and family/life tensions and challenges.
Systematic Leadership Development
Our change initiatives have offered more than 100 staff the
opportunity to realise their management potential and participate
in managerial programmes to fine-tune their leadership skills.
Our training and development roadmap includes an in-house
developed training infrastructure: the Management Competency
Development Programme (MCDP). The brainchild of KKH, MCDP was successfully
implemented in the hospital over the past three years to develop its own leaders.
MCDP will provide our staff with the theories and principles of effective management. Coupled with continuous
development from constant coaching, mentoring and role-modelling, it will help instil leadership qualities. The
programme will soon be implemented across all of our medical institutions. Other programmes that cater to the
needs of senior management are also being explored.
With a robust development roadmap in place, SingHealth is in a better
position to project and plan for leadership succession needs. The succession
planning exercise was completed for top management and will gradually be
expanded to cover most of the managerial positions within the cluster.
Balancing Work And Life
We ensure that while our people perform and give their best at work, their
family lives are being given equal importance. Therefore, we have introduced
a range of work-life policies across all of our medical institutions.
New innovations that benefit our staff and family are constantly being
introduced. Currently, a sampling of these benefits includes emergency
childcare services, back-up student care, flexi-time, telecommuting, dinner
catering services and laundry services.
We b
staff elieve tha
a
t
they re well ca if our
will c
red f
our p are well f or,
or
atien
ts.
With more schemes and programmes being developed, we get to show our appreciation
and concern to our people through the benefits we offer via the Family Friendly policy.
27
ONE ORGANISATION
Eight Centres Of
Excellence
CHANGI GENERAL HOSPITAL
Changi General Hospital (CGH) is the regional general hospital caring for the health of the community in the East.
We bring modern, comprehensive and affordable healthcare closer to
our patients.
CGH currently offers general and broad-based medical services and
expertise, which complements the polyclinics and private clinics in the
region. Our clinical specialities include Accident & Emergency,
Anaesthesia, Cardiology, Dermatology, Ear, Nose and Throat, Eye,
General Medicine, Geriatric Medicine, Multiphasic Health
Screening, Neurology, Neurosurgery, Obstetrics & Gynaecology,
Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Orthopaedic Surgery,
Psychological Medicine, Radiology, Rehabilitation Medicine,
Sports Medicine and Urology.
Our vision is to be a hospital recognised by patients,
staff and the community for excellence and compassion
in service and care.
Clinical Excellence
Singapore’s First Knee Transplant, Offers A Continued Active Lifestyle
Dr Tan Jee Lim, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon of our Sports Medicine Service
performed Singapore’s first knee transplant through graft implants using
arthroscopic-assisted methods.
ICE
PRACT rts
E
N
I
C
I
S MED f Consultant Spnogi
SPORT
to
ha
itmen
, the C e a
ict Tan
e recru
m
With th ian, Dr Bened tre has beco rtsPhysic edicine Cen rvice for spo ts
r
M
Sports e one-stop se s such as spo py
t
e
a
comple edical servic y, physiother
r
m
e
d
g
e
r
t
u
s
rela
ts
n.
e, spor
nutritio
medicin and sports
Best Research Paper Award, Propels Surgeons To New Heights
The Asean ORL Head and Neck Congress 2003 awarded the Best
Research Paper award to Dr Hsu Pon Poh and Dr Alvin Tan from ENT
Division for their “Calibrated Cephalometric Analysis on Obstructive
Sleep Apnoea”.
29
Commitment
E-Diet, Menus At The Click Of A Button
In line with our seamless healthcare concept, the meal service for patients has now gone wireless.
Patients can order meals through the E-Diet programme using Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs)
and have them delivered to their bedsides. Our integrated in-house patient management and
automated meal order system help to ensure excellent meal service and reduced food wastage.
Interactive Patient Guide, Offers Convenience At Its Best
Patients can now access our user-friendly multimedia video clips with language options on 15 common
procedures either through our Health Education Centre, Specialist Clinics or from the convenience of
home via our website, www.cgh.com.sg
Expansion Of Clinical Services, To Meet Our
Patients’ Needs
Our Dermatology service has been expanded to
offer more comprehensive dermatology services
such as paediatric dermatology, laser treatment,
light therapy and hair transplantation.
Free Shuttle Bus Service, Convenient Access
To Our Doorstep
Patients and visitors can now enjoy the added
convenience of free shuttle bus services from
the nearby Simei MRT Station, which brings
patients safely and comfortably to our wards
and Specialist Clinics.
Environmental Efforts, Caring In More Ways
Than One
CGH has been honoured with the inaugural
Environmental Achievement Award in 1999
and the Asean Energy Awards, BCA Energy
Efficient Building Award and the Green Leaf
Award in 2002.
FY 01
FY 02
801
663
801
670
Bed Occupancy Rate
Inpatient Admissions
85.4%
36,666
89.6%
39,356
Inpatient Discharges
36,575
39,314
Total Patient Days
Average Length of Stay (Days)
Total Surgical Operations
Day Surgeries
206,553
5.6
29,027
12,586
219,343
5.6
30,895
14,402
Size
Bed Complement
Beds in Service
Workload
Inpatient Surgeries
SOC Attendances
A&E Attendances
16,441
16,493
246,190
119,743
272,648
128,688
1,874
194
734
1,976
218
786
Staffing (Average Monthly)
Total
Doctors
Nurses
Allied Healthcare Professionals
229
238
Others
717
734
Collaboration
Home Care Assist Charity Fund, Assistance For The Less Fortunate
With the support of NorthEast Community Development Council, we are now able to offer support to ill or bed-ridden
patients with financial constraints who have been discharged from hospital. The charity fund, launched in July 2002 provides
a basket of help to these patients according to their circumstances. The help rendered includes home modification, medical
equipment, consumable homecare supplies and transport fares for regular attendance at clinics or daycare centres.
GI Oncology Clinic, Benefits Through Synergy
Oncology patients can now seek treatment through our Gastrointestinal (GI) Oncology Clinic without having to visit
the National Cancer Centre (NCC) for follow-up appointments, as Visiting Consultants from NCC conduct oncology
clinic sessions every Monday. New oncological cases are also seen at the GI Oncology Clinic.
30
KK WOMEN’S AND CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL
KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH) is
Singapore’s largest medical institution specialising
in obstetrics and gynaecology, neonatology
and paediatrics.
We are the national referral centre for comprehensive
gynaecology cancer treatment and urogynaecology
conditions as well as the nation’s largest Neonatal Intensive
Care Unit (NICU). We have also received accreditation from
the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (UK) in
obstetric ultrasound.
Our Children’s Hospital is also the largest paediatric medical institution in
Singapore attending to over 70,000 children annually. We offer a complete range of
healthcare services for children from birth through age 16. Our Children’s Emergency
Department is the first 24-hour children’s emergency service in Singapore.
Clinical Excellence
OICE FOR
H
C
F
O
E
RIAL
ENTR
ASIA’S C
ACCINE T l
V
R
E
C
N
ica
L CA
n of cerv ntre
CERVICA
reventio
p
Ce
d to the
l Cancer
Committe K Gynaecologica to participate
eK
l
osen
cancer, th centre in Asia ch w investigationa
e
ly
n
n
a
er.
c
n
a
c
l
is the o wide study on
a
d
nt cervic
in a worl hich may preve
w
e
in
vacc
First National Survey In Singapore On The Incidence Of Female
Urinary Incontinence
Our centre published a comprehensive survey on female urinary
incontinence, making it a first for KKH and Singapore.
Tailor-Made Treatment For Children With Leukaemia
To ensure that our treatments fully benefit cancer-ridden children, our
treatment regimes include careful selection and made-to-measure chemotherapy.
This helps our doctors to minimise side-effects and morbidity for these children without compromising the outcome.
National Asthma Shared Care Programme Helping Children Breathe Easy
Photos by Frank Pinckers
Children with asthma can now breathe easily with our National Asthma Shared Care Programme which has been
tailored specially for the treatment of childhood asthma.
Laser-Assisted Hatching Brings New Hope For Infertile Couples
Couples who have difficulties starting families can now benefit from our laser-assisted hatching to increase the chances
of conception.
31
Commitment
Reaching Out To Sick Children From The Region
A regional fund has been launched to help children who require complex
surgical treatments not available in their home countries.
Family First, A Balanced Work-Life For All
We won the Family Friendly Firm Award for the second time this year and
we are taking the lead in the introduction of work-life programmes across
the SingHealth cluster.
Collaboration
Fairprice’s Baby Plus Club, For Our Little Angels
We were the first hospital to have entered into an exclusive six-month partnership with
leading supermarket chain, Fairprice. The Fairprice BabyPlus Club offers a baby bonus scheme which entitles KKH
mothers to product vouchers and special privileges to workshops and seminars on parenting.
Daddy Dearest, Getting Fathers Ready For Parenthood
Through our collaboration with the Centre for Fathering, and a first in Singapore, our antenatal programme has been
revamped to cater not only to first-time mothers, but fathers as well.
FY 01
FY 02
898
786
888
750
Bed Occupancy Rate
Inpatient Admissions
71.5%
61,071
73.1%
63,425
Inpatient Discharges
60,612
63,118
Total Patient Days
Average Length of Stay (Days)
Total Surgical Operations
Day Surgeries
205,261
3.4
26,239
9,959
200,178
3.2
28,712
11,537
Inpatient Surgeries
SOC Attendances
A&E Attendances
16,280
397,259
91,675
17,175
416,201
99,054
Total
2,477
2,480
Doctors
260
270
Nurses
Allied Healthcare Professionals
1,081
313
1,031
331
Others
823
847
Size
Bed Complement
Beds in Service
Workload
Staffing (Average Monthly)
32
SINGAPORE GENERAL HOSPITAL
The Singapore General Hospital (SGH) is Singapore’s oldest and largest acute tertiary hospital and national referral
centre. Established in 1821, we practise a multi-disciplinary approach to medical care that offers patients ready access
to a wide range of specialities and support services.
Committed to uphold A Tradition of Caring & Excellence, we continue to provide the best
and yet affordable medical services to our patients. This social mission and humanitarian
legacy has been the driving force behind our efforts and achievements in Service, Teaching
and Research.
Clinical Excellence
Excellence For Singapore Award 2002,
New Heights In Medical Achievement
Associate Professor Patrick Tan, Head and Senior
Consultant at the Department of Haematology was
presented with the prestigious Excellence for
Singapore Award 2002 by the Singapore
Totalisator Board. This award was for the
recognition of his outstanding pioneering
efforts and unprecedented achievements
in the fields of haematology and bone
marrow transplant.
Treating Obstructive Sleep Apnoea,
Pioneering Breakthrough
Techniques
In October 2002, SGH in collaboration
with the National Dental Centre
(NDC) performed the world’s first jaw
WORL
D’S FI
Bringi RST DOUBL
ng ho
pe to E CORD BLO
In 200
2
patien
,
a
m
Head
edical
ts with OD TRANSP
and
te
LA
succes Senior Co am led by A
blood
n
sfully
cance NT
perfo sultant at t ssociate Pr
pat
rs
ients u
o
h
r
sing n med a cord e Departm fessor Patri
ent of
ck Tan
on-my
blood
a high eloablativ transplant Haematolo ,
The fir
e
gy,
d
f
a
o
o
p
r
se che
mothe proach and two adult
non-m st involved
w
r
p
a
y
i
ooli
thout
py.
from a eloablati
ve a ng two un
cut
from me myeloid le pproach to related cor
t
d
transp ultiple mye ukaemia. T reat the pa blood sam
tient w
he sec
ples u
lant u
loma w
o
sing n
s
h
n
a
on-my s treated d patient o was suff ing
ering
who w
using
eloab
were t
lat
un
as
he firs
t of its ive approac related cor suffering
d blo o
h. Bot
kind i
d
n the
world h procedur
.
es
advancement technique for the Treatment of Obstructive Sleep
Apnoea in Asia. Dr Goh Yau Hong, Consultant at the Department of Otolaryngology
and Dr Lim Kheng Ann, a Consultant at the Department of Oral Maxilliofacial Surgery, NDC, pioneered
the new modified Maxillo-mandibular advancement technique that enlarges the upper airway while minimising the
aesthetic facial alteration in the patient.
33
Mass Casualty Decontamination Station, First Facility Of Its Kind In The World
SGH opened the region’s first Hospital Decontamination Station on 21 September 2002. The facility is able to
decontaminate 42 casualties within an hour, in the event of any chemical contamination incidents involving hazardous
materials. The semi-automated decontamination facility, the first of its kind in the world, was jointly developed by the
SGH Departments of Emergency Medicine, Facilities and Plant Engineering and Facilities Development.
ENT Centre’s Listen & Talk Programme Helping Hearing-Impaired Children
The SGH Listen & Talk Programme was launched by Dr Balaji Sadasivan, Minister of State for Health and the Environment
on 24 April 2003 to provide aural habilitation for children with hearing impairment. The programme adopts the auditoryverbal therapy approach to teach children how to maximise their listening skills by learning how to listen through
using effective hearing devices such as the cochlear implant.
Commitment
Asian Hospital Management Award, Recognition Of
Medical Management Excellence
SGH won two awards at the Asian Hospital Management Award
held in September 2002 in Bangkok, Thailand. We won the
Human Resource Development Project category, with the project
“An Integrated Career Competency Development and Training
Deployment Approach” which focused on the nursing model
in the areas of integrating and cascading career, competency
and training.
Our second project on “The Six Sigma Strategy to Quality and
Increased Productivity at the Department of Diagnostic Radiology”
was a joint winner in the Technical Service Improvement Project Category. The project showed how our department
used the Six Sigma Strategy to streamline our inpatient and outpatient Computed Tomography (CT) scanning processes
to improve efficiency.
President’s Nurse Lee Seok Pang, True Dedication And Compassion
Senior Nurse Manager (SNM) Lee Seok Pang became the second SGH Nurse to win the President’s Award for Nurses in
2002. Armed with 36 years of nursing experience, SNM Lee is a highly motivated and dedicated leader who leads by
example in maintaining high standards of nursing care. As a clinical nursing expert, she actively plans, co-ordinates
and conducts training programmes for her nurses, patients and caregivers. Despite her busy schedule, she participates
frequently in community and voluntary work, and overseas medical mission trips.
34
SGH Corporate Communications Department, Receives Special Commendation
Our Corporate Communications Department was presented with a special commendation award at the PRISM (Public
Relations in the Service of Mankind) Awards 2002 for our role in managing the immense publicity for the Nepalese’
Twins Separation Surgery in SGH in April 2001.
Family Friendly Firm, Helping Staff Achieve A Good Work-Life Balance
We were conferred the Family Friendly Firm Award in July 2002 for our pro-family efforts and for putting in place
measures to create a workplace culture to help our staff manage work, family and personal
commitments. Employee support services such as on-site childcare centres
and social activities that include employees’ family members and health &
wellness programmes, are some of the initiatives introduced to help our staff
balance work and family life.
Collaboration
Launch Of Psi Oncology, Benefits Through Synergy
Psi Oncology, a joint venture company founded by SGH, Biotech Research
Ventures and pSiMedica Limited was launched on 30 July 2002. The
collaboration brought together Clinicians, Scientists and Researchers to
develop direct intratumoural treatments
using biodegradable BioSilicon to deliver
local chemotherapy and radiation therapy
to malignancies.
FY 01
FY 02
1,516
1,387
1,507
1,386
Bed Occupancy Rate
78.9%
79.7%
Inpatient Admissions
68,371
68,126
Inpatient Discharges
68,607
68,224
Total Patient Days
399,736
403,261
Average Length of Stay (Days)
5.8
5.9
Total Surgical Operations
Day Surgeries
Inpatient Surgeries
69,110
35,021
34,089
71,564
37,100
34,464
Size
Bed Complement
Beds in Service
Workload
SOC Attendances
592,180
567,988
A&E Attendances
113,397
116,918
4,851
475
4,953
469
Nurses
1,858
1,905
Allied Healthcare Professionals
790
802
Others
1,728
1,776
Staffing (Average Monthly)
Total
Doctors
35
NATIONAL CANCER CENTRE
A national and regional centre of excellence, the National Cancer
Centre (NCC) offers a one-stop, holistic range of clinical services
to patients. At NCC, we conduct clinical and basic research and
develop public cancer education programmes directed at the
prevention and treatment of cancer.
Our inspirational concept of care is patient-focused, with
multi-disciplinary teams of professionals
working together to improve the quality of
life for patients and their families.
NCC currently treats and manages about
70 per cent of cancer patients in the
public sector.
Clinical Excellence
Outstanding Research Award
Dr Malini Olivo was awarded an Outstanding
Research Award during the 7th World Congress
on Advances in Oncology and 5th International Symposium on Molecular Medicine in Greece, October 2002.
Her research focused on optical technologies using laser spectroscopy and imaging. This offers the ability to noninvasively diagnose and monitor early cancers in-vivo.
Best Paper Presentation
The concerted efforts of Dr Malini Olivo, Dr Weber Lau, Dr Tan Puay Hoon, Ms Vanaja Manivasager, Prof Soo Khee Chee
and Dr Christopher Cheng bore fruit when they were awarded the Best Paper Presentation at the 1st Asia Pacific UroOncology Conference in Hong Kong. Their presentation focused on the early detection of bladder carcinoma. This is
critical for the diagnosis and prognosis of a bladder cancer patient.
Certificate Of Merit For Research Paper Presentation
Dr Sandeep K. Rajan was awarded a Certificate of Merit for his Research Paper Presentation at the American Society of
Clinical Oncologists - Pan Asia Cancer Conference (APACC), New Delhi, India in February 2002. His study evaluated the
worth of telomerase expression as a diagnostic and prognostic tool in hematologic malignancies. They include
lymphomas, myelodysplastic syndrome and Chronic Myelogenous Leukaemia (CML).
36
Avon Scholar-In-Training Award
Mr Caine Leong was awarded an Avon Scholar-in-Training
Award at the American Association for Cancer Research 94th
Annual Meeting in Toronto, Canada in April 2003. The award
was for his paper on “Molecular Cloning and Characterization of
a Putative Oncogene HuUO44 in Ovarian Carcinogenesis”.
Young Investigator Grant For “Valuable Contributions To
Bayesian Statistics”
Dr Tan Say Beng was awarded the Young Investigator Grant
CO-MANA
GEMENT
R
PROGRAM EFERRAL
M
E
Primary c
are at the
Our partn
forefront
ers
for his work at the 7th Valencia International Meeting on
Bayesian Statistics in Spain, June 2002.
Commitment
Cancer Research, Searching For Answers
We are committed to medical excellence through our
basic, clinical and translational cancer research. We have
hip with p
extends o
rivate
convenie ur ability to provid practitioners
nt care fo
r our pati e seamless and
now seek
e
physician direct primary care nts. Patients can
s after th
eir initial from their family
consultati
on at NCC
.
established three research divisions within NCC: the Division of Cellular &
Molecular Research, Medical Sciences and Clinical Trials & Epidemiological Sciences.
Support Services, The Pillars To Lean On
FY 01
FY 02
Day Surgeries
1,881
2,965
Programme & Services, Special Interest Groups, Public Health
SOC Attendances
100,773
105,688
Promotion & Cancer Prevention, Cancer Helpline and Cancer
Workload
We are able to provide better support services to our patients
and their families through our Medical Social Services, Volunteer
Staffing (Average Monthly)
Publications.
Total
358
380
Doctors
60
66
Nurses
61
60
Allied Healthcare Professionals
83
87
Others
154
167
Collaboration
Panel Of Oncologists, Shared Experience For
Better Outcomes
The expertise of our surgical oncologists combined with that of
visiting oncology specialists ensures complete, balanced
assessment and management for all patients.
NCC surgical faculty also continues to attract trainee surgeons from local and overseas hospitals, as well as visiting
foreign consultants who choose to acquire special operating techniques from NCC surgeons.
37
NATIONAL DENTAL CENTRE
The National Dental Centre (NDC) provides leading-edge dentistry to our patients by incorporating the latest dental
techniques with existing methods.
With our wide range of treatment options, our patients benefit not only from expanded choices, but also from
procedures which promise better outcomes.
Recent additions to the Centre's comprehensive range of services include oral lasers for surgical use, lingual braces
for correcting bites, new implant systems for replacing lost teeth and the use of the nasoalveolar moulding technique
to manage young patients with cleft lip and palate conditions.
Clinical Excellence
Clinical Quality Management, Excellence In Dentistry
To pro-actively manage clinical and service quality, the Quality Improvement
Division was established in 2002. We now monitor indicators specific to the
practice of dentistry, which will enable us to measure our clinical quality against
established international benchmarks.
Research And Resource, Medical Solutions From The Source
Research at NDC is also progressing at a steady pace. The Research and Resource
Unit recently received funding to develop a biosensor that will enable rapid
chairside identification of bacteria type in dental infections. This technology
will be used as an indicator to predict disease conditions so
that preventive measures can be pro-actively taken.
38
Commitment
Operational Efficiency, Keeping Our Patients Happy
Patients are now notified of their appointments through short messages on their mobile phones. This system not only
cuts down the incidence of failed appointments but also reduces patients' waiting time for appointments.
Frontline Training Facilitates Seamless Dental Treatment
To improve the frontline service at NDC, a series of training lectures
have been initiated to enhance the service knowledge on dental
procedures. This commitment to developing our staff not only
encourages professionalism, but also enhances our visitors'
service experience.
Collaboration
RY
DELIVE
E
C
I
V
R
VED SE
lity
IMPRO r better qua he Dental
o
F
dt
h the
unche
intly la gramme wit ology.
jo
e
r
t
o
n
r
The Ce g Training P ute of Techn es with
e
tit
Assistin lbourne Ins equip train iciency
o
e
ff
t
e
M
s
l
e
a
im
h
y
t
a
Ro
me
rove t care.
m
p
a
r
im
g
l
o
il
The pr kills that w ss of patien
s
e
dental d effectiven
an
Patient Oral Health Management, Patient Education
And Maintenance
The Centre collaborates with other members of SingHealth to
develop pathways to take care of patients with special oral care
needs, including those undergoing radiotherapy, and treatment
for diabetes or heart conditions. The programmes aim to provide
educational information on the maintenance of
good oral health as part of holistic care.
FY 01
FY 02
Day Surgeries
6,191
5,918
Dental Attendances
157,152
160,897
Dental Procedures
134,461
160,279
265
274
Workload
Staffing (Average Monthly)
Total
Dentists
64
66
Nurses
15
14
Allied Healthcare Professionals
22
26
Others
164
169
39
NATIONAL HEART CENTRE
The National Heart Centre (NHC) is the national referral centre for cardiovascular
disease in Singapore. We provide comprehensive preventive, diagnosis,
treatment and rehabilitative cardiac services to local and overseas patients.
Over the years, we have established ourselves as an institution with
significant international reputation for our clinical services, research and
medical advances.
We also place great emphasis on cardiovascular research projects and
clinical trials that enable us to adopt improved and clinically-proven
medical techniques in the treatment of our patients.
Clinical Excellence
Singapore’s First Lead Extraction Procedure
Singapore’s first percutaneous lead extraction using the
electrosurgical dissection sheath system was performed at NHC.
This enhances the safety and success of the procedure which
previously required open heart surgery. This complicated
procedure removes infected or faulty wires that run from the heart
to the pacemaker. When the wires are removed, a new pacemaker
can be implanted.
EVICE
SIST D
LAR AS
ted
ith dila
osed w apore's
n
g
ia
d
ing
was
ft
e was S
g Peng
Nguan hy in 1996. H ted with the le er
a
o
L
r
t
b
M
n
a
o
t
la
p
c
p
o
y
O
im
cardiom patient to be e (LVAD) on 17 rong now.
t
second r assist devic o good and s ndition
ls
ula
co
ventric Loa says "I fee ar, my heart removed
e
y
r
as
e
M
w
n
.
e
o
1
f
ic
0
v
o
0
2
the de
ospital.
period
Over a so much that ed from the h
rg
ed
fe."
improv e been discha d a normal li
a
v
I'
le
d
o
t
n
a
le
I am ab
RICU
NT
LEFT VE
Singapore’s First Implant On Foreigner, Saves German Tourist
We treated a German tourist who developed fulminant myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscles which made
his heart functions deteriorate and required a life-saving biventricular heart assist device to keep his entire heart
functioning. He is Singapore’s and NHC’s first foreign patient to be implanted with a biventricular heart assist device.
24-Hour Angioplasty Service, Any Time Of The Day
Acute heart attack patients can now be treated at any time of the day. This method has
proven to be more effective than the ordinary clot-busting agent. 270 acute angioplasty
procedures were carried out in 2002.
Heart Failure Programme, We’re All Here For You
The Heart Failure Programme was introduced last year for heart failure patients. A multidisciplinary team of Doctors, Nurses, Physiotherapists, Dietitians and Pharmacists works
together to provide comprehensive care through a structured outpatient programme,
complex drug therapy, lifestyle modification and dietary interventions.
40
Commitment
Community Activities, Going Beyond Our Call
We have been actively collaborating with the Chinese Development Assistance Council (CDAC) to reach out to
unemployed or retrenched workers through career counselling and training opportunities in the healthcare sector.
Patient SMS Service, Added Convenience In A Beep
We now provide electronic reminders through mobile phones to remind our patients of their appointments
for consultation.
Collaboration
Heart Care Programme, Holistic Heart Care
The collaborative efforts of NHC, Changi General Hospital and
SingHealth Polyclinics now offer easier access to heart patients
whose cardiac conditions have stabilised to receive appropriate
care, with the convenience of continuing their routine follow-ups
at their nearest SingHealth Polyclinics. Another patient
convenience benefit is the fast track appointments which give
priority to patients with suspected heart disease and
recurrence of symptoms to see the Heart
Specialists in the shortest possible time.
STEER Programme, A Step In The
Right Direction
Part of the Skills Redevelopment
Programme, we now provide training
for retrenched or unemployed individuals
to increase their employability in the
healthcare sector. We are the only national
centre that has such an initiative and have
trained 116 participants so far.
FY 01
FY 02
186
182
186
184
Bed Occupancy Rate
Inpatient Admissions
85.3%
9,405
92.1%
10,341
Inpatient Discharges
9,372
10,372
Total Patient Days
Average Length of Stay (Days)
Total Surgical Operations
56,551
6.0
6,365
61,976
6.0
6,526
116
140
6,249
75,567
6,386
85,598
609
57
294
648
59
315
Size
Bed Complement
Beds in Service
Workload
Day Surgeries
Inpatient Surgeries
SOC Attendances
Staffing (Average Monthly)
Total
Doctors
Nurses
Allied Healthcare Professionals
66
72
Others
192
202
41
SINGAPORE NATIONAL EYE CENTRE
Singapore National Eye Centre (SNEC) is the
designated national institution within the public
healthcare sector to spearhead and co-ordinate the
provision of specialised eye care services with emphasis
on quality education and research.
Our one-stop diagnosis and treatment services cover a
broad spectrum of eye conditions. Our range of subspeciality services includes vitreo-retina, cornea, glaucoma,
cataract and comprehensive ophthalmology, refractive
surgery, oculoplastic, paediatric ophthalmology and
strabismus, as well as neuro-ophthalmology. Currently we
manage 70 per cent of patients requiring specialist eye care in
the public sector, attending to 250,000 attendances annually,
comprising over 210,000 clinic visits, 13,000 major eye
operations and 11,000 laser procedures.
With our critical mass of experienced and highly trained staff,
excellent infrastructure and a passion to deliver the best care to
our patients, we are poised to be the regional hub for ophthalmic
service, education and research.
CHAM
Playing PIONING RES
EARCH
host to
t
eye car he internatio
nal
e frater
The Sin
g
nity
hosted apore Eye Re
s
t
outside he prestigiou earch Institut
e (SERI)
s ARVO
of the U
m
S
attract
ing mo A for the first eeting held
delega re than 600 s time in Asia
,
tes from
pe
37 cou akers and
ntries.
Clinical Excellence
Cultured Conjunctival Stem Cell Transplantation
SNEC in collaboration with the Singapore Eye Research Institute (SERI) has succeeded in providing cultured grafts
from growing human adult conjunctival stem cells in the treatment of acute eye injuries from chemical burns, severe
eye corneal infections as well as the common local conjunctival disorders. This benefits patients who would otherwise
have to wait for conventional corneal tissue donation and also face a high risk of graft rejection.
Intra-Ocular Pellets Clinical Trial
Uveitis patients will soon benefit from a one-year clinical trial involving the use of pellets implanted in patients' eyes to
release low dose steroids. This helps patients who suffer from inflammation in the eye by relieving them of severe sideeffects experienced from conventional oral steroid medication requiring larger doses.
LADARVISION® - SNEC Refractive Surgery Service
Patients can now benefit from the LADARVISION® laser surgery system, the first such system to be installed in Singapore.
The system is able to benefit patients who suffer from high myopia through a superspeed radar tracking system that
guides the laser beam with pinpoint accuracy as well as the removal of less corneal tissue in the correction of myopia
as compared to conventional laser systems.
42
Commitment
Public Eye Screening, Serving The Community
More than 3,000 members of the public received free eye and
health screenings. These screenings were aimed to promote
awareness of common eye conditions and importance of good eye
health to the public.
Project ElderVision, Empowering Care Providers Of Elderly
Nursing Homes
Through training workshops and accreditation, SNEC works in
partnership with nursing homes, daycare centres and
community hospitals to impart knowledge and skills of primary
eye screening to such caregivers to raise the level of basic eye
care in these organisations.
Collaboration
Effective Integration, For Better Patient Care
And Experience
Successful clinical integration with the Eye Department of
Changi General Hospital to enhance our services to patients.
FY 01
FY 02
SNEC has also collaborated with Health Promotion Board in the setting
Workload
up of Myopia Refraction Clinic to provide refraction assessment to
Day Surgeries
22,890
24,330
pre-schoolers with myopia and other visual acuity problems.
SOC Attendances
156,531
213,885
Total
329
362
Doctors
59
62
The latest institutional alliance added to SNEC's international network
Nurses
89
100
was established with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding
Allied Healthcare Professionals
42
46
in October 2002 with Sankara Nethralaya, India's leading eye centre
Others
140
154
Staffing (Average Monthly)
Institutional Alliance, For International Networking
And Development
in Chennai in the areas of ophthalmic service, education, as well as
research and development.
43
SINGHEALTH POLYCLINICS
At SingHealth Polyclinics (SHP), our main priority is to provide patient-centred, comprehensive primary healthcare to
the community.
At each of our eight locations - Bedok, Bukit Merah, Geylang, Outram, Pasir Ris, Queenstown, Marine Parade and Tampines,
a wide range of healthcare services is available for the entire family. For greater convenience, some of the locations
offer a one-stop solution for medical needs, including X-ray, laboratory and pharmacy services.
We believe in going beyond medical treatment. SHP engages the community in understanding and coping with
medical conditions through health education talks and workshops for patients. This also helps increase public awareness
and knowledge of important health issues.
Clinical Excellence
SingHealth Heartcare Programme, Holistic
Healthcare For Our Patients
inics
l
c
y
l
o
ealth P
SingH
Working in partnership with hospitals, we are able to
provide follow-up care of patients with chronic
conditions. Particularly in the care of patients with
is
Pasir R ic
in
Polycl
g
Geylan ic
in
Polycl
stown
Queen inic
Polycl
erah
Parade
Bukit M inic
Marine inic
Polycl
Polycl
Outram
inic
Polycl
es
Tampin ic
in
Polycl
Bedok
inic
Polycl
heart conditions, SHP works with the National Heart
Centre and Changi General Hospital to provide
continued care for patients with Myocardial
Infarction, heart failure and Acute Coronary
Syndromes. This has empowered our family
physicians to give better treatment to patients
with chronic heart diseases.
A Focused Health Programme, For Haj & Umrah Pilgrims
Health education talks have been held for Muslims planning to go
on pilgrimages so that they are made aware of the medical
preventive measures they should take. A focused and holistic health
programme is also offered to them, providing pre-pilgrimage
screenings and vaccinations, travel kit and advice for the trip as well
as a post-pilgrimage consultation. Information flyers have also been
produced, outlining important travel advice for their benefit.
44
Commitment
Consolidated Billing, Convenience At
The Counter
Our new one-stop payment system at our Pasir Ris
Polyclinic allows our patients to make a one-stop
payment at the end of their visit. The positive and
constructive feedback that we have received has
enabled us to refine this system for the benefit of all our
patients in the future.
NS
SICIA d
Y
H
P
oo
LY
FAMI ighbourh
R
U
O
e
Y
en
ity in
ctice
eliabl
The r amily pra e the commuunng
f
serv
of yo
p
ims to
olistic
ade u
linic a inantly m sive and h ealth.
c
y
l
o
hen
nd h
Ris P
dom
s,
Pasir e East, pre gh compre lopment a ing clinic
n
e
u
e
v
th
o
v
e
.
r
lude e
hild d
ooms
ies, th
famil mmes on c iences inc rocedure r
n
p
a
e
progr ded conv g and new
ad
in
r
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h
i
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i
O
nd
air-co
Living With Diabetes, A Family Affair
Our first massive outreach event “Living with Diabetes A Family Affair” reached out to some 1,000 diabetics and their families
through health screenings, talks and an exhibition. The event, which
focused on helping patients live better with diabetes, was
co-organised with the Diabetic Society of Singapore and the Health
Promotion Board.
Nurses Fundraising Project, Going The Extra Mile
FY 01
FY 02
200 SHP nurses celebrated Nurses’ Day 2002 by raising funds for
Workload
the residents at St Joseph’s Home. Driven to “go beyond the calling,
Polyclinic Attendances
1,179,178
1,350,982
to benefit the community”, the nurses spent two months sewing,
Dental Attendances
42,448
33,796
cooking and making handicraft for sale. Their hard work enabled
Dental Procedures
76,451
79,642
them to raise $10,000 for the needy at the Jalan Bahar home.
Staffing (Average Monthly)
Total
507
554
Doctors/Dentists
83
92
Nurses
180
176
Allied Healthcare Professionals
63
78
Others
182
208
Collaboration
NTUC Media Healthy Lifestyle Village, Reaching Out To
The Public
SHP participated in the event by offering free health screenings for
more than 600 members of the public. The Travel Medicine And
Vaccination Service was also introduced to the visitors at the two-day exhibition.
SingHealth Quality Convention, Efficiency Through Automation
The convention saw the display of our impressive Pharmacy and Prescription Information Management (PPIM) System
as an effort to improve our patient service. This new system cuts waiting time through the automation and sharing
of data.
45
ONE BELIEF
Many Visionaries
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
46
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
(LEFT PAGE, FROM LEFT)
Mr Lim Yong Wah, Mr Bernard Chen, Prof Chew Chong Lin, Mr Ron Foo
(RIGHT PAGE, FROM LEFT)
A/Prof Goh Lee Gan, Mr Noel Hon, Mr Lee Chee Yeng, Mrs Tan Ching Yee,
Dr Tan Chor Hiang, Dr Tan Yew Oo, Mr Sum Soon Lim
47
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICERS/
CHAIRMEN MEDICAL BOARDS/DIRECTORS
SINGHEALTH
NCC
NDC
CGH
KKH
SGH
NHC
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICERS/CHAIRMEN MEDICAL BOARDS/DIRECTORS
SingHealth
CGH
KKH
SNEC
SINGHEALTH
POLYCLINICS
SGH
NCC
NDC
NHC
SNEC
SingHealth Polyclinics
48
Prof Tan Ser Kiat SingHealth Group CEO
Ms Karen Koh SingHealth Group Deputy CEO
Mr T K Udairam CEO
Prof Fock Kwong Ming Chairman, Medical Board
Dr Jennifer Lee CEO
Prof Cheng Heng Kock Chairman, Medical Board
Prof Ong Yong Yau CEO
A/Prof Tay Boon Keng Chairman, Medical Board
Prof Soo Khee Chee Director
Dr Kwa Chong Teck Executive Director
Prof Koh Tian Hai Medical Director
Dr Ang Chong Lye Director
Dr Tan Chee Beng CEO
SINGHEALTH CORPORATE OFFICE DIRECTORS
SINGHEALTH CORPORATE OFFICE DIRECTORS (FROM TOP LEFT)
Mr Sia Kheng Hong Group Chief Financial Officer
Mr Fong Choon Khin Group Chief Technology Officer
Mr Wilson Hon Director, Group Human Resources
Dr Malcolm Paterson Scientific Director
Mr Foo Hee Jug Group Chief Procurement Officer
Dr Fidah Alsagoff Director, Corporate Development
Dr Ling Moi Lin Director, Quality Management
Ms Dawn Tay Director, Legal Affairs
Mr Lee Ah San Director, Group Internal Audit
Dr Agnes Tan Director, Medical Manpower
Ms Chng Wong Yin Group Chief Information Officer
Ms Chan Ek Huar Director, Pharmacy Purchasing
Ms Ow Peck Har Director, Facilities Development
Mr Chong Kian Tek Director, Corporate Human Resource
49
ONE PICTURE OF HEALTH
Numerous Avenues
For Growth
SINGHEALTH GROUP KEY FIGURES FY 2002
WORKLOAD STATISTICS
Patient Days
Inpatient Admissions
181,248
884,758
(+3.3%)
(+1.9%)
175,513
868,101
FY 01
FY 02
FY 01
FY 02
Average Length Of Stay (Days)
Beds In Service
3,018
5.0
FY 01
4.9
2,991
(-0.1 day)
(-0.9%)
FY 02
FY 01
FY 02
Bed Occupancy Rate
81.0%
(+2.2% pts)
78.8%
Specialist Outpatient Clinic
Attendances
1,662,008
344,660
(+6.0%)
(+6.1%)
324,815
Photos by Frank Pinckers
1,568,500
FY 01
A&E Attendances
FY 02
FY 01
FY 02
FY 01
FY 02
Dental Workload
Surgical Operations
Inpatient Surgeries
Day Surgeries
Dental Attendances
74,518
96,392
(+2.0%)
(+8.7%)
199,600
194,693
88,644
73,059
FY 01
FY 02
(-2.5%)
FY 02
FY 01
FY 01
FY 02
Dental Procedures
239,921
(+13.8%)
210,912
FY 01
FY 02
MANPOWER STATISTICS (Average Monthly)
SingHealth Polyclinic
Attendances
Nurses
Doctors/Dentists
1,302
4,387
(+4.0%)
(+1.7%)
1,350,982
1,252
4,312
(+14.6%)
1,179,178
FY 01
FY 02
FY 01
Others
Allied Healthcare Professionals
1,680
4,531
(+4.5%)
(+5.1%)
4,313
1,608
FY 01
FY 02
FY 01
FY 02
FY 01
FY 02
FY 02
Tel: (65) 6225 0488
Fax: (65) 6557 2138
www.singhealth.com.sg
Singapore Health Services Pte Ltd
11 Third Hospital Avenue
#07-00 SNEC Building
Singapore 168751
SingHealth Hospitals
Changi General Hospital
KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital
Singapore General Hospital
Tel: (65) 6788 8833
Fax: (65) 6788 0933
www.cgh.com.sg
Changi General Hospital
3 Simei Street 3
Singapore 529889
Tel: (65) 6436 8000
Fax: (65) 6225 6283
www.nccs.com.sg
National Cancer Centre
11 Hospital Drive
Singapore 169610
Tel: (65) 6293 4044
Fax: (65) 6293 7933
www.kkh.com.sg
KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital
100 Bukit Timah Road
Singapore 229899
Tel: (65) 6324 8910
Fax: (65) 6324 8810
www.ndc.com.sg
National Dental Centre
5 Second Hospital Avenue
Singapore 168938
Tel: (65) 6222 3322
Fax: (65) 6224 9221
www.sgh.com.sg
Singapore General Hospital
Outram Road
Singapore 169608
Tel: (65) 6436 7800
Fax: (65) 6227 3562
www.nhc.com.sg
National Heart Centre
Mistri Wing
17 Third Hospital Avenue
Singapore 168752
National Specialist Centres
National Cancer Centre
National Dental Centre
National Heart Centre
Singapore National Eye Centre
Tel: (65) 6227 7255
Fax: (65) 6227 7290
www.snec.com.sg
Singapore National Eye Centre
11 Third Hospital Avenue
Singapore 168751
SingHealth Polyclinics
Bedok
Bukit Merah
Geylang
Outram
Marine Parade
Pasir Ris
Queenstown
Tampines
Tel: (65) 6236 4800
Fax: (65) 6557 2668
polyclinic.singhealth.com.sg
SingHealth Polyclinics
Health Promotion Board Building
3 Second Hospital Avenue #06-03
Singapore 168937
ONE SPIRIT OF INNOVATION
Many Well Springs
Of Success
11 Third Hospital Avenue, #07-00, SNEC Building, Singapore 168751. Tel: (65) 6225 0488. Fax: (65) 6557 2138. www.singhealth.com.sg
2002 Financial Year In Review