Community Service through Outreach Medical-Surgical Education

COMMUNITY SERVICE THROUGH OUTREACH MEDICAL-SURGICAL EDUCATION INCLUSIVE OF PUBLIC HEALTH EDUCATION

Community Service Through Outreach Medical-Surgical Education Inclusive of Public Health Education – ROJoson’s Exceptional Achievements and Excellent Contribution to Society in the Local, National and International Level

How ROJoson Got Involved in Community Service Through Outreach Medical-Surgical Education Inclusive of Public Health Education

ROJoson had done surgical missions before in underserved communities in the Philippines. However, starting 1989, during his stint as Director of the Postgraduate Institute in Medicine (PGIM) of UPCM (1989-1991), when he directed the DOH-UPCM Postgraduate Circuit Courses in four piloted provincial hospitals in the Philippines, he felt EDUCATION would carry more impact and longer lasting effect in improving the health care delivery services in the Philippines. He subscribed to the saying: “Give a man a fish, you feed him for one day. Teach him how to fish, you feed him for his whole lifetime.” After his stint in the PGIM, he created his personal program and advocacy dubbed as Education for Health Development in the Philippines (EdHeDePhi) Program. This officially started in 1989 and is continuing up to the present (2019). [Link: http://edhedephi.tripod.com/; https://rojosonedhedephi.wordpress.com/; https://rojosonfacebooknotes.wordpress.com/2017/09/12/rojosons-education-for-health-development-in-the-philippines/

The other reason that drove him to do Community Service Through Outreach Medical-Surgical Education Inclusive of Public Health Education was his mindset on being a Iskolar ng Bayan.

As an Iskolar ng Bayan and as a faculty of the UP College of Medicine and Philippine General Hospital, he has imbibed the core value to fulfill the vision and mission of leadership and excellence of community-oriented medical education directed to the underserved. He will not confine myself in the ivory tower of UPCM and PGH. He has to reach out to the institutions outside UP College of Medicine and Philippine General Hospital needing assistance.

Note: When he started his personal outreach medical-surgical-hospital education program, he thought he did not have to ask permission and official approval anymore from the UPCM and UPM administration. He thought he was fulfilling the vision and mission of the UPCM College of Medicine expected of a faculty member. His thinking was that what he was doing should outrightly be appreciated at the very least, if not commended.

In 1996, he had to officially seek an official approval from the administration of UPCM and

UPM on his outreach medical-surgical-hospital education program. This was upon the

advice of the then UP College of Medicine Dean Amelita Fernandez who wanted to protect him from the intrigues coming his way as he was then just on a temporary or contractual employee item.

He did seek permission and approval. Here is a photocopy of the permit and approval from the then UPCM Dean Amelia Fernandez and UP Manila Chancellor Perla Santos Ocampo in early 1996.

“Respectfully forwarded to Chancellor Perla D. Santos Ocampo recommending favorable approval on the request of DR. REYNALDO O. JOSON for official permission to attend to various outreach community-oriented educational activities in health science schools and institutions within and outside Metro Manila.”

Below is a scanned copy of my letter addressed to then UPCM Dean Amelita Fernandez asking permission, which he wrote on December 7, 1995, with the following contents:

“Following your instructions during our meeting on December 6, 1995, I am writing this letter to request for an official permission to attend to my various outreach community-oriented educational activities in health science schools and institutions within and outside Metro Manila. When I perform these activities, I carry the zeal and spirit of the University of the Philippines, namely, voluntarism and in the service of the Filipino people.

I am presently helping the people of Western Mindanao through the Zamboanga Medical School Foundation and through the General Surgery Course in Zamboanga City Medical Center. I am also helping the people of the Bicol Region through a faculty and curricular development program in the Bicol Christian College of Medicine. I have an open invitation from Angeles University College of Medicine and Xavier University College of Medicine for faculty and curricular development program in 1996.

I give you the assurance that I will not sacrifice my duties and responsibilities in the University of the Philippines Manila when I do these outreach programs.

Thank you.

Sincerely yours,

Dr. Reynaldo O. Joson

Division Chief

General Surgery I

ROJoson’s Achievements and Contributions to Society in the Local and National Level

From 1989 to 2019 (30 years), ROJoson was deeply involved in community service through outreach medical-surgical education and public health education in the Philippines. He has done at least the following:

§ DOH-UPCM Postgraduate Circuit Courses in provincial hospitals of Isabela (Ilagan), Aklan, Koronadal (South Cotobato) and Misamis Occidental (Oroquieta) [1989-1991]

§ Zamboanga City Medical Center – A General Surgery Course (1991 to 1997)

§ Tondo Medical Center – A General Surgery Course (1993 to 1995)

§ Zamboanga Medical School Foundation – Medical Curriculum and Faculty Development (1993 to 1996)

§ Bicol Christian College of Medicine – Medical Curriculum and Faculty Development (1995 to 2003)

§ Southwestern University College of Medicine – Medical Curriculum and Faculty Development (1995 – 2000)

§ Ospital ng Maynila Medical Center – A General Surgery Course (2001 to 2014)

§ University of the Philippines College of Public Health – Hospital Administration Lectures (1993 to 2018)

§ Zuellig Family Foundation – Coaching in Maternal Mortality Control Management System in Zamboanga Peninsula (2015)

§ Zamboanga City Medical Center – Earthquake Business Continuity Program (2016)

§ Ciudad Medical Zamboanga – Philippine Quality Award (2013)

§ Salubris Medical Center in Nueve Vizcaya – Quality and Safe Management System (2016-2017)

§ Online Collaborative and Interactive Learning in hospital administration, hospital quality management system, hospital disaster preparedness program (Google Sites, Wordpress.com, Facebook) [2010 to present]

§ Online Education for Health Development in the Philippines - Advocacies and Advisories; How to Live Life in the Context of Health; Medicine and Surgery; etc.

• • Tripod.com – started in 1989 (inactive already)

  • Facebook – started June 16, 2011 with at least 6000 followers as of August 2019

  • Wordpress.com – started May 2010

  • Google Sites – started circa 2011

NOTE: Starting 2011, to reach out to more students and patients, ROJoson maximally utilizes online publications.

ROJoson’s Advocacies with Online Sites (Partial List)

· Rational Patient Management Process [https://rojosonmedicaleducation.wordpress.com/2017/06/13/maxims-rules-and-guides-in-the-management-of-a-patient-rojoson/]

· No to Routine Circumcision [https://xtulepinoy.wordpress.com/]

· Beware of Santol Seed Swallowing [https://rojosonmedicalclinic.wordpress.com/category/santol-seeds/]

· NO to Unnecessary Operations and Diagnostic Procedures [https://rojosonmedicalclinic.wordpress.com/2017/10/22/rojosons-patients-advised-against-unnecessary-operations-and-procedures-a-registry-a-resumption/]

· Cancer Survivor Registry [https://sites.google.com/site/rojosonscancersurvivors/home; https://sites.google.com/site/rojosonscancersurvivors2/home]

· No to Patient Queueing [https://sites.google.com/site/rojoson70memoir/no-queuing---no-long-waiting-time-in-clinic---a-legacy; https://rojosonwritingsonhospitaladministration.wordpress.com/2019/03/02/feedback-on-rojoson-medical-clinics-booked-appointment-time-system/; https://rojosonwritingsonhospitaladministration.wordpress.com/2016/10/06/no-queues-by-appointment-only/; https://sites.google.com/site/rojosonmedicalclinic/booked-appointment-performance---december-2018-and-2018]

· Legible Physician Handwriting [https://rojosonmedicalclinic.wordpress.com/category/handwriting/]

· Healthy Lifestyle [https://rojoson.wordpress.com/2019/07/03/rojosons-diet-to-stay-healthy/; https://rojoson.wordpress.com/category/exercise/; https://rojoson.wordpress.com/2016/05/30/rojosons-stretching-and-flexing-exercises/]

· Intentional Life Plan – Intentional Living [https://rojosonnotesonlife.wordpress.com/category/intentional-life-plans/; https://sites.google.com/site/howtoliveliferojosonmodel/]

· Keeping and Giving Medical Records to Patients [https://rojosonmedicalclinic.wordpress.com/category/keeping-medical-records/

Community Service of ROJoson

Principally, outreach education program in medicine, surgery, hospital administration, hospital disaster preparedness program, and public health education.

Specifically,

· To improve surgical practice in the Philippines

· To improve hospital administration in the Philippines

· To improve hospital disaster preparedness program in the Philippines and Asia Pacific

· To control maternal death in Zamboanga Peninsula

· To promote public health education and empower patients and the Filipino people in health and how to live life in the context of health

· To avoid unnecessary and unsafe health practices and medical procedures.

· To promote cost-effective management of medical conditions by both physicians and patients.

ROJoson’s Indigent Patient Help Program

https://rojosonfacebooknotes.wordpress.com/2012/11/21/ommc-surgery-indigent-patient-help-program-2012/

Note: Aside from the community service through outreach medical-surgical education and public health education in the Philippines, ROJoson has rendered 37 years (1982 to 2019) of medical services for the underprivileged, indigent and marginalized people in the Philippine General Hospital, Ospital ng Maynila Medical Center, and in Zamboanga Peninsula. He would offer hands-on medical services such as operating on charity patients in government hospitals. He would operate on charity patients in private hospitals like Manila Doctors Hospital. He has an Indigent Patients Help Programs for Ospital ng Maynila Medical Center Department of Surgery (https://rojosonfacebooknotes.wordpress.com/2012/11/21/ommc-surgery-indigent-patient-help-program-2012/) and for his breast cancer patients (https://rojoson.wordpress.com/2019/01/01/rojoson-indigent-patient-help-program-for-mastectomy-2018-report/). He also would provide free medical services through his patient empowerment and outreach medical-surgical educational programs (Education for Health Development in the Philippines).

IMPACT:

“Give a man a fish, you feed him for one day. Teach him how to fish, you feed him for his whole lifetime.”

ROJoson has been upholding and living the vision-mission of UPCM after graduation in 1974: leadership and excellence of community-oriented medical education directed to the underserved. ROJoson did not confine myself in the ivory tower of UPCM and PGH. He reached out to the institutions outside UPCM and PGH needing assistance.

With his outreach program of a distance education in general surgery in Zamboanga City Medical Center from 1991 to 1997, he added 7 trained general surgeons to the original pool of 3 that served the 3 million population of Western Mindanao.

With his emphasis shift to online publications and OCIL in 2011, reach to the public, to students and to patients has been greater than using face-to-face learning. ROJoson is doing community service through his outreach medical-surgical education, public health education and education in hospital administration and hospital quality management system and hospital disaster preparedness programs for the benefit of the Filipino patients, Filipino physicians, and Philippine hospitals.

The outreach education programs promote patient empowerment in health care.

The outreach education programs promote delivery of quality health care services by Filipino physicians and Philippine hospitals.

ROJ@19sept28