NHG CORPORATE YEARBOOK FINANCIAL YEAR 2014

About The Cover

keep healthy • stay well

A healthy life is a balance of physical, mental and social well-being. At NHG, we encourage our staff to take ownership of their health.

The cover features our staff doing simple exercises to stay well and fit. It is through staying healthy that we can deliver good care to our patients and much needed support to their care providers.

NHG is a Regional Health System for Singapore. We collaborate with Hospitals, Specialty Centres, Polyclinics, Patients, Caregivers, Partners, Volunteers and the Community to Add Years of Healthy Life to the nation.

100Financial Year

2014

20Senior

Management

54Research,

Innovation and Technology

04Chairman’s Statement

22A New Model

of Care

72Education

110About NHG’s Institutions

08Group CEO’s

Message

40Clinical Care

12Board of Directors

02We Are NHG

28Community

Care

82Our People

contents

WE AREWITH YOU

DELIVERING CAREEVERY TIME, EVERY PLACE

ONE TEAM

ONE HEALTHCARE

ONE PLANADDING YEARS OF HEALTHY LIFE

We are NHGNHG’s vision is Adding Years of Healthy Life. This goes beyond merely healing the sick to the more difficult and infinitely more rewarding task of preventing illness, and preserving health and quality of life.

NHG is a leader in public healthcare in Singapore, recognised at home and abroad for the quality of its medical expertise and facilities.

NHG is a Regional Health System for Singapore. We provide care through an integrated network and collaborate with Hospitals, Specialty Centres, Polyclinics, Patients, Caregivers, Partners, Volunteers and the Community. Together with our partners, we bring a rich legacy of medical expertise to our philosophy of integrated patient-centred care.

With our focus on providing accessible, affordable and quality healthcare services, NHG strives to improve integrated care within the Regional Health System involving long-term collaborations with other healthcare and community partners.

Family Physicians – such as Dr Valerie Teo – play an important role in providing healthcare to the community. NHG holds strongly that the ongoing transformation of primary care forms the bedrock of an effective and sustainable healthcare system.

Our Vision“Adding Years of Healthy Life”

Our MissionWe will improve health and reduce illness through patient-centred quality healthcare that is accessible and seamless, comprehensive, appropriate and cost-effective; in an environment of continuous learning and relevant research.

Our ValuesCOLLEGIALITY We nurture success by promoting collaboration, participation and trust between individuals and other healthcare organisations, within an environment of sharing and mutual respect.

COMPASSION Our paramount concern is the welfare and well-being of our fellow human beings. We sympathise with those struck by illness and suffering, and will do our best to alleviate their conditions.

RESPECT We treat everyone with honesty, decency and fairness.

INTEGRITY We are committed to the highest standards of ethical conduct.

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY We contribute positively to the well-being and welfare of the community.

PROFESSIONALISM We are committed to being the best in what we do, and to achieving the best possible outcome for our patients.

4P7RThese represent a collective mindset and proactive culture we are adopting to further raise our standards in transforming population health towards Our Shared Future of being a Regional Health System for Singapore.

The 4 Principles are:

• Patient-centred Care• Systems Thinking• Learning Organisation• Staff Engagement

The 7 Rules are:

• Healthcare originates from what patients need and value

• We care and protect patients and ourselves• We work with guidelines and standard processes• We solve the problem or take responsibility for

handing over to the next step• We give ideas, learn, develop, improve continuously

and share results• As a system with partners, it is the system’s results

that count• We feedback to the step before

TM

4 NHG CORPORATE YEARBOOK FINANCIAL YEAR 2014 • Chairman’s Statement

Singapore’s concerns of a rapidly ageing population and growing chronic disease burden are now more pressing than ever.

Today, the key challenge for the country’s healthcare landscape

lies in caring for patients beyond the hospital and its four walls as well as supporting the needs of our patients holistically in the community. This requires us to look beyond the individual-level focus of mainstream medicine and

Chairman’s Statement

Madam Kay KuokChairman

National Healthcare Group

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steer towards other domains that influence health. This challenge also necessitates a new model of care that moves beyond treating illness to promoting healthy lifestyle habits and enhancing wellness care.

We recognise that a healthy life is no longer just the absence of disease but also the existence of a holistic balance of physical, mental, emotional and social well-being. Environmental and social factors are major influencers which impact one’s physical and mental health. This means that while healthcare is an important determinant of health, factors in the social environment do influence one’s access to healthcare services and lifestyle choices.

We have shifted our thinking on how health is defined. Today, we hope to address the root of health problems by expanding our scope to integrate illness care and wellness care, rather than medicalising poor lifestyle choices. We do this by building meaningful partnerships with stakeholders in the community, including hospitals, nursing homes, home care and day-rehabilitation providers, general practitioners (GPs), caregivers as well as voluntary welfare organisations (VWOs) to create a robust support network for patients and the community at large.

Residents in western Singapore will get a boost in accessibility to primary healthcare with the launch of the Pioneer Family Healthcare Centre by the National Healthcare Group Polyclinics (NHGP). The facility is slated for completion in 2017. The new seven-storey building will put into practice a different model of care – with patients cared for by

Leadership Change At NHGOn 6 January 2015, NHG announced that Professor Chee Yam Cheng, after four outstanding years as Group CEO, had passed the leadership baton to Professor Philip Choo.

“Professor Chee Yam Cheng embodies exemplary leadership characterised by intellect, dedication, compassion, wit and humility. It is not unusual for Prof Chee to ask after staff and know them by name – from frontline healthcare assistants to nurses and fellow doctors. On behalf of the NHG Board, I would like to extend our deepest appreciation and heartfelt thanks to Prof Chee for his outstanding leadership and unwavering dedication to healthcare in Singapore and internationally.”Madam Kay KuokChairman National Healthcare Group

6 NHG CORPORATE YEARBOOK FINANCIAL YEAR 2014 • Chairman’s Statement

specific teams comprising family physicians, care managers, care coordinators and Allied Health Professionals.

Within our institutions, we are continuing to revamp services and facilities to provide a more seamless experience for patients. For example, Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH), in collaboration with the NHG Pharmacy and Integrated Health Information Systems (IHiS) launched the Outpatient Pharmacy Automation System (OPAS) to deliver higher productivity and improved medication safety, while reducing needless wait times at its outpatient pharmacy. The Institute of Mental Health (IMH) established the Psychotherapy Centre – a new dedicated service centre to better facilitate and enhance the therapeutic experience for patients. The National Skin Centre (NSC) introduced itch-relieving moisturiser Suu Balm, which was the result of a close collaboration with industry partners.

I am also proud to note some key accolades within the Group. TTSH clinched its second consecutive Aon Hewitt Best Employers Singapore 2015 Award. The accolade honours organisations which inspire strong commitment and superior performance from its people. NHG Diagnostics successfully attained accreditation under the new standards for ISO15189:2012 for laboratory quality and competency.

Our bi-monthly NHG publication, Lifewise, won the Award for Excellence in the Magazines, Journals and Tabloids – Most Improved category at the annual APEX Awards 2015. The magazine has been delivering interesting and informative articles in an easily digestible fashion to readers and this is the third consecutive year the magazine has been recognised at the international competition. The NHG Corporate Yearbook Financial Year 2013 also won the APEX Award for Excellence in the Annual Reports category for the second year.

We recognise that a healthy life is no longer just the absence of disease but also the existence of a holistic balance of physical, mental, emotional and social well-being. Environmental and social factors are major influencers which impact one’s physical and mental health.

7NHG CORPORATE YEARBOOK FINANCIAL YEAR 2014 • Chairman’s Statement

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Looking back, 2014 has been a successful and eventful year for NHG. Our successes would not have been possible without the tireless commitment of all our staff. The NHG Board and I are grateful to management and staff for their dedication and hard work. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr Paul Chan and Mr Lionel Yeo for their invaluable contributions during their tenure on the NHG Board. I would also like to welcome Prof James Best, Dr Tan Khai Tong, Ms Lock Yin Mei and Mr Chia Boon Kuah who have joined the NHG Board.

We deeply appreciate the collaboration with and encouragement from our stakeholders in the community who are our key partners in this evolving new model of care, from illness care to wellness care.

The NHG family has many roles to perform with one common aim – to give our patients the best and safest care that a good health system can deliver. As we continue to serve our population, I would like to encourage you to use every patient and/or customer encounter as an opportunity to improve health so that together, we may realise the NHG vision of Adding Years of Healthy Life.

National Day Awards 2015THE MERITORIOUS SERVICE MEDALOur Congratulations to NHG Chairman for being awarded the Meritorious Service Medal

“It is an Award that I share with all of you at NHG who have helped make my work such a meaningful and enriching experience. Thank you for all your great support.”Madam Kay KuokChairman National Healthcare Group

Congratulations too to all the 2015 National Day Awardees

8 NHG CORPORATE YEARBOOK FINANCIAL YEAR 2014 • Group CEO’s Message

Evolving Healthcare Landscape

Healthcare in Singapore has come a long way over the past 50 years. In 2014, Singapore was ranked second globally by the

Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) for best healthcare outcomes, and ranked as the most efficient healthcare system by Bloomberg. The excellent healthcare delivery is due in no small measure to the

high quality of care provided by our public healthcare institutions. Our NHG members — Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH), Institute of Mental Health (IMH), National Healthcare Group Polyclinics (NHGP), the National Skin Centre (NSC), NHG Diagnostics and NHG Pharmacy — are among the key institutions which continuously strive to scale greater heights in providing

Group CEO’s Message

Professor Philip ChooGroup Chief Executive Officer


9NHG CORPORATE YEARBOOK FINANCIAL YEAR 2014 • Group CEO’s Message

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accessible, affordable and quality care. While these achievements are laudable, our healthcare model is not significantly different from other established healthcare systems around the world. We are too hospital-centric, not optimally seamless in the healthcare ecosystem, and too focused on medicalised care.

NHG is one of six Regional Health Systems taking on the gargantuan task of solving Singapore’s healthcare challenges exacerbated by a fast ageing population, changing social support, increasing expectations, manpower constraints, rising costs, intensifying complexities of medical treatment and an explosion of knowledge. As our society becomes more affluent and educated, expectations on service, costs and the curative ability of medicine are placing more demands on the system. There is therefore an ardent need to rethink public healthcare, to transform our approach from illness care to wellness care – to ensure a sustainable system for our future generations.

Challenges of Healthcare The demographic data for Singapore paints an increasing proportion of residents aged over 65 years and declining numbers of working adults

ONE HEALTHCARE, ONE PLAN, ADDING YEARS, DELIVERING CARE, EVERY TIME, EVERY PLACE, AS ONE TEAM. WE ARE WITH YOU.

Over the next few years, our areas of focus for improving healthcare include:

• Developing good primary care to meet the challenge of rising chronic disease rates

• Integrating existing acute care services with post-acute care services

• Shifting services from inpatient to outpatient, ambulatory, and community-based care

• Providing right-sited care that is appropriate to the needs of patients and acuity of their conditions

• Promoting healthy living, ageing-in-place and enhancing the quality of life for our elderly patients

• Expanding infrastructure through Health City Novena

• Redesigning processes in our institutions and improving care transitions across settings

• Using real-time data analysis to improve efficiency and the utilisation of resources

• Building capabilities within our workforce

• Establishing a system for ongoing learning, innovation, and improvement

Areas of Focus

10 NHG CORPORATE YEARBOOK FINANCIAL YEAR 2014 • Group CEO’s Message

to support them. By 2030, the number of citizens aged 65 and above will triple to 900,000. They will be supported by a declining base of working citizens which means rising taxes and a heavier economic load. Another social shift impacting healthcare is the trend towards smaller family size. This means fewer caregivers in each household and the need for supporting caregivers, in the form of domestic helpers and day-care centres. Without an established and integrated care provider support system, the demand for institutionalised care such as nursing homes would be insatiable.

Higher prevalence of co-morbidities in chronic diseases also necessitates public healthcare to shift from episodic care to integrated care – Relationship-based Healthcare – a more effective and sustainable long-term strategy. This new model of care entails ownership of one’s health, behavioural changes, lifestyle choices and habits, early detection through appropriate health screening and better case finding. It also means that our healthcare system would integrate with other care providers to move towards preventive care, enabling those with stabilised chronic illnesses to be managed well in the community with efficient, coordinated and accessible care. For our frail elderly towards their end-of-life phase, care providers in the community need to provide them with medical and psychosocial support. This is so that they can pass on with dignity, with as little discomfort as possible, in their own homes or nursing homes, instead of in the sterile setting of a hospital.

Preventive care in a nutshell embraces the community where the person resides. Care providers, neighbours, friends, relatives and support groups co-opted to help manage patients in their homes and community – where neighbours are the hands, eyes and ears for each other – caring for each other, akin to the kampung spirit.

Right Place, Right Time, Right Person, Right Channel, Right Cost As successful health outcomes hinge upon multiple factors, the ability to connect multiple data sources becomes increasingly more critical to ensure the right information gets to the right care provider at the right time. This challenge is further complicated by the fact that multiple agencies monitor care in the system. The question therefore lies in what outcomes we seek, and how we as healthcare providers are open to collaboration to make sense of the rich data deposited in many domains. We know that Big Data and epidemiology have the potential to revolutionise healthcare in order to help us better understand the causes of chronic diseases in our population, and to provide descriptive, prescriptive and predictive indicators to derive evidence-based outcomes. NHG holds strongly that chronic diseases can be reduced or delayed on its onset with early interventions and behavioural changes.

The opening of Family Medicine Clinics and the launch of NHG’s first mobile Community Health Centre earlier this year are some stepping stones to work more closely with the community.

11NHG CORPORATE YEARBOOK FINANCIAL YEAR 2014 • Group CEO’s Message

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Healthcare at the primary level is one of the first points of contact for the community, be it at the polyclinics, GP clinics, Family Medicine Clinics (FMCs), Community Healthcare Centres (CHCs) – which support GPs with Allied Health services, and Medical Centres (MCs) – which provide community-based services for day surgery and less complex specialist services. In light of this, we believe that the ongoing transformation of primary care will form the bedrock of an effective and sustainable healthcare system.

One Healthcare Plan for the Future To meet the challenges of future healthcare, NHG will champion the call for action to optimise the well-being of our population, our patients and our people. We will collaborate with care providers in the private and public sectors to work towards proactive, pre-emptive and preventive care, rehabilitative and palliative care. We will embrace integrated systems and technology towards seamless care delivery. Through public education we

seek to influence children, youths, young adults, adults and the elderly – at every stage of their lives – to be ambassadors of healthy living and well-being.

Change can be daunting but we believe that with faith and perseverance, we can actualise a sustainable healthcare system for our future generations to inherit.

Our deep appreciation to Madam Kay Kuok, Chairman of NHG, the NHG Board, partners, patients and colleagues for journeying with us towards our vision of Adding Years of Healthy Life for Singaporeans.

NHG turns 15 and SINGAPORE turns 50As we celebrate the 15th Anniversary of the National Healthcare Group, we acknowledge leaders, unions, management, staff and partners, past and present for their contributions, dedication and support through the years. We value your commitment and hard work. Wishing all, Happy NHG15 and Happy SG50.

Preventive care in a nutshell embraces the community where the person resides. Care providers, neighbours, friends, relatives and support groups co-opted to help manage patients in their homes and community – where neighbours are the hands, eyes and ears for each other – caring for each other, akin to the kampung spirit.

12 NHG CORPORATE YEARBOOK FINANCIAL YEAR 2014 • board of directors

Madam Kay Kuok Oon Kwong is a Barrister-at-Law from Gray’s Inn, London, and works full-time in her family

business, the Kuok Group of Companies, as Executive Chairman of Shangri-La Hotel Ltd, Singapore.

She is serving and has served on several community service and statutory boards including the Singapore Tourism Board, Singapore Hotels Association, National University of Singapore (NUS) Board of Trustees,

South West Community Development Council (CDC), National Environment Agency, National Arts Council and

the Wildlife Reserves Singapore Conservation Fund.

Madam Kuok was awarded the Public Service Medal in 1998, the Public Service Star in 2005 and the Meritorious Service Medal at the National Day Awards 2015.

Professor Philip Choo took over as Group CEO, National Healthcare Group, on 10 January 2015.

Professor Choo was CEO of Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) and concurrently Deputy Group CEO, National Healthcare Group (Regional Health) from 2011 to 2014; and Chairman Medical Board TTSH from 2003-2011.

He is well recognised as a Geriatrician with more than 20 years of experience.

He was awarded TTSH Doctor of the Year in 1996. His contribution during SARS, as head of the medical team earned him the National Day Public Service Star Award in 2003. In 2011, Professor Choo was awarded the National Day Public Administration Medal (Silver).

Professor Choo serves on several Boards including Johns Hopkins Singapore International Medical Centre, Ren Ci Hospital, Integrated Health Information Systems Pte Ltd and The Courage Fund Limited.

Madam Kay KuokChairman

Professor Philip ChooMember

board of directors

13NHG CORPORATE YEARBOOK FINANCIAL YEAR 2014 • board of directors

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Mrs Tan Ching Yee has been the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health since April 2012. In addition to being Chairman of MOH Holdings and holding board memberships in public healthcare institutions, she is a Board Member of the Central Provident Fund Board, the National Research Foundation and the Singapore Totalisator Board.

She joined the Singapore Civil Service in 1986 and worked in the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the Ministry of Education, and the former Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts. She returned to the Ministry of Education in 2005 before assuming her current post.

Mr R Sinnakaruppan is presently Chairman/CEO of Singapore Education Academy (AsiaPac) Pte Ltd, a holding company for a group of education companies involved in a wide range of products and services for children and adult education. He has served and continues to serve in statutory boards/community organisations/listed companies including HDB, CAAS, MDA, ITE, Singapore Polytechnic, TTSH, SINDA Board of Trustees, Accel Frontline Ltd, SLF Leisure Pte Ltd and many more.

He also served as a Member of Parliament from 1991 to 2001. He is a Foreign and Commonwealth Scholar and was educated at Harvard Business School, Loughborough University and Nanyang Technological University.

Professor Judith Lea Swain is a physician scientist and cardiovascular specialist, and a Senior Fellow in A*STAR, as well as Professor of Medicine, at the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine.

Professor Swain previously served as Dean for Translational Medicine at University of California San Diego, Chair of Medicine at Stanford University and Chief of Cardiovascular Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. She worked in molecular cardiology and medical device development. She joined the NHG Board in 2009.

Mrs Tan Ching YeeMember

Mr R SinnakaruppanMember

Professor Judith Lea Swain

Member


Mr Soh Gim Teik advises corporations through his firm, Finix Corporate Advisory LLP. He has extensive experience in finance, corporate governance and strategic management.

He was previously an Executive Director and CFO in a listed company and is currently serving as an independent director in several other listed companies and non-profit organisations.

Mr Soh has a degree in Accountancy from the National University of Singapore. He is a Chartered Accountant (Singapore) with the Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants (ISCA) and a Fellow of the Singapore Institute of Directors (SID) where he is a Board member and Treasurer in its Governing Council. He had also served as a committee member in the Professional Accountants in Business Committee of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) and was previously awarded the Best CFO of the Year at the Singapore Corporate Awards.

Ms Anita Fam was formerly a Partner at Khattar Wong & Partners and thereafter Senior Legal Counsel, Enron Capital & Trade Resources, before she retired 16 years ago to devote herself to her family. Since then, she has immersed herself in community work and is a full-time volunteer – both at charity and national levels – in the areas of family, palliative care, disability and mental health.

Ms Fam is the Co-Chairman of the Community Silver Trust Evaluation Panel. She serves on the boards/committees of Assisi Hospice, Caregiver Alliance Ltd, Enabling Masterplan 2 Implementation Committee, Families for Life Council, Sembawang Family Service Centre, Singapore International Foundation and St Andrew’s Autism Centre among others.

Ms Fam was conferred the Public Service Star in 2014 and the Public Service Medal in 2008 for her work in the community. She joined the NHG Board in 2009.

Mr Soh Gim TeikMember

Ms Anita FamMember


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Mrs Lim Joke Mui is an accountant by training and has served as Group CFO in various corporate groups, including DBS Land Limited, CapitaLand Commercial Limited and Sembcorp Industries Limited. She retired from Sembcorp Industries on 30 June 2010. She oversaw various functions in the groups including corporate finance, accounting, tax, treasury, risk management, company secretarial and mergers & acquisitions. Besides being a director of several non-listed companies within various corporate groups, her past directorships included those of listed companies in Singapore, Australia and Malaysia such as Sembcorp Marine Limited, The Ascott Limited, The Insurance Corporation of Singapore, Australand Holdings Limited and United Malayan Berhad. She is currently a member of the MOHH Audit & Risk Committee Meeting.

Mr Seow Choke Meng has been with Singapore Press Holdings newspaper group for the last 36 years after spending five years in the airline industry. He has held various positions, including those of General Manager, Human Resource Operations, General Manager (Circulation) as well as General Manager of Chinese Newspapers’ Editorial Services Department, and Executive Vice President of Cultural Industry Promotion of Chinese Newspapers Division and Times Properties. Mr Seow is currently the Business Consultant of Chinese Media Group and Times Properties. He is also the Executive Director of Times Development Pte Ltd.

Apart from serving in grassroots and community organisations, he also serves as the Chairman of the Promote Mandarin Council and a Trustee of Chinese Development Assistance Council. He is also Vice-Chairman of Ren Ci Hospital and Board Member of Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital & Nursing Home.

Mr Seow graduated from the University of Singapore with a Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree.

Mrs Lim Joke MuiMember

Mr Seow Choke MengMember


Adjunct Professor Er Lau Joo Ming is the Senior Adviser of Ministry of Health Holdings Private Limited (MOHH), Singapore. He drives the planning, development and strategic research plans for Hospital infrastructure Project Division, provides advice to technical issues and participates in technical reviews for Ministry of Health projects. He develops robust and resilient systems in managing the projects, building of core functional and technical competencies. He mentors and guides the MOHH young professionals.

Prior to his position as Senior Adviser, he was the Senior Adviser to HDB (2012 to 2015), Managing Director of the HDB Building Research Institute (HDB BRI) in 2009 till 2012. HDB BRI is the research arm of HDB and envisions being the global leader in housing research, innovations and solutions for a sustainable living environment. In 2006 he was the Deputy CEO of the Building Group (BG) of HDB, managing four departments involved in the planning, procurement, project management, quality assurance and maintenance management of HDB estates. Er Lau was the Chief Structural Engineer of the Housing & Development Board (HDB). During his service in HDB, some of famous milestones under his leadership were the development of prefabrication technology which transformed HDB’s quality and construction technology, the construction of one million HDB apartments, the 5O-storey high-rise residential building The Pinnacle@Duxton and Punggol Eco-town.

Adjunct Professor Er Lau Joo Ming

Member

Mrs Yee Jee Hong was a member of the SWIFT Board from 1999 to 2012 representing 10 countries in Asia Pacific, including the ASEAN members, China, Taiwan, Korea and India. SWIFT is a cooperative based in Brussels and owned by banks with three data centres in three countries for high value financial transactions. Mrs Yee served at PSA, the former Port of Singapore Authority, for 13 years and was at DBS for 17 years before retiring. While at DBS, one of her most significant positions was as the Executive Vice President of all operational departments reporting to the Executive Chairman of the Board. Her scope of responsibilities included Human Resources, Finance, Administration, Risk Management, Legal, Communications and Technology. She joined the NHG Board in 2013.

Mrs Yee Jee HongMember


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Dr Tan Khai Tong studied Medicine at the National University of Singapore and graduated second in his medical class in the final MBBS examination in 1982. He won the Singapore Medical Association Bronze medal, the Jane Prize in Paediatrics, the Bailey Memorial Medal and the Albert Lim Bronze Medal.

He obtained the degrees of Master of Medicine in Internal Medicine (Singapore) and MRCP (UK) in 1986. He is also trained in Endocrinology at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and the Singapore General Hospital.

He was former secretary of the Endocrine and Metabolic Society of Singapore and a former member of the Medical Advisory Board of Mount Alvernia Hospital.

For the past 20 years, he has been in private practice as a consultant endocrinologist at Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre.

Ms Lock Yin Mei is a partner at Allen & Overy. She graduated with an LLB (Hons) from the National University of Singapore and an LLM (Hons) from Cambridge University. She is qualified to practise law in Singapore, England and Wales, and the State of New York. Apart from her work with the NHG Board, she serves on the partnership selection committee (capital markets) of Allen & Overy, and the Compliance Committee (Continuing Professional Development) of the Singapore Institute of Legal Education. She joined the NHG Board in 2014.

Dr Tan Khai TongMember

Ms Lock Yin MeiMember

Besides HDB, he was the President of Professional Engineer Board (2009 to 2014) and is currently an Adjunct Professor at Nanyang Technological University. He lectures in the Master of Science class in the School of Civil Engineering.

He is a member of the Development Projects Advisory Panel, set up by MOF to enhance the assessment and management of large and complex infrastructure projects. He offers his professional advice and expertise to other government agencies including MND, PEB, BCA, LTA, CLC, HDB, MOM, AHS, etc, when requested or called upon.


Professor James Best joined the NHG Board in 2014. He was appointed Dean of the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine in July 2014. He was previously, the Head of the Medical School at the University of Melbourne for seven years. A medical graduate of the University of Melbourne, he trained in Endocrinology in Hong Kong, Melbourne and Seattle, USA. He has extensive experience as a clinician, researcher and teacher, publishing over 200 scientific papers.

At the governance level, Professor Best was a member of Australia’s National Health and Medical Research Council and chaired its Research Committee from 2006 to 2012. He was on the Board of St Vincent’s Institute (Medical Research) for over 20 years and on the Heart Foundation (Australia) Research Committee for five years. He chaired the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) Clinical Trial Network Scientific Advisory Committee for three years, and in 2014 joined the Board of Directors of JDRF Australia. He was on the Board of Directors of three different Health Services in Victoria, Australia and the Australian Medical Defence Organisation. Professor Best received an honorary Doctor of Medicine degree from St Andrews University, Scotland and honorary professorships from Shantou University Medical College and Harbin Medical University, China.

Since taking up the position as Dean of the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine in Singapore, Professor Best has become a member of National Medical Research Council Singapore and Deputy Chairman of Nanyang Technological University Institutional Review Board. He chairs the NHG Research Advisory Committee which reports to the NHG Board.

Professor James BestMember


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Mr Chia Boon Kuah is the Group President and CEO at GuocoLand Limited since February 2014. He is responsible for steering the Group’s management team by providing entrepreneurial leadership and strategic direction. In addition, Mr Chia oversees the business operations and affairs of the Group across Singapore, China, Malaysia and Vietnam.

Mr Chia served as the Executive Director at Far East Organization and Chief Operating Officer of the Property Sales Business Group from 2003 to February 2014. He was responsible for the business planning and positioning of the sale of Far East Organization residential, commercial and industrial properties and steering marketing globally and locally. He was ExCo Chairman of the Business Space and Corporate Housing Leasing Group, and a Board member of the Far East Hospitality Trust.

Prior to Far East Organization, Mr Chia spent 20 years at Singapore Airlines, working in engineering, marketing and general management.

Mr Chia served a two-year term as President of Real Estate Developers’ Association of Singapore from February 2013 to February 2015.

Mr Chia Boon KuahMember

20 NHG CORPORATE YEARBOOK FINANCIAL YEAR 2014 • Senior Management

Senior management

Professor Philip ChooGroup Chief Executive Officer


Dr Eugene Fidelis SohChief Executive OfficerTan Tock Seng Hospital

Ms Lim Yee JuanGroup Chief Financial Officer


A/Prof Chua Hong ChoonDeputy Group Chief Executive

Officer (Clinical)National Healthcare Group

Chief Executive OfficerInstitute of Mental Health/

Woodbridge Hospital

A/Prof Lim Tock HanDeputy Group Chief Executive Officer (Education & Research)


Mrs Olivia TayGroup Chief Human Resource

Officer National Healthcare Group

Dr Jamie Mervyn LimChief Operating OfficerTan Tock Seng Hospital

Mr Lim Hock LengChief Operating Officer

Institute of Mental Health/Woodbridge Hospital

Mr Linus ThamGroup Chief Operating Officer


Group Chief Corporate Development Officer


Dr Peter ChowChief Operating Officer

National Healthcare Group Polyclinics

Ms Wong Fong TzeGroup Chief Corporate

Communications OfficerNational Healthcare Group

Dr Heng Bee HoonDirector

Health Services & Outcomes Research (HSOR)


21NHG CORPORATE YEARBOOK FINANCIAL YEAR 2014 • Senior Management

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Ms Chan Soo ChungExecutive Director

National Healthcare Group Pharmacy

A/Prof Tai Hwei YeeGroup Chief Quality OfficerNational Healthcare Group

Dr Eric WongGroup Chief Medical Informatics Officer


Ms Lim Soh HarExecutive Director (Designate)

National Healthcare Group Diagnostics

Dr Tyrone GohExecutive Director

National Healthcare Group Diagnostics

A/Prof Chong Phui-NahChief Executive Officer

National Healthcare GroupPolyclinics

A/Prof Daniel FungChairman Medical Board

Institute of Mental Health/Woodbridge Hospital

Dr Lew Yii JenSenior Director

(Clinical Services)National Healthcare Group

Polyclinics

A/Prof Tan Suat HoonDirector

National Skin Centre

A/Prof Thomas LewChairman Medical BoardTan Tock Seng Hospital

Mr Ho Khai LengGroup Chief Information

OfficerNational Healthcare Group

A/Prof Nicholas ChewGroup Chief Education Officer


Designated Institutional Official


A NEWMODELOF CAREFROM ILLNESS TO WELLNESS

The key to better, more appropriate and more affordable healthcare is a transformation in care delivery, to better meet the needs of an ageing population. Transformation of care is only possible when acute and community hospitals, nursing homes, home care and day-rehabilitation providers, polyclinics, GPs and voluntary welfare organisations work closely together.Mr Gan Kim YongHealth Minister

24 NHG CORPORATE YEARBOOK FINANCIAL YEAR 2014 • A NEW MODEL OF CARE

A NEW MODEL OF CAREN

HG’s role as a Regional Health System (RHS) for Singapore has evolved to serve the healthcare needs of the community. To create a sustainable system calls

for a new model of care that focuses on prevention, education and early detection – from illness care to wellness care.

The Best Can Still Be ImprovedSingapore has one of the best healthcare systems in the world which

consistently features in the top ranks. In 2010, we were ranked 6th globally by the World Health Organization (WHO). In 2014, international news agency Bloomberg placed Singapore first in its global rankings. We have done well to help our patients and families manage their illnesses. However, with finite resources, a rapidly ageing population – where one in three will be over 65 in 2030 – falling birth rates and growing chronic disease burden, an effective healthcare system may not

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be adequate in the long run to serve the healthcare needs of the country. Even the best is set for failure when the system eventually becomes unsustainable – unable to meet demand or is becoming unaffordable for the vast majority of patients. No country in the world has been able to buck that trend.

Revisiting Fundamentals To ensure sustainability for our healthcare system, NHG therefore aims to keep our population healthy, not just by managing diseases when they strike. A sustainable healthcare system is built on the basic principles of population health which emphasise prevention, education and early detection of diseases.

It means a shift upstream, where healthcare providers must now look at the general population – instead of just their patients – to help them change their negative lifestyle choices which may impact health.

Managing population health is basically delivering the right care to the right patient, at the right time, at the right setting and at the right cost. When this is done properly, patients will get better outcomes with care that is suited to their needs.Dr Eugene Fidelis SohCEO, Tan Tock Seng Hospital

Paddlers in Pink for

Breast Cancer Foundation

keep healthy and fit with their

regular dragon boat regime.

A New Model of CareTo do this, NHG is considering a new model of care which is relationship-based and person-centred – a new RHS that exemplifies ‘Relationship-based Healthcare that is Sustainable’. This is an expansion of our current role of treating patients who pass through our doors, and requires a paradigm shift from illness care to wellness care.

26 NHG CORPORATE YEARBOOK FINANCIAL YEAR 2014 • A NEW MODEL OF CARE

The key focus will be on the principles of prevention and healthy living, rather than episodic treatment that medicalises unhealthy behaviour.

We need to move away from transactional medicine, where patients are told what to do. Instead, we need to empower our patients to take greater ownership of their health. We need to expand upstream to preventive care, while working with our community partners to develop a strong ecosystem of health, social and mental well-being.

Our new model of care has to be team-based and multidisciplinary, and it will require change across all our institutions as we relook care delivery with our partners.

The primary care sector will be fundamental to accomplishing this. Major transformations are already happening. The National Healthcare Group Polyclinics (NHGP) is adopting a system of patient empanelment,

One of the challenges we are facing in Singapore today is a rapidly ageing population. People are living longer and as such we are seeing a higher burden of elderly with chronic medical issues. Our healthcare model is based on a hospital-centric and reactionary model of care. This model will not be sustainable in the long term. We are going through a paradigm shift in the way we provide care – from episodic care, to care that is holistic and proactive.Associate Professor John AbisheganadenHead and Senior Consultant Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine Tan Tock Seng Hospital

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where multidisciplinary healthcare teams led by Family Physicians look after specific groups of patients for the long-term. Patient empanelment allows healthcare professionals and patients to develop a strong provider-patient relationship which will be essential for patients’ optimal care.

Finally, NHG will also give greater focus to end-of-life (EOL) issues – not just in raising the quality of healthcare but also in encouraging patients and their families to have meaningful conversations on EOL care. Planning ahead for the inevitable does not need to be morbid or taboo, if handled well by experienced and compassionate healthcare professionals.

How do we help patients more effectively in the primary care setting? By moving away from ‘transactional medicine’, where doctors simply diagnose and treat patients who are then expected to follow instructions. just telling a patient to follow a care plan does not always work, especially when health conditions are the result of lifestyle habits. They must be convinced of the impact their habits have on their health, which is often easier said than done. This can only be achieved through strong patient-clinician relationships.Associate Professor Chong Phui-NahCEO, National Healthcare Group Polyclinics

COMMUNITYCARE

Caring For Each OtherAkin To The kampung spirit

COMMUNITYCARE

Caring For Each OtherAkin To The kampung spirit

Most if not all healthcare systems fail because they only kick in after people fall ill. In order to have a sustainable healthcare system, we have to reinvent, and that is what motivates us. Nobody has been able to create something like this, and it would be great if we were to succeed and make a difference for all of Singapore – and mankind!Mr Linus ThamGroup Chief Operating Officer andGroup Chief Corporate Development Officer National Healthcare Group

30 NHG CORPORATE YEARBOOK FINANCIAL YEAR 2014 • COMMUNITY CARE

COMMUNITY CARE

a sustainable relationship-based healthcare system that empowers the community to adopt a proactive mindset in caring for itself.

NHG’s First Mobile Community Health CentreIn February 2015, NHG launched the first Mobile Community Health Centre (CHC). The 24-seater bus is a one-stop service providing diabetic retinal photography, diabetic foot screening and nurse counselling services in the community. The event was held in conjunction with the inaugural

As the Regional Health System (RHS) for Central Singapore, NHG is responsible for the health of 1.4 million people. For community care to be effective, patients often need

a combination of medical and social support services. Effective integration of such care services is therefore vital. Ultimately, it is about creating

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People’s Association Aljunied Cluster-NHG Community Health Carnival 2015, and graced by Health Minister, Mr Gan Kim Yong.

The Mobile CHC aims to support some 300 General Practitioners (GPs) in Singapore who look after a growing pool of chronic disease patients in the community. Patients can now have screenings done closer to home, cutting down trips to the acute hospital or polyclinics. The Mobile CHC makes monthly stops at some 20 neighbourhood locations, and GPs can refer patients to be screened on an appointment basis. Services are also available to inpatients and outpatients from the Institute of Mental Health (IMH).

NHG Group CEO, Prof Philip Choo (third from right) with staff in front of the mobile Community Health Centre (CHC)

A patient doing a diabetic Retinopathy eye screening in the

Mobile Community Health Centre.


Community Health Screening Health screenings serve as an important tool to facilitate early detection and intervention of chronic diseases. Early intervention in turn helps add years of healthy life by slowing disease progression through changing lifestyle habits and close adherence to treatment.

The National Healthcare Group Diagnostics (NHGD) delivers convenient health screening services to residents of the Central Region. Since August 2014, some 1,000 residents have been screened, with 86 per cent of patients requiring follow-up. Plans are in place to reach out to more community partners to support health screening initiatives.

NHGD also collaborates with various partners to organise community health screenings across Singapore. The health screenings are targeted to help residents detect diseases early, thereby reducing their risk factors for chronic conditions.

Central Regional Health and Social Assessment ProgrammeIn 2014, NHG, together with Central Singapore CDC, piloted the Central Regional Health and Social Assessment Programme (CRNA) at selected rental blocks in Toa Payoh and Sin Ming. More than 1,700 units were assessed with the support of partners, such as the Health Promotion Board (HPB), Agency for Integrated Care

The National Healthcare Group Diagnostics

(NHGD) is a business unit of NHG, providing quality laboratory and

imaging services at the primary healthcare level.

www.diagnostics.nhg.com.sg


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(AIC), and Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF).

A door-to-door questionnaire survey was issued to residents to ascertain their need for health and social support based on aspects such as family history, financial need, home environment, lifestyle practices and mental well-being. To better align community screening efforts and avoid duplication of services, respondents were matched against the NHG and HPB chronic disease database.

Supported by Senior Activity Centres and grassroots organisations, health screenings were held at void decks of the targeted housing estates for better accessibility and maximum participation. A team of facilitators followed up with respondents via house visits and phone calls, and recommended interventions. Elderly persons with high falls risk were given geriatric assessments on-site by the TTSH Mobile Geriatric Clinic. The CRNA programme aims to reach out to all rental blocks in the Central Region under NHG within the next three to four years.

Project CARE Expands Training in Nursing HomesProject CARE, a palliative care initative spearheaded

by Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) with seven nursing homes in the Central Region, aims to improve end-of-life care and promote Advanced Care Planning for residents. In 2014, TTSH expanded the scope of Project CARE to include training of nursing home staff in general and geriatric care. TTSH also plans to provide training in the use of standard care pathways, escalation protocols and tele-consultation.

APCATS Partners Hua Mei Mobile Clinic to Better Support Elderly Patients In October 2014, the Aged Psychiatry Community

The APCATS team visits patients in their home to provide continued care.


Assessment and Treatment Service (APCATS) at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) linked up with Hua Mei Mobile Clinic to cater to patients’ medical needs and provide more holistic support.

APCATS is a community-oriented psycho-geriatric outreach service that provides assessment and treatment for homebound or frail elderly with mental health disorders. However, the majority of patients also suffers from chronic diseases and requires medical attention, which previously were not catered for under the programme.

With the Hua Mei Mobile Clinic, the patient referral process between APCATS and community service providers is improved. Patients now have easier access to medical consultation and are extended more comprehensive care.

Battling AddictionsIMH’s National Addictions Management Service (NAMS) rolled out several initiatives to raise awareness on addictions, and to equip community partners and organisations with tools to identify and help those facing addiction issues.

• Training on Responsible Gambling for STC Frontline Staff NAMS was awarded a contract by the Singapore Turf Club (STC) to organise a series of training for its frontline staff from September 2014 to March 2015. Staff who attended the training gained basic knowledge on problem gambling and communication skills to help clients who may present signs of the condition. Similar training sessions have been conducted for STC since 2009.

• Addictions Workshop for Grassroots Leaders & Volunteers from Southeast CDCAs part of the collaboration between NAMS, Marine Parade GRC and Southeast Community Development Council (CDC), a training workshop was conducted in September 2014 to equip grassroots leaders and volunteers with insightful knowledge of how to reach out to and help residents with addictions in a timely manner. Participants learnt practical skills to help them identify residents with drinking and/


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or gambling problems, and the various community resources that are available to help these residents.

• Bringing Addictions Awareness to the Southeast CommunityThe Addictions Awareness Campaign (AAC) and National Addictions Awareness Day (NAAD) successfully concluded in November 2014. The event, themed Life Is Colourful Again!, was jointly organised by NAMS and the Southeast CDC. The Guest-of-Honour was Dr Mohamed Maliki Bin Osman, Mayor of Southeast CDC, Minister of State, Ministry of National Development and Ministry of Defence. It was hosted by celebrity Nick Shen Wei Jun, the Addictions Awareness Ambassador for 2014.

The event featured testimonials from family members of NAMS’ patients recovering from drug, alcohol, gambling and gaming addictions. It reinforced the message that addictions are treatable and that family support is crucial in one’s recovery. Visitors also learned about various addictions and treatment

options through interactive booths helmed by community partners.

Care in the CommunityIMH stepped up efforts to build up partnerships to better support people with mental health conditions in the community. One of the initiatives currently in place is the Mental Health Helpline (MHH), a collaborative community outreach project by IMH and the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC).

MHH provides immediate support and advice for patients, caregivers and community partners in managing mental health issues to de-escalate potential crisis cases at a community level. Where necessary, the team will also conduct home visits to provide pre-crisis intervention. More than 16,500 calls were received via the Helpline in FY2014. Through this initiative, some 1,400 cases were assisted and around 250 home visits were conducted.

MHH encourages capability-building through training sessions and case conferences to enable community

IMH’s See The Full Picture campaign addresses stereotypes and misconceptions

of people with mental health issues.


partners to manage cases which require multiple agencies’ involvement. The training sessions include basic introduction to mental illness and more advanced case discussions for specific mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, depression and anxiety disorders.

MHH and AIC also set up Local Community Support Networks (LCSN) to better support constituencies in managing at-risk residents. Training is provided for grassroots leaders, volunteers and other partners in the constituency to increase their competency to handle mental health cases. In FY2014, 30 case conferences were organised for constituencies and its networks, with training given to Taman Jurong, Mountbatten and Macpherson constituencies.

NSC held its 25th Anniversary Open House where educational talks were conducted by its doctors and pharmacists.

See the Full Picture CampaignSee The Full Picture is a collaboration between a team of National University of Singapore’s (NUS) Psychology undergraduates and IMH’s Community Health Assessment Team (CHAT) to address stereotypes and misconceptions of those with mental health issues.

The campaign aimed to cultivate awareness among NUS students to understand persons with mental illness and to not just view them solely as sufferers of a condition. A roadshow was organised at the NUS Central Forum in October 2014 which featured persons with mental health concerns, and recognised them as individuals with diverse personalities, interests and roles.

Living Grace

Providing care means going beyond hospital walls. At the Department of Continuing and Community Care, we focus on ensuring the smooth transition of healthcare as elderly patients move from the hospital back to their own homes or nursing homes. Dr Ian LeongHead and Senior Consultant Department of Continuing and Community Care Tan Tock Seng Hospital


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IMH’s First-Ever Flea Market IMH launched its first flea market Macam Macam Market in October 2014 in conjunction with World Mental Health Day, with subsequent flea markets held on the first Sunday of each month. A range of pre-loved and new items were sold by stalls set up by IMH staff, volunteers, recovering patients and community partners. This initiative provides recovering patients a platform to man their own stalls and generate some pocket money. It is also an opportunity for members of the public to visit the hospital and understand more about mental health.

NSC’s 25th Anniversary Open House The National Skin Centre (NSC) held its 25th Anniversary Open House in November 2014. Educational talks were conducted by NSC doctors and pharmacists on topics ranging from hair loss, pigmentation and acne. There were also booths manned by clinical staff to allow visitors to gain an insight into common skin conditions, including tips on smoking cessation and sun protection. Visitors toured the Mandalay Laser Clinic for a first-hand look at the laser machines used for treatments such as tattoo removal and scar lightening.

Cancer and Coronary Risk Screening The National Healthcare Group Polyclinics (NHGP) offers health screening services in an effort to promote health and prevent chronic diseases among our patient population.

Apart from screening services for the three common cancers, namely, colorectal, breast and

IMH’s flea market Macam Macam Market

is held on the first Sunday of

each month.


cervical cancers, NHGP also extends Coronary Risk Screening (CRS) to eligible patients to identify health risks such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension and hyperlipidaemia that could lead to the development of cardiovascular disease. This intervention framework has been further augmented by partnerships with the Health Promotion Board (HPB) and People’s Association (PA). Post-screening patients can now opt for treatment interventions at the polyclinics, as well as participate in community-based lifestyle-modification and wellness programmes by HPB and PA.

Health Promotion booths have also been set up across the clinics to engage patients and offer relevant screening services. To date, more than 8,000 patients have enrolled for cancer screening.

Supporting Community and Grassroots Organisations for Community HealthNHGP has been working with health, social and community partners to address health issues and risk factors that various communities are currently facing. This includes engaging in various health education and multi-disciplinary community-based interventions to enable

Painting and balloon sculpting for children, and Mini Golf (above)

were two of the highlights at NSC’s

25th Anniversary Open House.


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NHGP senior dietitian Lynette Goh gives talks to parents of Jurong West Primary School students.

our patients and their caregivers to practise better chronic disease self-management.

To sustain good health in the community, NHGP signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Nee Soon South (NSS) Division in June 2014. The three-year collaboration would see NHGP working with the existing wellness centre in the Division to better support patients who are residents in NSS. The goal is to empower residents to take care of their own health effectively.

Additionally, NHGP has been engaging students of Jurong West Primary School, located next to the future Pioneer Family Healthcare Centre, through health-themed art competitions and informative sessions exploring healthcare as a profession. NHGP dietitians also give talks to parents on maintaining well-balanced and nutritious diets for their children.

Games Medical Centre for SEA Games 2015Dr Lew Yii Jen, Senior Director, Clinical Services was Head of the Games Medical Centre (GMC) at the SEA Games 2015, which took place in June. Located at the Sports Hub, the GMC provided round the clock primary care services for athletes and delegates. These included ambulatory services for emergency cases, treatment for sports-related injuries, physiotherapy and minor surgical procedures.

Minister for Health, Mr Gan Kim Yong and Minister of State for Health, Dr Lam Pin Min and Senior Minister of State for Health and Manpower, Dr Amy Khor, each visited the GMC. Minister Gan recognised the public-private collaboration efforts between NHGP and other healthcare institutions, and the team’s effective multi-disciplinary approach in treating the athletes and delegates.

CLINICALCARE One Healthcare One Plan One Team

One cannot have good physical health if there are some disturbances emotionally and mentally. Someone with diabetes and heart problems and has depression at the same time is going to do much poorer compared to another person who has the same conditions but without emotional health problems.Associate Professor Chua Hong ChoonDeputy Group Chief Executive Officer (Clinical) National Healthcare GroupChief Executive Officer, Institute of Mental Health

42 NHG CORPORATE YEARBOOK FINANCIAL YEAR 2014 • CLINICAL CARE

CLINICAL CARE

care, we have stepped up our efforts in improving treatments and facilities, shortening the length of hospital stay and speeding recovery time.

Successful Conclusion of NHG’s High-Alert Medications CollaborativeHigh-Alert Medications (HAMs) are drugs which can result in significant harm to patients if used incorrectly. While strict guidelines are in place to minimise errors, continual reviews and data collection are vital to ensure such incidents are kept at near zero. NHG launched its High-Alert Medications Collaborative

NHG’s vision of Adding Years of Healthy Life remains steadfast despite Singapore’s changing healthcare needs in the face of a rapidly ageing population

and growing chronic disease burden. In building a sustainable Relationship-based Healthcare System for Singapore, our innovations are designed with the patients’ needs in mind. Within clinical

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publication in 2015. This is the result of a Quality Resource Management (QRM) – supported five-year initiative to build a comprehensive knowledge base on the prevention, detection, and mitigation of adverse events related to the use of HAMs. In addition, the team developed a localised HAMs list, and put in place a learning system across multiple institutions and professional groups.

Raising Quality Improvement on All Levels As part of the Singapore Healthcare Improvement Network (SHINe), NHG institutions participate in different work streams and projects associated with improving medication safety and reducing hospital-acquired infections. SHINe also serves as a platform for collaboration, learning, and sharing of best practices among institutions. It has enabled staff to acquire new skills and institutions to refine their approaches to sustain, scale up,

and spread improvements at the national level.

A New Integrated Musculoskeletal CentreThe new Clinic B1C at Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) is part of the Musculoskeletal (MSK) Centre. It is supported by TTSH’s Pain Management and Sports Medicine & Surgery Specialists, and Allied Health Professionals. The third and final phase of renovation is slated for completion end of 2015. The new Centre will give patients better access to integrated interdisciplinary management of various musculoskeletal conditions.

A multidisciplinary team of physicians, surgeons, nurse clinicians, dieticians, exercise physiologist, physiotherapists, podiatrists and psychologists provides same day joint consultation and holistically manages different musculoskeletal conditions. This


makes the Centre a one-stop facility providing seamless patient movement amongst the various services.

Opening of Centre for Geriatric MedicineTTSH, under the auspices of the Institute of Geriatrics and Active Ageing (IGA), officially opened the new Centre for Geriatric Medicine in July 2014.

This one-stop service centre builds on the hospital’s 25 years of pioneering experience in the field of geriatric medicine, and is specially designed to meet the needs of elderly patients, with the Geriatric Rehabilitative Gym and Pharmacy located together to provide ease of access.

The indoor Sensory Garden offers a relaxing atmosphere for patients and caregivers alike. Patients with dementia can be stimulated via cognitive games and displays. The centre also

aims to teach, partner and empower caregivers through educational programmes.

IGA also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with NTU–UBC Research Centre of Excellence in Active Ageing for the Elderly (LILY). LILY is a joint research centre between Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and The University of British Columbia (UBC). The collaboration will allow new digital technologies to be test bedded at the Centre, with

Officially opened by Health Minister Mr Gan Kim Yong, the Centre for Geriatric Medicine at TTSH is a one-stop service centre for the elderly.


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the shared objective of developing innovative methods of care delivery for the elderly.

Groundbreaking of National Centre for Infectious Diseases In November 2014, Health Minister Mr Gan Kim Yong graced the groundbreaking of the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID), which is scheduled to open in 2018. Under the Health City Novena Master Plan, NCID aims to become Singapore’s first line of response in the fight against infectious outbreaks. It will also boost research in the field of infectious diseases.

Equipped with isolation and cohort wards, intensive care units, support facilities including laboratories and radiology units, the 330-bed centre is benchmarked to international standards for treatment and safety. A key safety feature is the facility’s ability to be “locked down” during major outbreaks, while high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) ultraviolet filters and negative pressure rooms, ensure a safe flow of air to tackle airborne diseases.

Groundbreaking of the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID).

One Healthcare Plan

To meet the challenges of future healthcare, NHG will champion the call for action to optimise the well-being of our population, our patients and our people. We will collaborate with care providers in the private and public sectors to work towards proactive, pre-emptive and preventive care, rehabilitative and palliative care.Professor Philip ChooGroup Chief Executive Officer National Healthcare Group


Eliminating Tumours with New TechniqueWith a rapidly ageing population, procedures to treat elderly patients and will help them recover more quickly help realise our vision of adding years of healthy life. TTSH has developed a novel method of destroying tumours in kidney cancer patients who are unable to undergo conventional surgical procedures. Pioneered by Dr Png Keng Siang from the Department of Urology and Adjunct Assistant Professor Pua Uei of the Department of Diagnostic Radiology, the method is minimally invasive and safe enough for elderly patients.

Surgeons insert a probe into the tumour. The probe is cooled to 40 degree Celsius below zero, causing water in the tumour cells to freeze. The temperature is then subsequently raised, expanding the micro ice crystals, completely destroying the cells in the process. The minimally invasive treatment also allows better recovery and shorter hospital stay for patients.

Pioneering Procedure Shortens Recovery Period for Patients A novel surgical method developed by TTSH is Central Stentoplasty, which uses real-time imaging technology called “Cone Beam CT” to enable doctors to visualise spinal anatomy in fine detail. The technique was developed by Asst Prof Pua Uei and doctors from the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery.

A stent is inserted through a tiny incision made in the lower back and a small amount of bone cement injected into the fracture. Once the cement sets, the fracture is stabilised, preventing any further or potential collapse along the spine. This results in rapid pain relief and reduces time needed for hospitalisation and bed rest. Suitable candidates include patients who are unable to get pain relief from medication or are unsuited for conventional treatment methods such as bracing.

Forging Close Relationships

Healthcare is about establishing trusted relationships with our People, Partners, Patients and Population. Through forging close relationships, we collaboratively deliver value to Singaporeans. We want healthcare that serves not just patients but also the community to encourage healthy living for all.Dr Eugene Fidelis SohChief Executive Officer Tan Tock Seng Hospital


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Ninth Singapore Trauma Conference 2015 In April 2015, local and international healthcare professionals converged at TTSH for the annual Singapore Trauma Conference. The latest medical technologies and treatments in trauma and acute care were discussed, with emphasis on how the healthcare model went beyond emergency treatment to encompass preventive and treatment methods to help trauma patients towards recovery. Health Minister Mr Gan Kim Yong was the Guest-of-Honour at the event.

Dedicated Facility for Psychotherapy Services In line with NHG’s continuing efforts to create better facilities for our patients, the new Psychotherapy Centre at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) is a dedicated facility that integrates the hospital’s various psychotherapy services under one roof. The purpose-built Centre, which started operations in December 2014

is designed to facilitate therapeutic process through special lighting and soundproofing features, creating a soothing environment more conducive for communication between patients and their psychotherapists.

The centre houses 14 individual therapy rooms comprising an art therapy room and a family therapy room. It also offers a suite of psychotherapy services such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Psychodynamic Therapy and Systemic Therapy.

New Rehabilitation Gym Benefits Patients with Mental IllnessThe MINDSET Rehabilitation Gym opened in August 2014 to provide more specialised care management for IMH patients. Comprising a Sensory Integration Gym and a Physical Exercise Gym, the facility is established with the support of MINDSET Care Limited (“MINDSET”), a registered charity of the Jardine Matheson Group.

Reception of the

Psychotherapy Centre at IMH


The Sensory Integration Gym is used by occupational therapists and offers sensory-based intervention for adult outpatients with psychiatric conditions, in particular, patients who suffer from neurodevelopmental disorders such as Intellectual Disability (ID) and/or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Gym balls, swings, and balance boards, help to improve their sensory processing and functional level.

The Physical Exercise Gym is equipped with treadmills, stationary bicycles and muscle training machines. It is used by occupational therapists and physiotherapists to conduct health management sessions for adult outpatients with psychiatric conditions, and who may have gained weight because of lifestyle issues. The sessions aim to steer them towards a healthy lifestyle, and to build up their activity tolerance for vocational training or employment.

Improving Care for Long-Stay Patients The Friendship Garden, sponsored by MINDSET, opened in March 2015 to stimulate long-stay patients to enjoy the outdoors. There is also a gardening corner, customised for both wheelchair-bound and mobile patients.

Improving Patient SafetyIn 2014, IMH piloted the Safety Nurse programme to help improve safety of high-risk

The Sensory Integration Gym offers sensory-based intervention for adult outpatients.

patients. With this initiative, two nurses are assigned as dedicated safety officers to monitor pre-identified high-risk patients in the ward throughout their shifts. Patients are carefully monitored for falls risk as well as disturbed, aggressive or violent behaviour.

As a result, incidents in the ward were reduced by more than half within six months. It also improved staff morale and confidence by creating


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a safer and more therapeutic environment for patients. The Safety Nurse programme has since been rolled out to all wards in 2015.

Improving Medication SafetyTo improve medication safety, IMH piloted the Closed Loop Medication Management (CLMM) system in acute wards in 2014. The system replaces manual safety checks with automation and barcoding to ascertain that the right dose of the right medication is served to the right patient at the right time – thereby “closing the loop” among the four stages of the medication process: prescription, review, dispensation, and administration. Nurses are also able to spend more time on direct patient care with time savings and improved ward processes brought about by the new system.

As of November 2014, CLMM has been rolled out to 23 acute wards. It complements the Convidose system which supplies pre-packed, patient-specific medications in multi-dose sachets for each medication round.

New Interventions to Help Young Patients Cope with Stressors Two new interventions were introduced in the Child and Adolescent ward at IMH (Sunrise Wing) to provide young patients alternative ways to cope with stressors. A cool-down room named The Iceberg is designed

The Physical Exercise Gym is used to conduct health management sessions for adult outpatients.

to help children de-stress, and regulate their emotions and aggression through the use of distress tolerance tools, under the supervision of staff.

Unlike a time-out room, The Iceberg is stocked with selected items for distress tolerance, such as weighted toys, hammocks, tents, self-help books, as well as art and


craft materials to promote relaxation. Patients are encouraged to practise self-directed behaviour to increase self-awareness and develop skills to cope with stress and dysregulation of their mood.

The second intervention space, named The Green Place, is a gardening corner in the ward courtyard with a fish pond. As part of their everyday schedule, patients feed fish and water plants to cultivate their nurturing side and reduce disruptive behaviour.

Up-to-Date Medical Record Documentation Available on DemandThe 2014 phased roll-out of the Electronic Medical Records across all IMH inpatient wards has allowed clinical staff to document outpatient clinical notes electronically in ambulatory settings, viewable in both outpatient and inpatient settings to facilitate provision of care. This has resulted in safer and more coordinated care for patients as there is up-to-date documentation available on demand for clinicians. With the information available on a single platform between clinics, patients now have seamless access to services without the need to transfer paper notes.

Implementation of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Day Programme In December 2014, IMH’s Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry launched an intensive Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Day Programme at the Child Guidance Clinic. It aims to equip young persons with skills (and medication, where necessary) to manage OCD symptoms early on before the condition worsens.

The programme provides multidisciplinary assessment and treatment to children and young people up to 19 years of age with varying severity of OCD. There are several routes of treatment (i.e. intensive, outpatient and inpatient treatment plan) depending on the severity of the symptoms with treatment tailored to the specific needs of the children and their families. The team also uses a holistic approach to manage OCD by working with patients’ families and schools. Analysis of early data shows that young patients who have completed the programme and returned for follow-up treatments have seen significant reduction in OCD symptoms.

New Polyclinic in Jurong WestIn May 2015, the groundbreaking ceremony for Pioneer Family Healthcare Centre, the 10th polyclinic of National Healthcare Group Polyclinics (NHGP), was held in Jurong West. The event was graced by Guest-of-Honour Dr Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State for Health and Manpower; Mr Cedric Foo, Advisor and MP for Pioneer Constituency; Madam Kay Kuok, Chairman of NHG; and Professor Philip Choo, Group CEO, NHG.

The seven-storey Pioneer Family Healthcare Centre will serve over 272,000 patients annually when it opens in 2017. Located next to Jurong West Primary School, it will alleviate the load of Jurong Polyclinic located at Jurong East, which serves between 1,300 and 1,600 patients daily. Patients will be cared for by healthcare teams comprising family physicians, care managers, care coordinators and Allied Health Professionals.


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The new polyclinic — Pioneer Family Healthcare Centre will open in 2017 and provide comprehensive primary care.


Community engagement underlines the design of the facility – which will have dedicated spaces for public education activities to increase awareness on proactive healthy living.

Telecare Programme Wins Inaugural MOH Health IT Excellence AwardNHGP’s Telecare Programme won the inaugural MOH Health IT Excellence Award 2014 for Excellence in Increasing Access to Care. Developed in 2013, the Telecare Programme is designed for patients who find it easier to receive medical attention at home. Care managers, who

are nurses trained in chronic disease management, support patients through tele-consultation.

Patients with stable diabetes mellitus, hypertension and lipid disorders can track their health parameters with home monitoring devices and transmit the readings to the polyclinic teams via Healthy.sg. This facilitates tele-consultation sessions and enables care managers to remotely monitor patients and assist them in the management of their conditions. Through this programme, the number of clinic visits is reduced, and good clinical outcomes are maintained.

NHGP’s Telecare Team with A/Prof Chong Phui-Nah (fifth from left), Chief Executive Officer of NHGP at the inaugural MOH Health IT Excellence Award 2014.


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Patient’s caregiver helping to input results into Telecare portal.

Basic Eye Screening Service for Immuno-Dermatology PatientsIn March 2014, the National Skin Centre (NSC) introduced a basic eye screening service by trained nurses for patients starting Hydroxychloroquine. The drug is a medication prescribed to treat some skin conditions including light-sensitive diseases, such as cutaneous lupus erythematosus and dermatomyositis. As long-term use is associated with the risk of retinal damage, patients who are started on the drug must undergo baseline eye examinations by ophthalmogists at TTSH. The service entails six-monthly checkups over a five-year period for visual acuity, screening for maculopathy and colour vision screening to help detect any signs of damage for early intervention.

New Photo Identification Service Since April 2014, all new patients who register for the first time at NSC clinics will have their photographs taken and included

in their confidential medical records. This new service is a milestone in enhancing patient safety through accurate patient identification. Accurately identifying patients ensures that the correct patient receives the right care; and that NSC’s healthcare team has the correct medical records to review and document care received.

IMH and TTSH Awarded JCI Accreditation In May and August 2014, IMH and TTSH received their Joint Commission International (JCI) re-accreditation, respectively. This achievement comes with the continued efforts in sustaining the high standards in care delivery, preparation of staff across all levels, and the participation of QRM’s Standards and Accreditation Resource Unit (SARU) in identifying gaps and areas for improvement through mock tracers*, practice interviews, and coaching sessions.

*Simulation of actual survey process

RESEARCH,ANDGround-Breaking

CollaborationsQuantum Leaps

The Outpatient Pharmacy Automation System (OPAS) is an innovative medication dispensing system featuring robotic armatures and radio-frequency identification technology that boosts efficiency and productivity, and also promotes faster, better and safer patient care.

INNOVATIONTECHNOLOGY

56 NHG CORPORATE YEARBOOK FINANCIAL YEAR 2014 • Research, Innovation and technology

Research, Innovation and technology

57NHG CORPORATE YEARBOOK FINANCIAL YEAR 2014 • Research, Innovation and technology

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Research is one of the three pillars that underpins NHG’s work. It is through synergistic partnerships with

world-class organisations, multidisciplinary teams and experts that we are able to push boundaries in improving and enhancing care delivery to our patients. The use of technology and innovative solutions improve patient outcomes and contribute to our new model of care.

SHBC 2014The 12th instalment of the Singapore Health and Biomedical Congress (SHBC) was held in September 2014 at the Max Atria in Singapore EXPO. Organised by NHG and themed Redefining Healthcare for the Future – Educating, Innovating & Leading for Progress, it was the largest healthcare scientific meeting in Singapore with some 3,000 international delegates. Health Minister Mr Gan Kim Yong was the Guest-of-Honour at the Opening Ceremony.

“Research will be one aspect of long-term value creation for our patients, doctors and staff to make us a world-class institution. The National Skin Centre has achieved its status as a centre of excellence supported by visionary leadership, people architecture and organisational capacity, and capabilities.”Associate Professor Tan Suat HoonDirectorNational Skin Centre

Key highlights included the Infectious Diseases and Epidemiology Forum 2014, the Tan Tock Seng Hospital-Johns Hopkins Singapore (TTSH-JHS) Joint Oncology Symposium and the Primary Care Forum 2014. The annual Scientific Competition received a record 464 submissions, with 47 winners across 15 categories honoured for their outstanding scientific and medical research.

The Singapore Primary Care Research Competition was held in conjunction with the Primary Care Forum 2014. Themed Primary Care: The Fulcrum of a Healthy Population, the competition provided a platform for healthcare professionals working in primary care to showcase their research, and recognised the importance of research in shaping clinical practice. There was a 24 per cent increase in the number of submissions in 2014 as compared to the previous year. Three NHGP staff also received NHG grants to conduct research to strengthen primary care and improve the health of patients, families and the community.


The Biomedical Research Symposium showcased ongoing research and collaborative projects between NHG, Nanyang Technological University (NTU)/Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (LKCMedicine), and the Agency for Science Technology and Research (A*STAR). The Symposium featured four tracks – skin research, ageing research and mental health research, metabolic and vascular research, as well as rehabilitation research. Twenty-four posters and eight prototypes were also on display.

The Launch of the Rehabilitation Research Institute of SingaporeStroke is one of the leading causes of death and disability globally, with 9,000 new stroke cases in Singapore

yearly. Numbers are expected to rise with an ageing population. One in three stroke survivors requires various types of rehabilitation, which can include the use of robotics or advanced mechanical exoskeletons to help patients regain function in their limbs. To help boost capabilities to address this rising need, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) involving A*STAR, NTU and NHG was signed during the Opening Ceremony of SHBC 2014 to launch the Rehabilitation Research Institute of Singapore (RRIS). The $100 million institute leverages on the clinical, engineering and research expertise of its partners to develop innovative technology solutions for better patient outcomes across the healthcare ecosystem. This is the second landmark clinical research collaboration among the three parties, following the establishment of the Skin

Mr Suresh Sachi, Deputy Managing Director (Corporate & Legal), A*STAR; Professor Freddy Boey, Provost, NTU; Mr Lim Chuan Poh, Chairman, A*STAR; Professor Chee Yam Cheng, Group CEO (2011 to 2014) NHG; Mr Gan Kim Yong, Minister For Health; Associate Professor Lim Tock Han, Deputy Group CEO (Education and Research), NHG; Professor Ng Wun Jern, Dean College of Engineering, NTU.


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Research Institute of Singapore (SRIS) in 2013.

RRIS will focus on developing innovative technology solutions for better patient outcomes by combining interdisciplinary expertise of clinicians, scientists and engineers. Key areas of study include stroke and neurological rehabilitation, clinical robotics and biomechanics, as well as the development of computer games for rehabilitation.

increase in Research Output by NHGNHG institutions received a significant boost in research funding with $4.77 million from extramural grants in FY2014, as well as awards from joint and thematic grants with strategic partners. NHG researchers published a total of 619 publications in the year, a surge of 36 per cent compared to FY2013.

There was an increase of 20 per cent in collaborations between NHG and various institutions, with 232 partnerships. In December 2014, Dr Rinkoo Dalan, an awardee of the NHG Clinician-Scientist Career Scheme received the Transition Award from the National Medical Research Council (NMRC).

NHG Thematic CollaborationsNHG adopted thematic collaborations as one of its strategic approaches to build up its key research capabilities. Following the launch of the Ageing Research and Skin Research Grants in 2013, NHG awarded seven and 12 research grants in each field in 2014, respectively.

In addition, NHG and NTU also jointly established the Metabolic Disease Collaboration Grant (MDCG), which was launched in January 2015 to promote the application of Engineering in Medicine.

Together with LKCMedicine, NHG also organised a series of thematic research

seminars in the areas of metabolic diseases, rehabilitation, mental health and population health. These seminars served as platforms for researchers from the Medical School and clinical community to network and explore potential partnerships.

NHG Receives Full Accreditation for Human Research Protection ProgrammeNHG was awarded Full Accreditation by the Council on Accreditation of the Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs, Inc (AAHRPP) in March 2015. This significant achievement was a collective effort of NHG senior management, research leaders and staff from NHG and affiliated institutions, members of the Domain Specific Review Board (DSRB), as well as the coordinating team from the Office of Human Research Protection Programme (OHRPP). The accreditation is an affirmation of NHG’s commitment to the protection of human subjects.

Heeding the Call

Medicine is not just about science or math — it’s about putting patients’ best interests at heart and using all of your knowledge to help them make decisions.Associate Professor Lim Poh LianHead and Senior Consultant Department of Infectious Diseases Tan Tock Seng Hospital


10 Years of HSOR

NHG’s Health Services and Outcomes Research (HSOR) unit celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2015. Since its inception in September 2005, HSOR has as its mission to improve the quality of healthcare by providing the best available evidence for decision making and knowledge translation, and to build capacity and advance knowledge in health services research in Singapore. HSOR’s researchers come from diverse backgrounds in Medicine, Epidemiology, Public Health, Physiotherapy, Operations Research, Medical Informatics, Biostatistics, Economics and Social Sciences. Here are some findings by the Team:

An Evaluation of a Hospice Home Care Programme in SingaporeIntegrating end-of-life care across care settings has been found to enhance care continuity for patients and to improve outcomes such as quality of life, quality of care and symptoms. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of an integrated hospice home care programme on acute care service usage, and on the share of home deaths.

Relative to the control group, hospital deaths were significantly lower for programme participants (12.1% versus 42.7%) (Table 1). After adjusting for differences at baseline, the intervention group

Health Services and Outcomes Research (HSOR)Annual Report 2014

had significantly lower emergency department visits at 30-days (Incident rate ratio (IRR): 0.38; 95% CI: 0.31-0.47), 60-days (IRR: 0.61; 95% CI: 0.54-0.69), and 90-days (IRR: 0.69; 95% CI: 0.62-0.77) prior to death. Similar results held for the cumulative length of stay (LOS) at 30-days (IRR: 0.48; 95% CI: 0.40-0.58), 60-days (IRR: 0.71; 95% CI: 0.62-0.82), and 90-days (IRR: 0.77; 95% CI: 0.68-0.88) prior to death (Table 2).


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The results indicated that this model could serve as a guide for future development of palliative care services in Singapore, and for palliative care integration in other settings. When integrating palliative care services across levels of care and provider organisations, the designation of physicians from the hospital-based palliative care team as a coordinating partner was crucial in creating a seamless transition between home care and acute care.

Worry About Caregiving Performance: A Confirmatory Analysis Caregiver burden of people with dementia (PwD) has been

studied extensively in recent years. The purpose of this study was to determine if there was sufficient evidence to support the factor – worry about caregiving performance (WaP), and to explore the relationship of WaP with various patient and caregiver characteristics. On the milder end of WaP, it can be a motivating factor to improve on the caregiving task but can be potentially stressful if it progresses to guilt on the more severe end. Also determined was whether role strain (stress due to role conflict and overload) should be separated into two factors instead of one.

Four hundred and sixty-six patient-caregiver pairs were recruited from the Memory

Location of death Programme (n = 371)(no.)

Comparator (n = 593) p - value

Home 221 59.6 237 40.0 <0.001

Inpatient hospice 102 27.5 84 14.2Hospital 45 12.1 253 42.7

Nursing home 3 0.8 3 0.5Missing 0 0.0 16 2.7

CI.: Confidence Interval; IRR: Incident Rate Ra�o; LOS: Length of StayAdjusted for age, gender, ethnic group, caregiver status, home hospice dura�on, mobility, cogni�ve status, swallowing, CCI, andoncological treatment status.† Poisson Regression/Nega�ve Binomial Regression; incident rate ra�o greater than 1 indicates higher incidence of ED visit or hospitalisa�on. # Generalised Linear Model with the logit link func�on and gamma distribu�on; incident rate ra�o greater than 1 indicateslonger hospitalisa�on length of stay * p<0.001

ED visits Hospitalisation Cumulative LOS

IRR 95% CI IRR 95% CI IRR 95% CI

30 Days 0.38* 0.31 0.47 0.46* 0.39 0.55 0.48* 0.40 0.58

60 Days 0.61* 0.54 0.69 0.69 0.61 0.78 0.71* 0.62 0.82

90 Days 0.69* 0.62 0.77 0.77* 0.68 0.86 0.77* 0.68 0.88

(%) (no.) (%)

Location of death Programme (n = 371)(no.)

Comparator (n = 593) p - value

Home 221 59.6 237 40.0 <0.001

Inpatient hospice 102 27.5 84 14.2Hospital 45 12.1 253 42.7

Nursing home 3 0.8 3 0.5Missing 0 0.0 16 2.7

CI.: Confidence Interval; IRR: Incident Rate Ra�o; LOS: Length of StayAdjusted for age, gender, ethnic group, caregiver status, home hospice dura�on, mobility, cogni�ve status, swallowing, CCI, andoncological treatment status.† Poisson Regression/Nega�ve Binomial Regression; incident rate ra�o greater than 1 indicates higher incidence of ED visit or hospitalisa�on. # Generalised Linear Model with the logit link func�on and gamma distribu�on; incident rate ra�o greater than 1 indicateslonger hospitalisa�on length of stay * p<0.001

ED visits Hospitalisation Cumulative LOS

IRR 95% CI IRR 95% CI IRR 95% CI

30 Days 0.38* 0.31 0.47 0.46* 0.39 0.55 0.48* 0.40 0.58

60 Days 0.61* 0.54 0.69 0.69 0.61 0.78 0.71* 0.62 0.82

90 Days 0.69* 0.62 0.77 0.77* 0.68 0.86 0.77* 0.68 0.88

(%) (no.) (%)

Table 1 – Location of death of Programme and Comparator group subjects

Table 2 – Effect of Programme on the number of ED visits †, hospitalisations, †, and cumulative length of hospital stay #(n=864)


Clinic at TTSH from January 2010 to December 2011.

The results provided evidence that WaP is a unique factor within the ZBI* given its superior fit indices in confirmatory factor analyses (Table 3) and patterns of predictors in the linear regressions (Table 4). There was also evidence to support splitting role strain into two factors. Finally, the differences in burden experienced by the different patient-caregiver dyad relationships across Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) stages (Figure 1) were highlighted.

Measuring Healthcare productivity in Tan Tock Seng Hospital Though interventions are in place to address Singapore’s ageing population and associated increase in chronic diseases, maintaining the public healthcare system’s current level of productivity and efficiency may be increasingly difficult. Thus, there is a need to measure its ability to cope with these challenges. This study aimed to assess the level of productivity in TTSH from 2011 to 2013 using selected ratio measures.

*MCI � Mild Cogni�ve Impairment

*p<.05; **p<.01; ***p<.001df – degrees of freedom; χ2 – Chi-square; RMSEA – Root Mean Square Error of Approxima�on; SRMR – Standardised Root Mean Square Residual; NNFI – Non-normed Fit Index; CFI – Compara�ve Fit Index

df χ ² RMSEA SRMR NNFI CFI

1 factor 209 1849.888 *** 0.130 0.080 0.863 0.8762 factor 134 1543.840 *** 0.150 0.087 0.844 0.8643 factor (with WaP) 206 1018.985 *** 0.092 0.065 0.931 0.9394 factor (with WaP) 203 969.183 *** 0.090 0.063 0.934 0.9424 factor (with WaP) 129 689.290 *** 0.097 0.061 0.938 0.948

*MCI � Mild Cogni�ve Impairment

*p<.05; **p<.01; ***p<.001df – degrees of freedom; χ2 – Chi-square; RMSEA – Root Mean Square Error of Approxima�on; SRMR – Standardised Root Mean Square Residual; NNFI – Non-normed Fit Index; CFI – Compara�ve Fit Index

df χ ² RMSEA SRMR NNFI CFI

1 factor 209 1849.888 *** 0.130 0.080 0.863 0.8762 factor 134 1543.840 *** 0.150 0.087 0.844 0.8643 factor (with WaP) 206 1018.985 *** 0.092 0.065 0.931 0.9394 factor (with WaP) 203 969.183 *** 0.090 0.063 0.934 0.9424 factor (with WaP) 129 689.290 *** 0.097 0.061 0.938 0.948

*The Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) is a 22-item instrument commonly used to measure caregiving burden in caregivers of PwD. Initially conceptualised as a unidimensional model, subsequent studies have found that the ZBI consists of at least 2 factors – role strain (stress due to role conflict and overload) and personal strain (how the experience is personally stressful).

Table 3 – Confirmatory factor analysis fit indices

Figure 1 – Caregiving burden profiles of caregiver with different relationships with care recipient


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ProductivityMeasure

Recurrent cost percasemix adjustedseperation1

Revenue peremployee

Salary and benefitsexpense per full-timeequivalent personnel

Salaries, wages &benefits per adjustedpatient day

ProductivityMeasure

Full-time equivalentpersonnel per 100adjusted discharges

Salary and benefitsexpense, as apercentage ofoperating expense

Overhead2 expense,as a percentage ofoperating expense

Asset turnover ratio3

1Casemix index not computed for 2011 as different DRG systems were used in 2012 and 2013

Formula(N = Numerator;

D = Denominator)


D = Denominator)

2011

-N: Casemix adjustednumber of seperationsD: recurrent hospital cost

$41,292.81N: Net patient revenueD: Number of hospital staff

$66,465.74

$539.82

2011

5.52

53.92

13.09

0.5396

2012(% change fromprevious year)

6.04(+9.42)

54.43(+0.95)

13.06(-0.27)

0.6059(+12.3)


5.66(-6.29)

55.01(+1.07)

12.39(-5.06)

0.6314(+4.21)

2E.g. of overheads = general expenses, administra�on and registra�on, u�li�es, maintenance, insurance, and personnel costsof nonpa�ent services, e.g. management administra�on3Reflects ability of the ins�tu�on to u�lize assets to generate revenue

2012, deflatedto 2011 $* (%change from

previous year)

$5,897.44

$41,572.86(+0.68)

$66,497.89(+0.05)

$545.48(+1.05)


previous year)

$5,865.24(-0.55)

$43,549.46(+4.75)

$69,701.94(+4.82)

$566.24(+3.81)

N: Salary expense, +employee benefits expenseD: Number of full-timeequivalent personnel

N: Salaries, wages &benefits ($)D: Adjusted patient day

N: Number of full-time equivalentpersonnel × 100D: Adjusted discharges*

N: (Salary expense, + employeebenefits expense) × 100 D: Operating expense, total

N: Overhead expense, × 100 D: Operating expense, total

N: Net patient revenueD: Assets

ProductivityMeasure

Recurrent cost percasemix adjustedseperation1

Revenue peremployee

Salary and benefitsexpense per full-timeequivalent personnel

Salaries, wages &benefits per adjustedpatient day

ProductivityMeasure

Full-time equivalentpersonnel per 100adjusted discharges

Salary and benefitsexpense, as apercentage ofoperating expense

Overhead2 expense,as a percentage ofoperating expense

Asset turnover ratio3

1Casemix index not computed for 2011 as different DRG systems were used in 2012 and 2013


D = Denominator)


D = Denominator)

2011

-N: Casemix adjustednumber of seperationsD: recurrent hospital cost

$41,292.81N: Net patient revenueD: Number of hospital staff

$66,465.74

$539.82

2011

5.52

53.92

13.09

0.5396


6.04(+9.42)

54.43(+0.95)

13.06(-0.27)

0.6059(+12.3)


5.66(-6.29)

55.01(+1.07)

12.39(-5.06)

0.6314(+4.21)

2E.g. of overheads = general expenses, administra�on and registra�on, u�li�es, maintenance, insurance, and personnel costsof nonpa�ent services, e.g. management administra�on3Reflects ability of the ins�tu�on to u�lize assets to generate revenue


previous year)

$5,897.44

$41,572.86(+0.68)

$66,497.89(+0.05)

$545.48(+1.05)


previous year)

$5,865.24(-0.55)

$43,549.46(+4.75)

$69,701.94(+4.82)

$566.24(+3.81)

N: Salary expense, +employee benefits expenseD: Number of full-timeequivalent personnel

N: Salaries, wages &benefits ($)D: Adjusted patient day

N: Number of full-time equivalentpersonnel × 100D: Adjusted discharges*

N: (Salary expense, + employeebenefits expense) × 100 D: Operating expense, total

N: Overhead expense, × 100 D: Operating expense, total

N: Net patient revenueD: Assets

*Data for fiscal years 2011 to 2013 were requested from the Finance, Office of Clinical Governance and Human Resource departments at TTSH. For cost indicators, dollar values for years 2012 and 2013 were deflated to 2011 values based on the Singapore consumer price index for medical treatment.

Table 5 – Changes in inflation – adjusted productivity measures, 2011 to 2013*

Table 6 – Changes in other selected productivity measures, 2011 to 2013*


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The results reflected that salary and benefits have grown in tandem with revenue per employee. Employee salaries and benefits expense per admitted patient has increased over three years (Table 5). Overhead cost has decreased over three years with a greater reduction in the last year. Revenues have increased for every dollar of assets over three years with slower growth in the last year (Table 6).

The findings should be viewed against a backdrop of hospital quality indicators. While research as well as education and training activities should be included among the outputs, these were not reflected in the results due to the lack of data.

Progression and Prediction of High Healthcare Utilisers in the Central RegionThe identification of a patient’s health risk level is the first step towards planning, developing and implementing

a personalised patient care plan by the healthcare provider, in collaboration with the patient. A patient’s actual risk level is usually measured by the resource utilisation in the healthcare system. Patients with higher number of hospital admissions are considered as higher risk. Currently, there is no readily implementable model that stratifies the patients’ risk in the Central Region of Singapore.

Thus, the objective of this study was to develop and validate a prognostic model for stratifying patients’ risk of readmitting to hospital within one year after discharge using routinely collected patient data. All inpatients discharged from Alexandra Hospital (AH), National University Hospital (NUH), and Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) in 2012 were included. The primary outcome was patients who were high healthcare utilisers, with three and more readmissions in the following one year.

* Number of admissions per year based on pa�ents’ last discharge date in 2012** Readmission to any of the three hospitals

Low (L) – 0-2 admissions; Moderate (M) – 3-4 admissions; High (H) – 5+ admissions [ ] Reference group

Readmission** or death in 2013 (following 1 year)2012 cohort

0 1-2 3-4 5+ Death

Risk Category*

n Count Row % Count Row % Count Row % Count Row % Count Row %

1-2 90,702 77,730 85.7% 7,670 8.5% 771 0.9% 232 0.3% 4,299 4.7%

3-4 9,608 5,276 54.9% 2,039 21.2% 453 4.7% 212 2.2% 1,628 16.9%

5+ 4,059 1,423 35.1% 824 20.3% 364 9.0% 338 8.3% 1,110 27.3%

3-5 13,667 6,699 49.0% 2,863 20.9% 817 6.0% 550 4.0% 2,738 20.0%

95% CI B Exp(B)Lower Upper

Past risk group [LL] -2y1 1y

M L 0.7 2.0 1.7 2.3L M 0.8 2.3 2.2 2.5H L 1.1 3.0 2.2 4.0M M 1.2 3.2 2.7 3.8H M 1.5 4.4 3.3 5.9L H 1.9 7.0 6.4 7.6M H 2.4 11.3 9.4 13.7H H 3.1 21.3 17.5 26.0

Age 0.1 1.0 1.0 1.1

Heart Failure 0.7 1.9 1.8 2.0

Number of SOC conditions in preceding year 0.1 1.0 1.0 1.1

Male 0.3 1.4 1.3 1.5

Stroke 0.2 1.2 1.2 1.3

Table 7 – Location of death of Programme and Comparator group subjects


* Number of admissions per year based on pa�ents’ last discharge date in 2012** Readmission to any of the three hospitals

Low (L) – 0-2 admissions; Moderate (M) – 3-4 admissions; High (H) – 5+ admissions [ ] Reference group

Readmission** or death in 2013 (following 1 year)2012 cohort

0 1-2 3-4 5+ Death

Risk Category*

n Count Row % Count Row % Count Row % Count Row % Count Row %

1-2 90,702 77,730 85.7% 7,670 8.5% 771 0.9% 232 0.3% 4,299 4.7%

3-4 9,608 5,276 54.9% 2,039 21.2% 453 4.7% 212 2.2% 1,628 16.9%

5+ 4,059 1,423 35.1% 824 20.3% 364 9.0% 338 8.3% 1,110 27.3%

3-5 13,667 6,699 49.0% 2,863 20.9% 817 6.0% 550 4.0% 2,738 20.0%

95% CI B Exp(B)Lower Upper

Past risk group [LL] -2y1 1y

M L 0.7 2.0 1.7 2.3L M 0.8 2.3 2.2 2.5H L 1.1 3.0 2.2 4.0M M 1.2 3.2 2.7 3.8H M 1.5 4.4 3.3 5.9L H 1.9 7.0 6.4 7.6M H 2.4 11.3 9.4 13.7H H 3.1 21.3 17.5 26.0

Age 0.1 1.0 1.0 1.1

Heart Failure 0.7 1.9 1.8 2.0

Number of SOC conditions in preceding year 0.1 1.0 1.0 1.1

Male 0.3 1.4 1.3 1.5

Stroke 0.2 1.2 1.2 1.3

Among high utilisers in the 2012 cohort, 20% died and 10% remained as high utilisers in the following one year. About 49% had no admission at all (Table 7). The final model identified six important predictors for risk of being a high utiliser – past risk group, age, heart failure, number of Specialist Outpatient Clinic (SOC) conditions in preceding year, male gender, and stroke (Table 8).

This easily implementable proactive risk stratification model, when integrated with the information system, predicts patients’ risk of being higher utilisers in real time with good accuracy. Well-structured interventions targeted at patients at different risk levels might improve patients’ outcomes and reduce hospital expenditure.

Pioneer Polyclinic Patient Flow Simulation Pioneer Family Healthcare Centre is the 10th polyclinic by the National Healthcare Group Polyclinics (NHGP). A new care model service process will be applied in Pioneer Family Healthcare Centre, for instance, team-based consultation. Via modelling and simulation, the study would help decision makers in NHGP test different “what-if” scenarios and estimate resources needed to achieve certain performance indicators.

The Centre’s workflow is modelled at two levels:

Macro level• Overall workload projection of the

polyclinic based on previous study

Table 8 – Important predictors for frequent admissions/death the following year


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• Detailed workload breakdown based on Jurong Polyclinic’s historical data

Micro level• A discrete event simulation (DES)

model will be constructed to simulate patient-level flow from registration to leaving Pioneer polyclinic

• Waiting time and resource utilisation will be evaluated at individual station level

• Different “what-if” scenarios will be considered

Raw data from August 2013 to July 2014 were used to estimate simulation parameters. Eight scenarios were considered, including future weekday/weekend scenarios for 2017 and 2030.

Figure 2 lists the simulation results of a weekday scenario with team-care service available on weekends in the year 2017. It shows the 50th percentile

waiting time broken down by hour of each station considered in the whole workflow.

Faster, Better, Safer Care with Pharmacy Automation The Outpatient Pharmacy Automation System (OPAS) is a joint collaboration between TTSH, NHG Pharmacy, NUH and IHiS to revolutionise medication dispensing. Patients now experience greater efficiency, safety and shorter waiting time when collecting medications at the TTSH B2 Main Pharmacy. The integrated OPAS system features an innovative integration of automation, robotic and RFID technologies which saves manpower costs, reduces medication errors and waiting time. TTSH achieved full automation for 80 per cent of medications dispensed at the outpatient pharmacy. Headcount needed to pick and pack medications was also reduced

0

8am-9am 9am-10am 10am-11am 11am-12pm 12pm-1pm

Hour

1pm-2pm 2pm-3pm 3pm-4pm 4pm-5pm

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20 Registration (FCT)Registration (Level 2)Consultation (FCT)Consultation (Level 2)Nursing service (FCT)Nursing service (Clinical Support)Nursing service (Level 1)Lab (FCT)Lab (Level 2)XrayPharmacy (Level 2)Payment (FCT)Payment (Level 2)

FCT – Family Care Team

Figure 2 – Hourly distribution of 50th percentile waiting time


by 60 per cent, enabling staff to be redeployed to support direct patient care.

The system will be rolled out to all nine NHG polyclinics by end 2015. Since its introduction, OPAS has garnered the following awards:

• First Runner-up Award for the Most Innovative Use of Infocomm Technology (Public Sector) at the National Infocomm Award (NIA) 2014, organised by the Infocomm Development Authority (IDA)

• MOH Health IT Excellence Award 2014 - Category C for IT Excellence in Providing Quality of Care

• Project Management Institute (PMI) - Singapore Chapter’s Project of the Year 2014-2015 award in the Business and Information Systems Category

Purposeful Wards, Effective Care TTSH became the first healthcare institution to bag the Excellence in

Public Service Best Practice Award for the Wards of the Future project. The project focused on enhancing patients’ care environment by promoting better care team-patient interactions and care coordination between medical disciplines. This accolade recognised innovative and effective practices in areas that are important to Public Service and contribute towards service excellence. The various improvements in the wards have had direct impact on service quality and patient care. For instance, each cubicle of five beds now has its own Nurse Station. The new configuration means nurses can see their patients better and respond to patients faster. It has resulted in 14 per cent fewer bell calls since the renovated wards were completed in September. The call bell system has also been improved. Patients now have a three-in-one control that allows them to control the light and ceiling fan over their beds. Other improvements include more toilets in the wards for patients, more fans for better air circulation, padded flooring and individual cubicle case

With the implementation of OPAS, headcount needed to pick and pack medications was reduced by 60 per cent at TTSH.


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notes trolleys to reduce time to retrieve patient case notes.

Nurses now walk an average of 3.6 kilometres less during their shifts and the time they spend on direct patient care has increased significantly by 22 per cent. Patient Satisfaction in the category of care and concern by nurses also went up from 80.2 to 82.6 per cent.

Ng Teng Fong Healthcare Innovation Programme TTSH received a $52 million donation from the family of the late property tycoon Ng Teng Fong in conjunction with the Hospital’s 170th Founder’s Day Celebrations. The fund will support the Ng Teng Fong Healthcare Innovation Programme, which aims to raise the standard of patient care both in and out of the hospital. It will pay for grants and scholarships to train healthcare professionals, as well as volunteers, caregivers and members of patient support groups. The programme will also support the development of healthcare innovations to boost efficiency and safety in caregiving.

New Findings on Biology Underlying SchizophreniaThe Institute of Mental Health (IMH) has been at the forefront of transforming mental healthcare. An IMH research team, led by Associate Professor Chong Siow Ann, Vice Chairman, Medical Board (Research), together with A*STAR’s Genome Institute of Singapore, has identified over 100 locations in the human genome associated with the risk of developing schizophrenia. This large genomic study was published in the science journal, Nature. These latest findings point to biological mechanisms and pathways that may underlie schizophrenia and could lead

to new approaches in diagnosing and treating the disorder, which has seen little innovation in drug development in over 60 years. The work is part of the Schizophrenia Working Group of the international Psychiatric Genomics Consortium, which has combined data from 150,000 people worldwide. The local study was part of the five-year Translational Clinical Research in Neuroscience, which is funded by the National Research Foundation.

Well-being of the Singapore Elderly (WiSE)IMH announced initial findings from a three-year study documenting depression and dementia in the local elderly population. The Well-being of the Singapore Elderly (WiSE) study was initiated in 2012 to establish the prevalence of dementia in the resident population of Singapore, the extent and nature of care-giver burden as well as the economic cost of dementia to the country. Findings revealed that the prevalence of dementia was 10 per cent among those aged 60 and above. Significant risk factors associated with dementia included older age, as well as having a lower educational level and non-employment. Those who were previously diagnosed with stroke had a higher risk of dementia compared to those with no prior diagnosis.

The study also found that the level of support needed for those with dementia was significantly higher than those without the disease. Caregivers of people with dementia also reported notably higher distress related to behavioural and psychiatric symptoms of the condition and psychological problems compared to caregivers of people without dementia.

The findings will help to prepare service providers meet the increasing demand for dementia care and support as Singapore’s population ages.


Launch of Online Counselling Service

An online counselling service was set up by the National Council on Problem Gambling and the National Addictions Management Service (NAMS) to reach out to tech-savvy gamblers who may not be ready to seek help in person. Managed by a team of paracounsellors from IMH’s Contact Centre, this online counselling service complements the current 24-hr Problem Gambling Helpline service.

Enhanced/Mandarin Versions of Interactive Self-Help Workbook for Problem GamblingThe National Addictions Management Service (NAMS) launched an enhanced version of the Online Interactive Self-Help Workbook for Problem Gambling in April 2014 to improve user experience. First launched in 2012, the workbook helps problem gamblers who are experiencing minor/mild problems, and those who may be reluctant to seek formal treatment to gain an insight into their gambling behaviour and triggers. A Mandarin version was made available in September 2014 to cater to the Chinese problem gambling population in Singapore and abroad.

New Automated Stool AnalyserIn November 2014, NHG Diagnostics (NHGD) implemented an automated

analyser that allowed the processing of all Fecal Occult Blood Testing (FOBT) specimens in one centralised location. Housed at the Buangkok Green Medical Park, the new stool analyser produces more objective test results as potential human errors or biases are eliminated. It also enables medical technologists to continue with other duties while performing FOBT, saving up to 800 man-hours per year. This results in better comparability and standardisation, reducing errors while helping to meet growing demand. FOBT is used to detect trace amounts of blood in stools, an indicator of digestive problems or cancer.

Enhancing Capabilities at PolyclinicsNHGD upgraded its centre in Woodlands Polyclinic. Work space areas were redesigned to enhance the provision of services such as phlebotomy stations, electrocardiogram (ECG) rooms and registration counters. Upgrading works for the remaining diagnostics centres will continue to take place throughout 2015 to better cater to the needs of patients. Other enhancements:

Installation of Onsite Biochemistry AnalysersNHGD worked with Bukit Batok and Woodlands Polyclinics to install onsite biochemistry analysers, which can process 22 different types of tests and perform up to 300 tests per hour. The


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system allows some 95 per cent of tests to be performed onsite, with results delivered more quickly. This translates into better care management for patients as doctors can receive critical results during office hours, while ensuring the integrity of specimens. Onsite biochemical analysers are also available at Ang Mo Kio, Choa Chu Kang, Toa Payoh and Yishun Polyclinics.

Keeping Abreast with Full-Field Digital MammographyIn 2014, NHGD introduced full-field digital mammography (FFDM), a first in the primary care setting. The system uses the same safe amount of radiation as the conventional version and captures images of the breast almost instantly.

Currently available at the imaging centres at Ang Mo Kio, Bukit Batok, Jurong, Woodlands and Yishun Polyclinics, the faster processing time enables a higher patient throughput; increasing the maximum screening numbers per day. This translates to a significant reduction in the waiting time for a mammogram appointment and more patients can be screened for early detection. The remaining four imaging centres will be equipped with FFDMs in 2015.

A Ceiling-suspended X-ray System for Patients with Mobility Difficulties A new ceiling suspended X-ray system was installed at the imaging centres in the Ang Mo Kio, Clementi, Jurong and Toa Payoh Polyclinics. It offers flexibility for seniors to be seated safely on the height-adjustable examination table and makes it easier for radiographers to position the X-ray tube around wheelchair-bound patients prior to the procedure. This negates the risks of falls and improves the overall examination turnaround time. The new system will gradually replace the existing analogue, floor-mounted x-ray version.

Automated Medication Inspection System (AMIS) The Automated Medication Inspection System (AMIS) is an innovative technology which aids in automated checking of ConviDose™ sachets. Before AMIS, the checking process was done manually by staff, which could result in mistakes due to complexity of medication and human errors.

AMIS has improved the efficiency of the checking process and enhanced medication safety by eradicating all manual checks on tablets in sachets, thereby detecting 100 per cent of packing errors. This is because AMIS has a drug image database that captures size, shape and colour of the drugs that are packed in Convidose. During the inspection process, the Automatic Tablet Dispensing and Packaging System (ATDPS) will send packing data to AMIS that would capture the image of the packed drugs to verify against the drug image database. This method of checking ensures the correct drugs are packed by ATDPS.

The average time spent to complete a case at the checking station improved by a significant 33.9 per cent. There was also a decrease in the total number of dispensing errors by 22 per cent.

Biochem Analyser

educationRedefining Healthcare For The Future

Medicine is all about great teamwork. Hospital-centric care – where patients traditionally seek treatment primarily in the doctor-focused hospital setting – no longer works with a rapidly ageing population. The physician alone cannot save lives. The team does. The tremendous advances in technology, including pharmaceuticals and bio-medicals, have made it near impossible for one person, no matter how great, to know everything necessary to deliver holistic quality care.Professor Chee Yam ChengEmeritus Consultant, Tan Tock Seng HospitalPresident, NHG CollegeNational Healthcare Groupeducation

74 NHG CORPORATE YEARBOOK FINANCIAL YEAR 2014 • Education

EducationA

s the primary clinical training partner for the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (LKCMedicine), NHG is shaping a new generation of doctors,

transiting from classroom-based learning to on-the-job training in a hospital setting. Education is one of NHG’s three key pillars together with Clinical Care and Research to provide accessible, affordable and quality care.

Lee Kong Chian School of MedicineIn August 2015, the pioneer cohort of LKCMedicine will face its first major transition as its 54 medical students step into the hospital wards for clinical rotations, and on-the-job learning and training with patients. NHG as the primary clinical training partner for LKCMedicine, is ensuring these fledging doctors are able to care for

The Toh Kian Chui Annex Building, Lee Kong Chian

School of Medicine

75NHG CORPORATE YEARBOOK FINANCIAL YEAR 2014 • Education

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Singaporeans and future healthcare needs of the population.

The students will spend most of Year 3 at Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH), while Years 4 and 5 will see them gaining experience at other hospitals, including the Institute of Mental Health (IMH). The cohort will be divided into three streams, rotating through medicine, surgery and a first set of short postings in specialties such as ear, nose and throat (ENT), ophthalmology and infectious diseases. Rotations last between two to 12 weeks.

LKCMedicine Second Cohort undertakes White Coat Ceremony LKCMedicine marked its second White Coat Ceremony with the initiation of 78 new students in August 2014. Students donned their white coats and recited the Declaration of a New Medical Student, in the presence of faculty,

families and their Year 2 seniors. Guest-of-Honour, Mr Lim Chuan Poh, Chairman of the LKCMedicine Governing Board and Chairman for the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) encouraged the Medical students to be “humble, principled, caring, curious and always seeking excellence in the science and practice of medicine.”

Guest-of-Honour Mr Lim Chuan Poh, Chairman of A*STAR, advised students to be humble and compassionate at the White Coat Ceremony for the second cohort of LCKMedicine students.

The second cohort of LKCMedicine students.


2015 Governing Board AdvanceMay 2015 saw LKCMedicine’s Governing Board and Senior Management convene at Sentosa to discuss the future direction of the School against a backdrop of significant developments and strategic shifts in the healthcare and research landscape of Singapore, both at the institutional and national levels.

In attendance were Professor Alice Gast, President, Imperial College London; Professor Bertil Andersson, President, Nanyang Technological University (NTU); Professor Freddy Boey, Provost, (NTU); Madam Kay Kuok, Chairman, NHG; Professor Philip Choo, Group CEO, NHG; Professor Ivy Ng, Group CEO, SingHealth; and senior representatives from Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health and A*STAR.

LKCMedicine students looking at a model of the 20-storey Clinical Sciences Building.

The participants shared their insights and vision on leveraging the School’s relationship with key stakeholders to help it advance towards a world-class medical school amid the rapidly ageing demographics of Singapore. Two NHG residents, Dr Choy Chiaw Yee and Dr Nor Izuan also related their medical education journey and expectations as young residents.

Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine marks the foundation-laying of dual campus at NTU’s School

of Biological Sciences with Guest-of-Honour, Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam, President of Singapore.


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As Singapore moves to a system of integrated care, understanding the role of community partners is crucial. The old way of thinking about the hospital as the centre of healthcare delivery is gone.Associate Professor Nicholas ChewGroup Chief Education OfficerNational Healthcare Group

LKCMedicine Marks Foundation-laying of Dual Campus Some 180 guests, staff and students from LKCMedicine and its founding institutions, NTU and Imperial College London, congregated in January 2015 at NTU’s School of Biological Sciences to witness the foundation stone laying of LKCMedicine’s two new buildings by Guest-of-Honour Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam, President of Singapore. The seven-storey Experimental Medicine Building, located on NTU’s main campus, will be completed by July 2015 to welcome the third cohort while the 20-storey Clinical Sciences Building, situated at Health City Novena, will open its doors to students in 2016.

LKCMedicine Elective ProgrammeIn April 2015, five Year 6 Medical students from Imperial College London under the LKCMedicine Elective Programme gained a better understanding of the healthcare system in Singapore with visits to the Dover Park Hospice and Bukit Batok Polyclinic. The students started their

clinical placement at TTSH, KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH) and Ang Mo Kio Polyclinic, focusing on clinical specialties such as Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Diabetes and Primary Care.

Year 2 Long-Term Patient Project Presentation A Long-Term Patient Project (LTPP) presentation session was held in May 2015 at the Novena Lecture Theatre. Here, the Year 2 students showcased their LTPP journey following two years of patient visits with different healthcare teams. LTPP is an integral part of the Phase 1 MBBS curriculum whereby students visit patients in their homes.

The aim of the LTPP is to provide students face-to-face experience with patients, to understand their expectations and how patients and their families cope with long-term illnesses.

The healthcare organisations that participated in the LTTP include TTSH’s Home Ventilation and Respiratory Support Services (HVRSS), TTSH’s Post-Acute Care at Home (PACH), Tsao Foundation’s Hua Mei Mobile Clinic,


NTUC SilverACE and KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH) Home Care.

NHG Group Education The NHG Health Outcomes and Medical Education Research (HOMER) Grant was established in 2011. Since then, the HOMER Grant has funded 55 research projects and has been catalytic in encouraging innovation in health professional education practices. NHG observed a steady increase in scholarly output (publications, conference presentations and research awards) that averaged 45 per cent across the cluster after the introduction of the grant.

Significant Increase in Educators across All Healthcare Professions in NHGThere were 1,102 educators across all healthcare disciplines in NHG in 2014, a 25 per cent increase over 880 in 2013. Teaching staff came from the medical, nursing, pharmacy and Allied Health Profession (AHP) sectors. Of these, medical trainers for undergraduate and graduate teaching saw a significant increase of 66 per cent from 477 in 2013 to 793 in 2014. Strong management support, talent development and provision of administrative support to these educators were key reasons for the significant increase.

NHG Institutions Continue to Receive Outstanding Teaching Scores from Medical StudentsIn the last academic year, TTSH, IMH and NHGP continued to receive excellent teaching scores from medical students. Good teaching

Grow with the Flow

Education is fundamental to all doctors because the public deserves the best healthcare.Associate Professor Lim Tock HanDeputy Group Chief Executive Officer (Education and Research) National Healthcare Group

Associate Professor Tham Kum Ying, Assistant Dean, LKCMedicine and Assistant Chairman Medical Board (Education) TTSH, wins the NTU Nanyang Educator Award for her exemplary work in teaching our current and future doctors.


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scores are attributed to doctors who are dedicated to training the next generation.

TTSH clinched two of the five Dean’s Awards for Excellence in Clinical Teaching nationwide. The Department of Anaesthesiology, Intensive Care and Pain Medicine, and Department of Rehabilitation Medicine received outstanding student feedback. Numerous junior and senior doctors also received the Dean’s Award for Teaching Excellence, Junior Doctor Teaching Award and recognition as Role Models for graduating Medical students.

Associate Professor Tham Kum Ying wins NTU Nanyang Educator Award The new Nanyang Education Award introduced by NTU recognises excellence in teaching. This year, three professors from LKCMedicine were honoured at a ceremony held in March 2015. One of them was Associate Professor Tham Kum Ying, Assistant Dean for Phases 2 and 3 at LKCMedicine, and Assistant Chairman Medical Board (Education) and Senior Consultant at TTSH, was presented the School-level Education Excellence Award for her exemplary work in teaching our future doctors.

Continuing Professional DevelopmentNHG College’s programme with the Harvard Macy Institute has evolved over the past six years to the current Health Professions Educators’ Essentials (HaPEE) Programme, which adopts an inter-professional training approach. In July 2014, 51 health professions educators graduated from HaPEE, bringing the total number to 154 since its inception in 2009.

To support the continuing professional development of our healthcare professionals are the Nursing Education and Development Advisory Committee (NEDAC); the Pharmacy Education and Development Advisory Committee (PEDAC); and the recently formed Radiographers Education and Development Advisory Committee (REDAC). In September 2014, PEDAC completed the competency frameworks for pharmacy educators and quality leaders, and subsequently launched the Pharmacist Preceptors’ Training Programme, and the Medication Safety Programmes.

Singapore Mental Health Conference 2014The Singapore Mental Health Conference (SMHC) 2014, held in October at MAX Atria at Singapore EXPO, drew some 500 professionals from the healthcare, social service, and Intermediate and Long-term Care (ILTC) sectors, as well as community-based workers and consumers of mental health services.

Themed Mental Health and Resilience: It Takes a Whole Community, SMHC 2014 was co-organised by IMH, National Council of Social Service (NCSS), Social Service Institute (SSI), Agency for Integrated Care (AIC), and Health Promotion Board (HPB).

International and local speakers discussed opportunities and challenges related to the care of persons with mental illness (PMIs), and how to better create a holistic care model that cuts across agencies and institutions. The conference also showcased existing collaborative efforts across a variety of contexts, such as community mental health, mental well-being, community re-


integration, primary care, or at home. In addition, a dedicated caregivers’ track was also held for the first time to engage the public, and also to give due recognition to those directly involved in providing care for PMIs.

Launch of New Psychiatry TextbookThe Essential Guide to Psychiatry textbook, published by IMH with contribution from various multidisciplinary mental healthcare professionals such as psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, case managers and counsellors, was launched at the Singapore Mental Health Conference (SMHC) 2014. With up-to-date evidence and illustrations of local culture and setting, this book will benefit Medical

Students, Psychiatry Residents, psychiatrists, and doctors, Allied Health and other mental health professionals in Singapore and Asia. It will also serve as a useful resource for those outside the healthcare sector who are involved in supporting persons with mental illness and their families.

Joanna Briggs Institute Colloquium 2014 The ninth Joanna Briggs Institute Colloquium held in November 2014 was attended by some 360 local and

international delegates. It was the first time the event was held in Singapore, and it was jointly organised by NHG’s Health Services and Outcomes Research (HSOR), the National University Hospital (NUH) and IMH.

During the three-day colloquium, healthcare experts discussed the application of evidence-based practice on real-world settings. Also explored were the new frontiers of evidence-based practice and the fundamentals of care. The poster Translating the Evidence for Emergency Equipment and Supplies into Practice: An Evidence Implementation Project in Mental Health Care submitted by a nursing team from IMH received the best poster award in the Nursing category.

Training Eldercare Partners in Mental HealthMental Health First Aid for Older Person (MHFA OP) was introduced as a basic training module as part of the Aged Psychiatry Community Assessment and Treatment Service Regional Eldercare Agencies Partnership Programme (APCATS REAP) trainings in 2014.

Guest-of-Honour A/Prof Benjamin Ong, Director of Medical Services, Ministry of Health, delivering his speech at the three-day Joanna Briggs Institute Colloquium 2014.


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APCATS REAP aims to empower community eldercare agencies and partners to manage our elderly population with mental disorders though training, consultation and support.

Effective Anger Management for Children and Youth book launchIn November 2014, IMH’s Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry launched the Effective Anger Management for Children and Youth manual and workbook. Written by Dr Yoon Phaik Ooi, Research Scientist at University of Basel, Adjunct Assistant Professor, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School Singapore and Visiting Fellow, IMH, and Ms Nikki-Lim Ashworth, Research Psychologist, Child Guidance Clinic, IMH in collaboration with Associate Prof Rebecca Ang Pei-Hui, Psychological Studies Academic Group, National Institute of Education, NTU, the books reach out to teachers, counsellors, social workers and other mental health professionals who work with children exhibiting anger and aggression problems.

Training the Next Generation of Healthcare Professionals In February 2015, the NHG Family Medicine Residency Programme achieved its Continued Accreditation status from ACGME-I for the third year. In the area of postgraduate Family Medicine training, the inaugural cohort of Family Medicine Residents graduated from the Family Medicine Residency Programme in June 2014. Eight of them completed the Master of Medicine Family Medicine Examinations in November 2014.

Through other formal training programmes, another four Resident doctors obtained the Graduate Diploma in Family Medicine, while two Family Physicians completed the Fellow of College of Family Physicians (Singapore) Programme. Three Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) interns attained their certification and 17 Registered Nurses graduated with Advanced Diplomas in Nursing. Four new Registered Nurses joined NHGP after obtaining their Diploma in Nursing under the Asian Nursing Scholarship.

Case-based Learning for Medical OfficersIn June 2014, Case-Based Learning, a monthly teaching programme was launched to address the lack of dermatology teaching at the medical officer (MO) level. Aimed at developing the MOs’ understanding of disease presentation and management, as well as hone their critical thinking skills, these lunchtime sessions let them discuss their cases with one another. Topics explored included the approach to patients with deformed nails, perplexing pigmentary changes and medico-legal aspects of practice.

our peopleBeating to the rhythm of one

The journey ahead of us will be challenging but I believe that collectively, we can do it if we work together as ONE NHG. As we progress and collaborate with other healthcare providers, we will eventually become ONE HEALTHCARE, ONE PLAN, ONE TEAM.Professor Philip ChooGroup Chief Executive Officer National Healthcare Group

our people

84 NHG CORPORATE YEARBOOK FINANCIAL YEAR 2014 • our people

our peopleW

hile NHG continues to develop infrastructure and programmes to fulfill our role as a Regional Health System for Singapore, it is our people who create

meaningful relationships with our patients. They empower our patients to take ownership of their health, to shift from illness to wellness care.

NHG Celebrates 15 Years togetherSome 3,200 NHG staff and partners gathered for a night of bonding to commemorate the Group’s 15th birthday as one family. Held at Resorts World Sentosa Compass Ballroom in May 2015, the event was graced by NHG Chairman Madam Kay Kuok and hosted by Group

85NHG CORPORATE YEARBOOK FINANCIAL YEAR 2014 • our people

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CEO Professor Philip Choo. Themed One NHG One RHS One Team: Everyone is a Gem, guests were entertained by pre-event activities such as photo-booths, dance performances, magic shows and by the T’ang Quartet and staff performances during the gala dinner.

Headlining the culture segment was a showcase of the winning 4P7R poem and song. The highlight of the night was a competition between three inter-institutional teams, who wowed the crowd with creative song and dance performances which were based on their interpretation of the night’s theme. The gala dinner ended with a cake-cutting and a drumming act by NHG Senior Management led by Professor Choo.

4P7R Picture, Poetry, Song Contribution 2014As part of NHG’s culture building initiative to promote and sustain a dedicated workforce, the 4 Principles and 7 Rules (4P7R) were launched in 2012 to guide our Group and Institutions towards our shared vision of Adding Years of Healthy Life. The four principles of patient-centred care, systems thinking, learning organisation and staff engagement, anchor a culture of unity and serve as the common language for

NHG to be an effective Regional Health System (RHS). Since then, the annual 4P7R Symposium has been a platform for celebrating, learning, harnessing and sharing of 4P7R ideas. In 2014, a 4P7R Picture, Poetry, Song Contribution initiative was introduced. Staff from all across NHG submitted over 130 entries of poems and musical expressions on 4P7R. Winning entries were showcased at the 2014 4P7R Symposium.

NHG Talent Management To be an effective RHS, it is critical for NHG to ensure leadership continuity and to optimise manpower resource management. In 2014, we increased focus on healthcare talent management and succession planning as part of NHG’s people strategy. NHG College worked closely with Institutions to develop the following:

• Attract talent through scholarships and the Management Associate Programme (MAP) / Management Executive Programme (MEP)

• Develop and engage talent through developmental awards, leadership programmes, coaching or mentoring, skills attachments, training and conferences.

Commemorating NHG’s 15th Anniversary with the NHG Board, staff, unions and partners.


Developing Our PeopleNHG College plays an instrumental role in facilitating continuous learning and development of our workforce, as well as driving leadership development and systems improvement in NHG. It collaborates with renowned institutions and industry partners to build the collective capabilities of NHG leaders, educators, healthcare professionals and staff in managing the health of the population. In FY2014 alone, NHG College conducted 38 programmes for 1,189 participants.

SEAL Leadership ProgrammesTo support the achievement and sustainability of NHG’s goals and plans, NHG SEAL Leadership Programmes equip leaders at various job levels across NHG’s institutions to lead and drive change and make an impact for NHG as a whole. The acronym SEAL represents the pedagogic

NHG SEAL Leadership Programmes — equip leaders at various job levels across NHG’s institutions to lead and drive change.

Team-based learning at the NHG Strategic Communications Summit.

philosophy of these programmes, namely, Senior management engagement; Experiential team bonding; Action-learning projects and Leadership in practice. In October 2014, the NHG SEAL Festival was attended by 90 members of senior management and leaders for a time of learning and sharing about leadership. It also celebrated the graduation of 45 SEAL participants who had commenced their learning journeys as early as 2013. These graduates have taken on higher leadership roles.


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Staff honing media skills at the NHG Strategic Communications Summit.

NHG salutes NHG Pioneers for their contributions to public healthcare.

Group Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Wong Fong Tze, thanking Professor Chee Yam Cheng, then Group CEO, for his mentorship to all the Communications Teams.

Leadership MomentsNHG Leadership Moments is a platform for learning from experts and best practices, and networking. In February 2015, more than 150 of our senior management and leaders from across NHG institutions attended the sharing on Servant Leadership and Its Benefits for NHG, presented by Dr Kent M Keith, CEO of Greenleaf Centre for Servant Leadership (Asia).

Honouring NHG PioneersIn conjunction with the national SG50 Pioneer Generation Tribute, NHG took the opportunity to recognise the invaluable contributions of our pioneering healthcare staff.

The Honouring our Pioneers tribute event was held in November 2014 at the ITE Central College in Ang Mo Kio. Guest-of-Honour, Mr Gan Kim Yong, Minister for Health, saluted 1,000 NHG Pioneers – current and retired – for their contributions in healthcare. Among the NHG pioneers were NHG Board Chairman, Madam Kay Kuok and then Group CEO, Professor Chee Yam Cheng. Both received NHG-designed commemorative mementos which featured old and new


photographs of NHG’s institutions. The same gifts were also sent to pioneering staff.

Besides catching up with their present and former colleagues, guests were treated to a variety of activities such as photo- and gaming-booths, ‘live’ performances and a nice tea buffet.

Rewarding Excellence

NHG strives to be an employer of choice by inculcating a corporate culture that rewards excellence. it also promotes individual team growth and development. Mrs Olivia TayGroup Chief Human Resource Officer National Healthcare Group

MOH Nurses’ Merit Award recipients celebrate with (back row from left) CEO TTSH, Dr Eugene Fidelis Soh and Chief Nurse TTSH, Mr Yong Keng Kwang.

Graduating and New Management Associates with Senior Management at TTSH MAP Graduation and Commencement Ceremony.


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Paying Tribute to Mr Lee Kuan YewIn March 2015, NHG staff gathered at the TTSH Theatrette to reflect on Mr Lee’s contributions to nation building and public healthcare after his passing on 23 March 2015.

Both Emeritus Consultant, Professor Chee Yam Cheng, and Divisional Chairman of Integrative and Community Care (TTSH), Associate Professor Chin Jing Jih, shared anecdotes of Mr Lee, and hallmarks of his leadership.

Tribute videos were screened to remember Mr Lee as a very respected statesman, model husband and father. In his closing remarks, NHG Group CEO Professor Philip Choo encapsulated the healthcare lessons that Mr Lee had given to us:

• Get the basics right

• Maintain a delicate balance of subsidising Health, Education and Housing as investments and not consumption

• Get the incentives right

• Save for healthcare

• Manage costs and patient expectations

• Be open to talent

• Engage the community

• Sustain an excellent public healthcare sector

• Be active, age healthily


NHG Nurses Day 2014In August 2014, NHG senior management celebrated Nurses’ Day at the TTSH Multi-Purpose Hall. They expressed their appreciation to some 500 nurses by designing cakes with personal ‘Thank You’ messages. The nurses were also treated to a sumptuous lunch, magic show performance and interactive games.

TTSH and IMH nurses also had the rare opportunity to snap

selfies with their favourite MediaCorp local artistes, Zoe Tay and Xiang Yun, who visited the respective institutions to celebrate Nurses’ Day. The artistes starred in MediaCorp’s Mandarin drama serial, You can be an Angel too, about the lives of a group of dedicated nurses, which aired in January 2015. It was produced as part of the Ministry of Health’s Care To Go Beyond national campaign to promote Nursing and Allied Health Professions.

The winners of the President’s Award for Nurses 2014 with President Tony Tan Keng Yam and Mrs Tan, as well as Health Minister, Mr Gan Kim Yong (extreme left).


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Charting the future: Senior Management March 2015 Team-building Event


Our Awards and Accolades Our people continued to be recognised from within NHG as well as the community for their dedication and contributions to healthcare delivery.

• 10 NHG Recognition Awards

• One Lee Foundation NHG-NUHS Lifetime Achievement Award

• Three NHG Distinguished Achievement Awards

• Six NHG Outstanding Citizenship Awards

• 170 Development Awards

• 108 NHG Teaching Excellence Awards

• 17 Nurses Merit Awards

• 21 Healthcare Humanity Awards (HHA) 2014

• 3 HHA Honourable Mention Winners

• 18 HHA Winners

• President’s Award for Nurses 2014

• 81 National Day Awards

• One Public Administration (Bronze) Award

• Five Commendation Medals

• 10 Efficiency Medals

• 64 Long Service Medals

• One Public Service Star Medal

• Excellence in Public Service Awards

• Best Practice Award – Organisation Development (Tan Tock Seng Hospital)

• Two PS21 Star Awards

• Tan Chin Tuan Nursing Award

• APEX 2014: Awards of Excellence – NHG Corporate Yearbook Financial Year 2013 and Lifewise

Recipients of the Healthcare Humanity Awards 2014 on stage with President Tony Tan and Minister for Health Mr Gan Kim Yong (right of President), Senior Minister of State for Health Dr Amy Khor and then NHG Group CEO Prof Chee Yam Cheng (next to Mr Gan).


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2015 May Day Model Partnership AwardsAs part of the Healthcare Cluster Tripartite Workgroup (HCTW), NHG was conferred the 2015 May Day Model Partnership Awards (Management Category) by the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) in May 2015. The award recognises companies and their partners for their efforts in improving productivity, skills upgrading and building an adaptable workforce within their work environment.

Notable initiatives include the enhancement of the career tracks of TTSH Patient Service Associates (PSA) through job re-design and skills-upgrade. Another was the kitchen revamp project undertaken by the IMH—investments in technology to automate manual processes such as dishwashing, meal ordering and portioning, have allowed the redeployment of junior staff to upgrade their skills and take on higher responsibilities.

Spreading Lunar New Year CheerSome 90 volunteers comprising staff from NHG, TTSH, Ren Ci Community Hospital, and students from Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (LKCMedicine) and the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine distributed 1,000 oranges and other treats to over 480 patients at TTSH and Ren Ci Community Hospital during the Lunar New Year in February 2015. Led by Associate Professor Wong Wei Chin, Lead for Geriatric Medicine at LKCMedicine

NHG staff and Medical Students bringing warmth to patients during the Lunar New Year.


and Ren Ci Community Hospital’s Director of Nursing Madam Mak Ngai Khan, the teams also performed musical items to ring in the holiday cheer. This is the third year NHG has involved Medical Students in its corporate social responsibility efforts.

NHG-Community Initiative Cares for Elderly To kick-start the NHG-Community Initiative and gain hands-on experience with the elderly, 19 researchers from the NHG Health Services & Outcomes Research (HSOR) unit and officers from Group Corporate Communications visited the Sree Narayana Mission Home in March 2015. The NHG Team did morning exercises, played games and sang evergreen favourites with the residents. This collaborative act of care encourages more cross-bonding among NHG staff and connects them to the community they seek to help.

Health City Day CelebrationsGive Today In a joint collaboration with Whampoa Community Development & Welfare Committee and Central Community

Development Council (CDC), TTSH raised $7,200 to help under-privileged residents of Whampoa. The staff volunteers along with LKCMedicine students also helped to put together Essential Goodie Packs which were distributed to the residents by Member of Parliament (MP) for Whampoa SMC, Mr Heng Chee How, TTSH Senior Management, staff and student volunteers.

Colours of Novena The Colours of Novena Community Art Mural Project was officially kicked off by Mr Lui Tuck Yew, MP for Moulmein-Kallang GRC and Ms Denise Phua, Mayor for Central CDC at Moulmein Constituency’s Mid-Autumn celebrations.

Working with Moulmein Constituency and Central CDC, residents, TTSH staff, patients and students painted four murals depicting the vibrancy of the Novena neighbourhood. The murals will surround the construction site in Health City Novena, and will serve as a visual reminder of our vision to build a community of care for the people of Singapore.

Staff from Health Services & Outcomes Research (HSOR) and Group Corporate Communications visited the Sree Narayana Mission Home in support of care for dementia patients.


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TTSH named Best Employer by Aon HewittTTSH was named one of the Aon Hewitt Best Employers in Singapore in February 2015 for the second consecutive time. Aon Hewitt is a global talent and human resource solutions provider, and the annual award recognises organisations that engage in unique people practices, inspiring strong commitment and superior performance from its people.

Through employee surveys and interviews with its leaders, Aon Hewitt assessed TTSH in areas such as leadership, employer brand and staff engagement to determine if it had a high-performance culture. This year, TTSH was the only healthcare and local institution in Singapore among the eight companies who were named as Best Employers.

TTSH Scores a Hat-Trick at the Asian Hospital Management AwardsGold in Clinical Service ImprovementSpearheaded by a multidisciplinary team consisting of physiotherapists,

Building integrated care

All the bricks are equally important because everything fits together into one integrated piece of work – the sum is greater than its parts.Associate Professor John AbisheganadenHead, Respiratory Care and Critical Care Medicine Clinic, Tan Tock Seng Hospital

NHG Diagnostics Dragon Boating Team Building event (above).


doctors, nurses and respiratory therapists, the Early Mobilisation Programme at TTSH Intensive Care Unit (ICU) received the honourable Gold recognition for its service improvement and better patient care outcomes. The team introduced a slew of improvement initiatives that added value to the nurses’ work and improved the level of care delivery. Positive clinical outcomes included, shortened stays in ICU, cost-savings for patients, as well as improved outcomes in terms of physical functions.

Excellence in Biomedical Equipment/Facilities ImprovementIn re-designing its Medical Centre, TTSH took the opportunity to relook clinic layouts and processes. It focused on the optimisation of space to allow for more convenient navigation for a better patient experience. LEAN methodologies and Design Thinking were adopted in the planning. Initiatives such as the Electronic Queue Management System and Enterprise Appointment System were introduced to facilitate a more seamless patient-centric workflow.

Where possible, patients are empowered to take charge of their own care with self-help technologies. This increases their own awareness, shortens their waiting time and helps to facilitate better staff work flow. Patients have reported higher satisfaction and have given good ratings to the Specialist Outpatient Clinics in the MOH Patient Satisfaction Surveys.

Excellence for Service Improvement for Internal CustomersThe Tri-Cart, a flexible cart that can be easily pulled apart to pass through narrow aisles and corridors, attained this regional award in 2012. EMTRAC leverages on Tri-Cart’s flexible design and capabilities, and comes equipped with better manoeuvrability and enhanced safety features. This makes it easier for storekeepers, many of whom are older workers, to better manage their workload. Delivery time is now shortened by 10 minutes per trip and different groups of staff now use it to convey records, linen, surgical/medical equipment and even wheelchairs around the hospital. This initiative has led to manpower savings, reduced frequency of trips and has enabled more and different types of items to be transported.

Certificate of Recognition for MH-GP Partnership Programme at PS21 ExCEL AwardsIMH’s Mental Health (MH)-General Practitioner (GP) Partnership Programme was awarded a Certificate of Recognition in the Most Innovative Project/Policy category at the PS21 ExCEL Awards ceremony held in October 2014.


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The programme helps to re-integrate patients into the community by right-siting stable psychiatric patients to GPs, making it more convenient for them to seek treatment. This has also led to a better allocation of healthcare resources across primary and tertiary care. In addition, the continued training and capability building provided by the programme to the GP partners in the community, have raised the level of mental healthcare in Singapore.

The annual PS21 ExCEL (Excellence through Continuous Enterprise and Learning) Awards is presented to Public Service policies and projects that have made a positive impact in the community. They are evaluated based on innovativeness, impact and alignment with the Public Service’s spirit of continuous learning and improvement.

Family Violence Dialogue Group Appreciation AwardDr Alex Su, IMH Vice-chairman, Medical Board (Clinical Quality) and Senior Consultant, Department of General Psychiatry, was among six winners presented with the Family Violence Dialogue Group Appreciation Award in January 2015 at the National Family Violence Networking Symposium, jointly organised by the Ministry of Social and Family Development and the Singapore Police Force. The award recognises individuals and teams for their contributions and collaborative efforts towards family protection work.

NHGP Wins Three Awards for Best Practices at SHRI Awards 2014At the 2014 Singapore Human Resource Institute (SHRI) Awards,

Inter-divisional learning among young Management and Executives.


the National Healthcare Group Polyclinics (NHGP) won three Leading HR Practices Awards in the Employee Relations and People Management; Quality Work-Life, Physical and Mental Well-Being; and Learning and Human Capital Development categories. The honours recognise organisations that have achieved overall effectiveness in their human resource and people management functions, thereby contributing to the needs of businesses, profession, employees, industry, and the nation.

Guest-of-Honour, then Senior Minister of State Mr Masagos Zulkifli, together with Director of NSC A/Prof Tan Suat Hoon, led staff, SANA members and members of the public in a 2.4 km walk at Gardens by the Bay to raise awareness for SANA’s Tattoo Removal Programme.

First in Asia Pacific to achieve HIMSS Analytics Primary Care AwardThe National Skin Centre (NSC) achieved Stage 6 of the Primary Care Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model (PC-EMRAM) in February 2014. NSC became the first medical centre in Asia Pacific to achieve this advanced level of Electronic Medical Record (EMR) adoption in outpatient care. The award by non-profit organisation, Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Analytics Asia Pacific, places NSC among the select group of world-class primary care facilities that have successfully deployed high level health Information Technology to significantly improve quality of care and patient safety.

HIMSS Analytics developed the Primary Care Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model (PC-EMRAM) in 2012 as a methodology for evaluating the progress and impact of EMR systems at primary care facilities. HIMSS Analytics ranks primary care facilities in eight stages (0-7) with stage 7 representing the highest level of EMR adoption.

NSC’s 25th Anniversary Walk Raises Money for SANA’s Tattoo Removal ProgrammeAs part of NSC’s 25th Anniversary celebrations, NSC collaborated with the Singapore Anti-Narcotics Association (SANA) to raise a grand total of $50,000 for tattoo removal for ex-offenders. NSC staff, SANA members and members of the public participated in a 2.4 km walk at Gardens by the Bay in August NHGP wins three awards for Best Practices

at SHRI Awards 2014.


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2014 to raise awareness for this worthy cause.

The walk was flagged off by Guest-of-Honour Mr Masagos Zulkifli, then Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

This Tattoo Removal Programme has given NSC the opportunity to use its resources and dermatological expertise to contribute to a community cause, in allowing ex-offenders to start afresh in the work force. The funds NSC raised will allow patients to complete the full treatment plan.

NHG Chairman Madam Kay Kuok launched the festivities at NHG Family Night 2014 at Universal Studios Singapore.

NHG Pharmacy attained Singapore Quality Class (SQC) Star CertificationNHG Pharmacy (NHGPh) attained the Singapore Quality Class (SQC) Star Certification and People Developer (PD) Recertification in September 2014. SQC STAR certifications are awarded to existing SQC organisations which have demonstrated higher levels of performance in their SQC assessment. NHG Pharmacy first achieved its PD and SQC status in 2005 and September 2011, respectively.

Singapore Quality Class (SQC) is the certification for the overall business excellence standard while People Developer (PD) is the certification for the business excellence niche standard for people. This milestone is made possible through the dedication and efforts in innovation and continuous improvement by NHGPh staff.

NHG Pharmacy Charity Drive and Lunchtime Talks In August 2014, NHGPh staff from Yishun polyclinic gathered to organise a charity food fair for St John’s Home for Elderly Persons. Held during lunch time at Yishun Polyclinic Conference Room, NHGPh staff sold homemade meals and snacks and raised a total of over $3,000. This comprised sales proceeds of $1,562, which was matched dollar-for-dollar by the government, under the Care and Share Movement. In addition, NHGPh conducted lunchtime health talks at the polyclinics regularly to promote health and safe medication use.

100 NHG CORPORATE YEARBOOK FINANCIAL YEAR 2014 • FINANCIAL YEAR 2014

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

1,400

1,600

1,800

2,000

2,200

No. o

f Bed

s

Class A Class B2Class B1 Class C *Classless

TTSH TTSH-CDC IMH Johns Hopkins

752 24 18

152

4 8

509

22

1,66

2

8461

6

148

129 18

71o

8

75

2

24

18

119

152

4

8

164

509

22

148

679

616

84

1,662

2,362

129

187

108

424

1,481299

1,950

18

3,748

1,465305

2,010

18

3,798

16(6)

(60)

0

(50)

1%-2%

-3%

-1%

0%

TTSH

TTSH-CDC

IMH

Johns Hopkins

Total NHG

Class A Class B2Class B1 Class C Classless FY 2014 FY 2013 Change Change %

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

1,400

1,600

1,800

2,000

2,200

No. o

f Bed

s

Class A Class B2Class B1 Class C *Classless


752 24 18

152

4 8

509

22

1,66

2

8461

6

148

129 18

71o

8

75

2

24

18

119

152

4

8

164

509

22

148

679

616

84

1,662

2,362

129

187

108

424

1,481299

1,950

18

3,748

1,465305

2,010

18

3,798

16(6)

(60)

0

(50)

1%-2%

-3%

-1%

0%

TTSH

TTSH-CDC

IMH

Johns Hopkins

Total NHG

Class A Class B2Class B1 Class C Classless FY 2014 FY 2013 Change Change %

Financial Year 2014 (1 April 2014 to 31 March 2015)

Bed Complement by Hospital and Class of Bed as at 31 March 2015

statistics

*Classless Beds refer to beds such as those in the High Dependency, Intensive Care Unit and Isolation Wards.

101NHG CORPORATE YEARBOOK FINANCIAL YEAR 2014 • FINANCIAL YEAR 2014

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90%

68%

89%

51%

93%

72%

90%

40%

86%

73%

90%

48%

89%

72%

91%

48%

Average Bed Occupancy Rate by Hospital

0

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Aver

age

Perc

enta

ge


90%

68%

51%

89% 93

%

72%

90%

86%

73%

48%

40%

90%

89%

72%

48%

91%

Apr 14-Jun 14

Apr 14-Jun 14

Jul 14-Sep 14

Jul 14-Sep 14

Oct 14-Dec 14

Oct 14-Dec 14

Jan 15-Mar 15

Jan 15-Mar 15

TTSH

TTSH-CDC

IMH

Johns Hopkins

90%

68%

89%

51%

93%

72%

90%

40%

86%

73%

90%

48%

89%

72%

91%

48%


0

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Aver

age

Perc

enta

ge


90%

68%

51%

89% 93

%

72%

90%

86%

73%

48%

40%

90%

89%

72%

48%

91%

Apr 14-Jun 14

Apr 14-Jun 14

Jul 14-Sep 14

Jul 14-Sep 14

Oct 14-Dec 14

Oct 14-Dec 14

Jan 15-Mar 15

Jan 15-Mar 15

TTSH

TTSH-CDC

IMH

Johns Hopkins


statistics


Trend in Inpatient Discharge

13,3

36

965

80

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000

16,000

No. o

f Inp

atie

nt D

isch

arge

s

Apr 14-Jun 14 Jul 14-Sep 14 Oct 14-Dec 14 Jan 15-Mar 15

TTSH TTSH-CDC IMH John Hopkins

TTSH

TTSH-CDC

IMH

Johns Hopkins

Total NHG

13,336

16,597

2,216

80

965

13,634

2,357

98

17,043

954

13,882 13,038

819 840

2,328 2,081

94 118

17,123 16,077

53,8903,578

8,356

390

66,840

52,5423,549

8,982

395

64,842

1,348

29

626

(5)

1,998

3%1%

7%

-1%

3%

Apr 14-Jun 14 Jul 14-Sep 14 Oct 14-Dec 14 Jan 15-Mar 15 FY 2014 FY 2013 Change Change %

13,6

34

954

2,35

7

2,21

6

98

819

13,8

82

2,32

8

94

840

13,0

38

2,08

1

118


13,3

36

965

80

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000

16,000

No. o

f Inp

atie

nt D

isch

arge

s


TTSH TTSH-CDC IMH John Hopkins

TTSH

TTSH-CDC

IMH

Johns Hopkins

Total NHG

13,336

16,597

2,216

80

965

13,634

2,357

98

17,043

954

13,882 13,038

819 840

2,328 2,081

94 118

17,123 16,077

53,8903,578

8,356

390

66,840

52,5423,549

8,982

395

64,842

1,348

29

626

(5)

1,998

3%1%

7%

-1%

3%


13,6

34

954

2,35

7

2,21

6

98

819

13,8

82

2,32

8

94

840

13,0

38

2,08

1

118


statistics


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Trend in Inpatient Day11

1,50

7

12,3

16

830

0

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

120,000

140,000

160,000

180,000

200,000

No. o

f Inp

atie

nt D

ays



TTSH

TTSH-CDC

Johns Hopkins

Total NHG

111,507

274,730

150,077

830

12,316

113,242

153,253

657

280,268

13,116

109,669

11,876

154,389

799

276,733

109,597

11,716

153,300

781

275,394

444,015

49,024611,019

3,067

1,107,125

434,88039,491

631,516

3,823

1,109,710

9,135

9,533

(20,497)

(756)

(2,585)

2%24%

-3%

-20%

0%


150,

077

153,

253

109,

669

154,

389

113,

242

79913

,116

657 11

,876

109,

597

153,

300

78111

,716

IMH

111,

507

12,3

16

830

0

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

120,000

140,000

160,000

180,000

200,000

No. o

f Inp

atie

nt D

ays



TTSH

TTSH-CDC

Johns Hopkins

Total NHG

111,507

274,730

150,077

830

12,316

113,242

153,253

657

280,268

13,116

109,669

11,876

154,389

799

276,733

109,597

11,716

153,300

781

275,394

444,015

49,024611,019

3,067

1,107,125

434,88039,491

631,516

3,823

1,109,710

9,135

9,533

(20,497)

(756)

(2,585)

2%24%

-3%

-20%

0%


150,

077

153,

253

109,

669

154,

389

113,

242

79913

,116

657 11

,876

109,

597

153,

300

78111

,716

IMH

statistics


Average Length of Stay by Hospital and Class of Bed

5.6

0

6.0

12.0

18.0

24.0

30.0

No. o

f Day

s

TTSH TTSH-CDC IMH (Short Stay) Johns Hopkins

2.5

6.7

4.8

16.0

6.9

9.0

17.2

9.1

16.1

24.8

9.2

7.9

Class A Class B2Class B1 Class C

5.6

2.5

9.2

7.9

6.7

4.8

16.0

6.9

9.0

17.2

9.1

16.1

24.8

920.7

TTSH

TTSH-CDC

IMH (SHORT STAY)

IMH (LONG STAY)

Johns Hopkins


1

Note : IMH (Long Stay) relates to the average length of stay of long-staying patients who were physically discharged during the year.1

Average Length of Stay by Hospital and Class of Bed

5.6

0

6.0

12.0

18.0

24.0

30.0

No. o

f Day

s

TTSH TTSH-CDC IMH (Short Stay) Johns Hopkins

2.5

6.7

4.8

16.0

6.9

9.0

17.2

9.1

16.1

24.8

9.2

7.9


5.6

2.5

9.2

7.9

6.7

4.8

16.0

6.9

9.0

17.2

9.1

16.1

24.8

920.7

TTSH

TTSH-CDC

IMH (SHORT STAY)

IMH (LONG STAY)

Johns Hopkins


1

Note : IMH (Long Stay) relates to the average length of stay of long-staying patients who were physically discharged during the year.1

Average Length of Stay byHospital and Class of Bed

statistics


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Trend in Day Surgery

2,000

0

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000

16,000

18,000

No. o

f Day

Sur

gerie

s Pe

rform

ed

Apr 14-Jun 14

13,411

13,41114,586

14,58613,865 14,363

14,36313,86556,22556,225

52,29052,290

3,9353,935

8%8%

TTSH

Total NHG

Jul 14-Sep 14 Oct 14-Dec 14 Jan 15-Mar 15

Apr 14-Jun 14 Jul 14-Sep 14 Oct 14-Dec14 Jan 15-Mar15 FY 2014 FY 2013 Change Change %

TTSH

13,4

11 14,5

86

13,8

65

14,3

63


2,000

0

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000

16,000

18,000

No. o

f Day

Sur

gerie

s Pe

rform

ed

Apr 14-Jun 14

13,411

13,41114,586

14,58613,865 14,363

14,36313,86556,22556,225

52,29052,290

3,9353,935

8%8%

TTSH

Total NHG

Jul 14-Sep 14 Oct 14-Dec 14 Jan 15-Mar 15


TTSH

13,4

11 14,5

86

13,8

65

14,3

63


statistics


Trend in SOC Attendance

151,

330

11,4

27

0

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

120,000

140,000

160,000

180,000

No. o

f Atte

ndan

ces


TTSH TTSH-CDC IMH NSC Johns Hopkins

TTSH

TTSH-CDC

NSC

151,330

1,486

287,568 302,778

39,068

84,257

11,427

160,246

40,801

87,799

1,690

12,242

155,356

11,225

39,682

83,686

1,593

291,542

157,811

11,208

40,710

83,497

1,505

294,731

624,74346,102

160,261

339,239

6,274

616,67950,326

156,380

342,463

8,234

1,174,0821,176,619

8,064

(4,224)

3,881

(3,224)

(1,960)

2,537

1%-8%

2%

-1%

0%

-24%


Total NHG

39,0

68

84,2

57

160,

246

12,2

42

40,8

01

87,7

99

155,

356

1,69

0 11,2

2539

,682

1,59

3

83,6

86

157,

811

11,2

0840

,710

1,50

5

83,4

97

1,48

6

IMH


151,

330

11,4

27

0

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

120,000

140,000

160,000

180,000

No. o

f Atte

ndan

ces


TTSH TTSH-CDC IMH NSC Johns Hopkins

TTSH

TTSH-CDC

NSC

151,330

1,486

287,568 302,778

39,068

84,257

11,427

160,246

40,801

87,799

1,690

12,242

155,356

11,225

39,682

83,686

1,593

291,542

157,811

11,208

40,710

83,497

1,505

294,731

624,74346,102

160,261

339,239

6,274

616,67950,326

156,380

342,463

8,234

1,174,0821,176,619

8,064

(4,224)

3,881

(3,224)

(1,960)

2,537

1%-8%

2%

-1%

0%

-24%


Total NHG

39,0

68

84,2

57

160,

246

12,2

42

40,8

01

87,7

99

155,

356

1,69

0 11,2

2539

,682

1,59

3

83,6

86

157,

811

11,2

0840

,710

1,50

5

83,4

97

1,48

6

IMH


statistics


NHG

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Trend in A&E Attendance


0

10,000

No. o

f Atte

ndan

ces

Apr 14-Jun 14

42,315

42,31541,649

41,64939,900 39,413

39,41339,900163,277163,277

167,887167,887

(4,610)(4,610)

-3%-3%

TTSH

Total NHG

Jul 14-Sep 14 Oct 14-Dec14 Jan 15-Mar15


TTSH

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

42,3

15

41,6

49

39,9

00

39,4

13

60,000


0

10,000

No. o

f Atte

ndan

ces

Apr 14-Jun 14

42,315

42,31541,649

41,64939,900 39,413

39,41339,900163,277163,277

167,887167,887

(4,610)(4,610)

-3%-3%

TTSH

Total NHG

Jul 14-Sep 14 Oct 14-Dec14 Jan 15-Mar15


TTSH

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

42,3

15

41,6

49

39,9

00

39,4

13

60,000

statistics


241,116

248,029

253,640

250,579

219,895

245,930

957,195

988,983

953,189

984,995

4,006

3,988

0%

0%

Acute

Chronic

250,673 251,847 259,872 1,027,196 974,534 52,662 5%Non-Morbid

739,818 756,066 725,697

242,544

244,445

264,804

751,793 2,973,374 2,912,718 60,656 2%Total NHG


0

50,000

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

300,000

350,000

No. o

f Atte

ndan

ces

Apr 14-Jun 14 Jul 14-Sep 14 Oct 14-Dec 14 Jan 15-Mar 15Acute Chronic Non-Morbid

241,1

16

248,0

29

250,6

73

253,6

40

250,5

79

251,8

47

219,8

95

245,9

30

259,8

72

242,5

44

244,

445

264,

804

Distribution of Staff As At 31 March 2015 (FY2015)

Nursing

4,621

40%

1,95317%

2,663

23%Administration

12%1,538

medical

8%921

921

4,621

1,953

2,663 2,621

1,538

11,696

1,435

11,194

910

4,388

1,840

Medical

Nursing

Ancillary

Administration

Total

Allied Health

FY 2014 FY 2013

Ancillary

Allied Health

statistics

trend in polyclinics attendance

distribution of staff as at 31 march 2015 (fy2014)


NHG

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Key Financial Information

Assets by Major CategoriesProperties, Plant and EquipmentTrade and Other ReceivablesCash and Cash EquivalentsOther Assets

Total Assets

Liabilities by Major CategoriesTrade and Other PayablesOther Liabilities

Total Liabilities

Capital and Reserves by Major CategoriesShare CapitalReserves*Minority Interest

Total Capital and Reserves

Revenue by Major CategoriesPatient and Patient Related RevenueGovernment SubventionOther Revenue

Total Revenue

Expenditure by Major CategoriesStaff CostsMedical Supplies and ConsumablesDepreciation and Amortisation

Other Expenses Total Expenditure

FY2014 FY2013

S$'M S$'M

390459

376264

233364

598

1

640

37217

1,238

610845

1,722

267

919238

1,703

83

463

402534

460272

233369

602

0

732

38216

1,334

620943

1,851

288

991254

1,842

82

515

*: Reserves include accumulated surpluses and specific reserves ring-fenced for capital investment, medical research, Regional Health activities as well as innovation and productivity improvements in the future.

key financial information

110 NHG CORPORATE YEARBOOK FINANCIAL YEAR 2014 • about nhg’s institutions

about nhg’s institutions

Tan Tock Seng Hospital11 Jalan Tan Tock Seng, Singapore 308433Tel: 6256 6011 / Fax: 6252 7282www.ttsh.com.sg

Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) is one of Singapore’s largest multidisciplinary hospitals with more than 170 years’ experience of pioneering medical care and development. The hospital has 36 clinical and Allied Health departments, 15 specialist centres and is powered by more than 7,000 healthcare staff. TTSH is accredited by the Joint Commission International (JCI) in recognition of its world-class patient care and the comprehensive range of high quality holistic healthcare services at its main hospital complex, the Communicable Disease Centre, TTSH Rehabilitation Centre and specialist clinics.

Institute of Mental Health Buangkok Green Medical Park,10 Buangkok View, Singapore 539747Tel: 6389 2000 / Fax: 6385 1050www.imh.com.sg

The Institute of Mental Health (IMH) is a 2,000-bed acute tertiary psychiatric hospital. Set amidst 23 hectares of serene surroundings, IMH offers a comprehensive range of psychiatric, rehabilitative and counselling services for children, adolescents, adults and the elderly. IMH was the first mental health institution in Asia to receive the JCI accreditation in 2005, a prestigious global accreditation standard for healthcare organisations.

National Skin Centre1 Mandalay Road, Singapore 308205Tel: 6253 4455 / Fax: 6253 3225www.nsc.com.sg

The National Skin Centre (NSC) is an outpatient specialist dermatological centre with a team of dermatologists who have the experience and expertise to treat a wide variety of skin conditions. NSC has a comprehensive range of subspecialty services, and serves about 80 per cent of dermatology outpatients in Singapore. This has firmly established its position as a reputable dermatology centre in Singapore and the region. The Centre aims to facilitate subspecialisation and be the national focus for the treatment, research, and training on all aspects of skin diseases.

National Healthcare Group PolyclinicsContact centre: 6355 3000www.nhgp.com.sg

National Healthcare Group Polyclinics (NHGP) forms the primary healthcare arm of NHG. Its nine polyclinics serve a significant proportion of the population in the central, northern and western parts of Singapore.

NHGP provides a comprehensive range of health services for the family, functioning as a one-stop health centre providing treatment for acute medical conditions, management of chronic diseases, women & child health services and dental care. The focus of NHGP’s care is on health promotion and disease prevention, early and accurate diagnosis, disease management through physician led team-based care as well as enhancing the capability of Family Medicine through research and teaching.

Through the Family Medicine Academy and the NHG Family Medicine Residency Programme, NHGP plays an integral role in the delivery of primary care training at medical undergraduate and post-graduate levels.

NHGP has also been awarded the prestigious Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditation under the Primary Care Standards.

NHGP manages the following nine polyclinics:

Ang Mo Kio PolyclinicBlk 723 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 8 #01-4136 Singapore 560723

Bukit Batok Polyclinic50 Bukit Batok West Avenue 3 Singapore 659164

Choa Chu Kang Polyclinic2 Teck Whye Crescent Singapore 688846

Clementi PolyclinicBlk 451 Clementi Avenue 3 #02-307 Singapore 120451

Hougang Polyclinic89 Hougang Avenue 4 Singapore 538829

Jurong Polyclinic190 Jurong East Avenue 1 Singapore 609788

Toa Payoh Polyclinic 2003 Toa Payoh Lor 8 Singapore 319260

Woodlands Polyclinic10 Woodlands Street 31 Singapore 738579

Yishun Polyclinic 30A Yishun Central 1 Singapore 768796

Family Medicine Clinics(NHG in public-private partnership with GPs)

Ang Mo Kio Family Medicine Clinic4190 Ang Mo Kio Ave 6 #03-01 Singapore 569841

NTUC Unity Family Medicine Clinic264 Serangoon Central #01-205 Singapore 550264

111NHG CORPORATE YEARBOOK FINANCIAL YEAR 2014 • about nhg’s institutions

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NHG College3 Fusionopolis Link#03-08, Nexus@one-north (South Lobby)Singapore 138543Tel: 6340 2351 / Fax: 6340 3275https://college.nhg.com.sg

NHG College plays an instrumental role in facilitating continuous learning and development of our workforce, as well as driving leadership development and systems improvement in NHG. It collaborates with renowned institutions and industry partners to build the collective capabilities of NHG leaders, educators, healthcare professionals and staff in managing the health of the population in the central region.

National Healthcare Group Diagnostics3 Fusionopolis Link,#05-08, Nexus@one-north (South Lobby)Singapore 138543Call centre: 6275 6443 (6-ASK-NHGD) Fax: 6496 6625 www.diagnostics.nhg.com.sg

National Healthcare Group Diagnostics (NHGD) is a business unit of NHG, providing quality laboratory and imaging services at the primary healthcare level.

The first to introduce Tele-radiology in Singapore and via its extensive network of 33 static and mobile centres, NHGD provides one-stop imaging and laboratory services which are accessible, cost-effective, seamless, timely and accurate.

In a continuous quest for quality excellence, NHGD received international accreditation such as ISO 15189:2003 (Medical Laboratory – particular requirement for quality and competence) and has also joined efforts with NHGP to attain the Joint International Commission (Ambulatory Care Standard) accreditation.

NHG Pharmacy 3 Fusionopolis Link#03-08, Nexus@one-north (South lobby)Singapore 138543Tel: 6496 6000www.pharmacy.nhg.com.sg

National Healthcare Group Pharmacy (NHGPh), a business unit of NHG, manages the pharmacy services and retail pharmacies at all NHG Polyclinics. It is also the leading provider of pharmacy services in the long-term care sector. Armed with the mission to promote the safe, effective and responsible use of medication, its team of pharmacists provides clinical pharmacy services to help customers achieve the best results for their prescribed therapy by working with other members of the healthcare team. Conveniently located in heartlands, its retail pharmacies offer an array of quality and affordable healthcare essentials.

Primary Care Academy (PCA)3 Fusionopolis Link#05-10, Nexus@one-north (South lobby)Singapore 138543Tel: 6496 6683 or 6496 6682 Fax: 6496 6669Email: [email protected]

The Primary Care Academy (PCA) was set up to meet the professional training needs of primary healthcare professionals in Singapore and the region. It serves as a training facility for Family Physicians, nurses, Allied Health Professionals and ancillary staff in primary care. It also offers a platform for sharing of expertise and capacity building among community healthcare practitioners and leaders in the region.

NHG Eye InstituteTel: 6357 8000www.tei.nhg.com.sg

The NHG Eye Institute was set up to meet the increasing demand for eye-care services. By combining the clinical expertise and facilities across NHG institutions, it is able to achieve greater synergy and provide quality eye care to patients. It also works with various organisations – such as the Singapore Eye Research Institute, National University of Singapore and clinical research organisations – to undertake clinical research programmes relevant to its patients.

Institute of Geriatrics and Active AgeingCentre for Geriatric MedicineTel: 6359 6100 / Fax: 6359 6101The Institute of Geriatrics and Active Ageing was set up to establish new directions for geriatric care in Singapore. Through research innovations and continuous education, the Institute aims to enable the delivery of holistic care to improve the health, independence, safety and quality of life for the elderly.

Johns HopkinsSingapore InternationalMedical Centre11 Jalan Tan Tock Seng Singapore 308433Tel: 6880 2222 / Fax: 6880 2233www.imc.jhmi.edu

Johns Hopkins International Singapore Medical Centre is a licensed 30-bed medical oncology facility in Singapore. It is a joint venture between NHG and Johns Hopkins International. It is the only fully-branded Johns Hopkins facility outside of USA, providing inpatient and outpatient medical oncology care, medical intensive care and laboratory services.

Colour Specifications

Spot colour coated 100% Pantone 186CProcess colour C0 M100 Y100 K0Screen colour R237 G28 B36



15 Years of NHG: ONE FamilyChairman, NHG 2000 – 2009Mr Michael Lim Choo San

Chairman, NHG 2010 – PresentMadam Kay Kuok

Group CEOs(2000 – 2003)Mr Tan Tee How

(2004 – 2010)Dr Lim Suet Wun

(2011 – 2014)Prof Chee Yam Cheng

(2015 – Present)Prof Philip Choo

}}Institute of Mental Health (IMH) launches Early Psychosis Intervention Programme (EPIP)

}}NHG College officially opens

}}First NHG Annual Scientific Congress (ASC)

||NHG launches first Mobile Community Health Centre

||Emphasis on Regional Health System

||NHG’s 15th Anniversary Celebration

||SG50 - We Walk 50km Together

||TTSH wins Aon Hewitt Best Employer Award 2015

2000 2001 2002

2015

}}NHG launches Clinical Practice Improvement Programme (CPIP)

}} 15 March 2000National Healthcare Group (NHG) formed

||APEX Awards of Excellence For Publications

||Change of Leadership - NHG New Group CEO Prof Philip Choo

||Remembering Mr Lee Kuan Yew 1923 – 2015

||Groundbreaking of Pioneer Family Healthcare Centre at Jurong West

*The logo symbolises NHG’s multi-faceted approach in delivering quality healthcare through our family of institutions, and our collaboration with partners and patients, demostrating the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The celebratory colours of the spheres, comprising corporate colours of NHG and our institutions, represent vibrancy, dynamism and vigour.

*

}}Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) designated the hospital to combat SARS in Singapore

}}National Skin Centre (NSC) rolls out its first fully integrated Electronic Medical Records (EMR) system in Singapore

}}NHG Diagnostics launches Mammobus and mobile diagnostics services

||Centre for Geriatric Medicine opens (TTSH)

}}Primary Care Academy to meet training needs of primary healthcare professionals

||NHG and SingHealth establish mutual recognition of medical research review boards

||TTSH Celebrates 170th Founder’s Day

||NHG launches Health City Novena

2003 2004 2006 2007

2014

||Unity Family Medicine Clinic (FMC) opens near Serangoon MRT

||TTSH launches The Outpatient Pharmacy Automation System (OPAS)

||Launch of Rehabilitation Research Institute of Singapore (RRIS)

2013

Then

Now(2015)

||NHG HQ moves to Nexus@one-north

||PM Lee Hsien Loong visits TTSH during Lunar New Year

||NHG Launches 4P7R Book

||Together@NHG eNewsletter

||50 weeks of LKCMedicine@NHG eNewsletter

}}NHG Eye Institute and Hougang Polyclinic pilot Tele-Ophthalmology service

|| Launch of Patient Health Portal at NSC

||Ang Mo Kio

Family Medicine Clinic (FMC)

opens (NHGP)

||Official launch of Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (LKCMedicine) — NHG is the primary clinical training partner for LKCMedicine

}}Annual Scientific Congress (ASC) renamed Singapore Health and Biomedical Congress (SHBC)

}} 2007-2012Initiation of National Mental Health Blueprint (Singapore)

||Launch of Skin

Research Institute of Singapore (SRIS)

}} 2010-2014Biennial Asia-Pacific Research Ethics Conference

||NHG launches 4 Principles & 7 Rules, Our Shared Future (4P7R)

||Making the NHG logo

more contemporary||NHG launches new corporate ads

||NHG-Staff Collective Agreement signed

2009 2010

2012

}}IMH Launches National Addictions Management Service (NAMS)

||NHG Pharmacy

launches ConviDose Medication

Management System

||TTSH

celebrates 100 years

of Surgical Excellence

||Official opening of Family Medicine Academy in Bukit Batok Polyclinic

TM

old New

|| Findings of National Mental Health Blueprint (Singapore)

||NHG and TTSH

open Simulation and Integrated

Medical Training Advancement

Centre (SIMTAC)

||NHG HQ moves to Nexus@one-north

}

}} Excellence in Clinical Care

}} Excellence in Research

}} Excellence in Education

}} Our People

Legend

NHG is a Regional Health System for Singaporewww.nhg.com.sg | www.facebook.com/nationalhealthcaregroup

Editors:Wong Fong Tze, Jason Chiew, Lydia Soh

Contributors:Tania Tan, William Ng, Devraj Vasudevan, Lalitha Naidu, Cynthia Chin, Cindy Chew,

Sunanthar Lu, Clara Poh, Corrinne Tan, Clara Lim, Charis Ng, Sheryl Wang, Lim Wei Beng, Cheryl Tan, Ye Jingxian, Michelle Teo

keep healthy • stay well

www.nhg.com.sg | www.facebook.com/nationalhealthcaregroup

NHG is a Regional Health System for Singaporewww.nhg.com.sg | www.facebook.com/nationalhealthcaregroup

NHG CORPORATE YEARBOOK FINANCIAL YEAR 2014 • Education

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Transcript of NHG CORPORATE YEARBOOK FINANCIAL YEAR 2014 • Education