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<!-- headline one : start --><TR>Doctors upset: ParkwayHealth replies
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->WEDNESDAY'S report, 'Doctors upset by Parkway's plans'', featured extensive information attributed to me. This information was taken not from an interview with the reporter, but out of context from a white paper I wrote to explain the need for increased transparency and consistently high standards of care across ParkwayHealth Group.
The aim of the paper was to start a dialogue with health-care professionals to determine the best way to balance these needs with the health and vibrancy of their practices.
We believe it benefits everyone to provide consistent, transparent pricing across practice areas in our group. It helps patients plan health-care procedures, and ensures there are no billing 'surprises'' that can cause financial concerns at a time when patients and families need to focus on recovery.
Likewise, we believe we should ensure that all doctors working within the group adhere to global best practice standards in both quality of care as well as clinical outcomes. ParkwayHealth Group is recognised as a top health-care provider in Singapore and the region - thanks to the great work of our affiliated doctors. Working with them to maintain this reputation through the achievement and maintenance of international benchmarks for quality benefits everyone.
Parkway Cancer Centre (PCC) is an excellent example of the concept and the intent behind our clinical programmes, and how ParkwayHealth Group has worked closely and in collaboration with a group of senior oncologists to provide the best multi-disciplinary care for the patient, The centre's success after two years of its establishment is a testimony of the open partnership and dialogue we have with the doctors. PCC's multidisciplinary cancer managernent is the cornerstone for optimal cancer treatment and improved patient outcomes.
It has also established a strong supportive arm through CanHope, which offers free counselling and psychosocial support for cancer patients and is the first private health-care group to establish a palliative care unit.
This is in line with the cancer centre model that is universally accepted as being superior for delivering optimal cancer care.
Major US universities with established cancer programmes have organised themselves as cancer centres so they can deliver better care for patients. An individual or a uni-modality specialist cannot offer the same level of care as a care centre.
These are major changes, and we believe they are vital to the future of high-quality medical care. We have and will continue to work closely with our doctors to determine the best course to follow - one that balances the doctors' need for autonomy with the public's need for transparency and top-notch health care. It is unfortunate that the article presented as a fait accompli what is actually a work in progress, unnecessarily upsetting both doctors and patients in Singapore.
Dr Goh Jin Hian
President
Singapore Operations Division
ParkwayHealth
EDITOR'S NOTE: We stand by our report. We reported accurately that the ideas being discussed were contained in a paper circulated to doctors and that no final decision had been taken yet. In fact, we quoted Dr Goh saying that the 'ideas are living' and will 'change as we receive input'.
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<!-- headline one : start --><TR>Doctors upset: ParkwayHealth replies
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><!-- show image if available --></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->WEDNESDAY'S report, 'Doctors upset by Parkway's plans'', featured extensive information attributed to me. This information was taken not from an interview with the reporter, but out of context from a white paper I wrote to explain the need for increased transparency and consistently high standards of care across ParkwayHealth Group.
The aim of the paper was to start a dialogue with health-care professionals to determine the best way to balance these needs with the health and vibrancy of their practices.
We believe it benefits everyone to provide consistent, transparent pricing across practice areas in our group. It helps patients plan health-care procedures, and ensures there are no billing 'surprises'' that can cause financial concerns at a time when patients and families need to focus on recovery.
Likewise, we believe we should ensure that all doctors working within the group adhere to global best practice standards in both quality of care as well as clinical outcomes. ParkwayHealth Group is recognised as a top health-care provider in Singapore and the region - thanks to the great work of our affiliated doctors. Working with them to maintain this reputation through the achievement and maintenance of international benchmarks for quality benefits everyone.
Parkway Cancer Centre (PCC) is an excellent example of the concept and the intent behind our clinical programmes, and how ParkwayHealth Group has worked closely and in collaboration with a group of senior oncologists to provide the best multi-disciplinary care for the patient, The centre's success after two years of its establishment is a testimony of the open partnership and dialogue we have with the doctors. PCC's multidisciplinary cancer managernent is the cornerstone for optimal cancer treatment and improved patient outcomes.
It has also established a strong supportive arm through CanHope, which offers free counselling and psychosocial support for cancer patients and is the first private health-care group to establish a palliative care unit.
This is in line with the cancer centre model that is universally accepted as being superior for delivering optimal cancer care.
Major US universities with established cancer programmes have organised themselves as cancer centres so they can deliver better care for patients. An individual or a uni-modality specialist cannot offer the same level of care as a care centre.
These are major changes, and we believe they are vital to the future of high-quality medical care. We have and will continue to work closely with our doctors to determine the best course to follow - one that balances the doctors' need for autonomy with the public's need for transparency and top-notch health care. It is unfortunate that the article presented as a fait accompli what is actually a work in progress, unnecessarily upsetting both doctors and patients in Singapore.
Dr Goh Jin Hian
President
Singapore Operations Division
ParkwayHealth
EDITOR'S NOTE: We stand by our report. We reported accurately that the ideas being discussed were contained in a paper circulated to doctors and that no final decision had been taken yet. In fact, we quoted Dr Goh saying that the 'ideas are living' and will 'change as we receive input'.
