Having become a leading medical institution in Hong Kong, Linda Burgoyne, CEO, tells us how Matilda International Hospital provides passionate patient care and innovative medical services.
ROOTED IN PERSONALISED CARE
Situated in Hong Kong, Matilda International Hospital (MIH) is one of the most distinguished healthcare institutions in the region, ardently committed to providing exceptional patient care.
“Our comprehensive range of services, at the hospital and our in-town medical centre, integrate top-tier medical treatments within state-of-the-art facilities and are underscored by our patient-centric philosophy,” opens CEO, Linda Burgoyne.
PERSONALISED PATIENT CARE
Established in 1907, MIH has a rich history rooted in the vision of its founder, Granville Sharp.
“When Granville died, he made a provision in his will to build a hospital in memory of his beloved wife, Matilda. He wished for an institution to be created for the benefit, care, and happiness of patients,” explains Burgoyne.
“Their story is one of incredible determination, grit, and fortitude in the face of shipwreck and piracy in a disease-wrecked colony.”
Granville’s legacy continues to inspire the organisation’s mission of leading personalised health and wellness, and delivering world-class healthcare to the community by combining cutting-edge medical advancements with a steadfast dedication to attentive patient care.
MIH has become a leading medical institution in Hong Kong due to its unparalleled commitment to personalised patient care, which stems from a recognition that each individual is unique and that medical treatment goes beyond addressing symptoms.
Personalised patient care allows the organisation to create customised treatment plans that consider the specific medical, emotional, and lifestyle aspects of each patient. This approach ensures that its interventions are not only effective but also align with their well-being.
The hospital’s dedication to excellence has been recognised through numerous extraordinary milestones in healthcare standards accreditation. For instance, the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards (ACHS) International awarded MIH the prestigious ‘Outstanding Achievement’ award for the seventh edition of its ACHS International Evaluation and Quality Improvement Program (EQuIP7), including the Advanced Person-Centred Systems (PCS) Module.
“We are incredibly proud to be the very first hospital in the world among ACHS International members to receive this remarkable recognition.
“The ‘Outstanding Achievement’ accreditation is a testament to our unwavering dedication to healthcare excellence, and celebrates what makes us different,” Burgoyne proudly shares.
By prioritising personalised care, MIH creates an environment where patients feel heard and understood by professionals who are actively involved in their healthcare journey, fostering a sense of trust and partnership.
Alongside its personalised care, the institution is renowned in the industry for its healthcare innovations which are implemented across the hospital.
For instance, the organisation has developed its orthopaedic and spine unit to become a centre of excellence and is testament to the hospital’s cutting-edge medical interventions.
Orthopaedic surgeries range from diagnostic laparoscopic day case procedures to major joint replacements and complex spinal procedures. MIH’s expert orthopaedic team employs experienced and advanced technical surgeries focused on restoring mobility, alleviating pain, and enhancing the overall quality of life for its patients.
MIH is widely respected for its expertise in obstetrics, and with a new initiative to enhance patient care, it now offers a complete range of maternity services comprising antenatal and postnatal care, educational classes, hospital care for delivery, and at-home support for new mothers.
“Our quality, research-based maternity care is provided in a friendly environment by experts who are sensitive to the needs of the mothers and newborns in their care, providing lots of support to mothers and partners during their journey into parenthood.
The unit’s 98 percent breastfeeding rate reflects the professional care and time we spend supporting new mothers,” Burgoyne highlights.
MIH takes patient safety seriously and is the only private hospital in Hong Kong that has a 24-hour, on-site, on-call emergency obstetric specialist team and independently stocks rhesus negative blood.
The organisation has also recently introduced total care programmes that include doctors’ fees and allow for a seamless family experience and affordable private maternity care.
“Both new and experienced parents alike appreciate our open, modern approach,” she adds.
RESPONSIBLE WAYS OF BEING
The MIH team is highly valued for their contributions as its staff are the backbone of the hospital.
“We are unified through our ‘ways of being’, which are our guiding principles that reinforce our values and enable empowerment,” observes Burgoyne.
The organisation provides tools and incentives to foster a sense of belonging that include ongoing training and development programmes, flexible working arrangements to support work-life balance, and a range of excellent benefits.
Inclusivity is fostered through special hiring programmes, such as an initiative for the deaf, creating a diverse and welcoming culture.
MIH also provides corporate wellness solutions that are meticulously designed to address the unique health of individual corporations, going above and beyond in providing on-site biometric testing, health checks, mental health screenings, corporate health reports, vaccination drives, educational talks and classes, and health crisis support.
This seamless access to specialised medical expertise improves the health of the organisation and amplifies the efforts of human resources teams in empowering staff to make health a priority.
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is also an integral part of MIH’s work. Having helped hundreds of charities over the years, the hospital is particularly proud of its own charity, the Matilda Children’s Foundation.
The foundation is dedicated to improving the lives of children by providing life-changing surgeries to underprivileged children across the Southeast Asia region, who are in desperate need of treatment and have no other means of receiving care.
MIH also recently signed collaborative agreements with the Mongolia Consulate of Hong Kong and the National Centre for Maternal and Child Health (NCMCH), which have extended the reach of the foundation.
“We are unified through our ‘ways of being’, which are guiding principles that reinforce our values and enable empowerment”
Linda Burgoyne, CEO, Matilda International Hospital
EMPOWERING THE PATIENT’S POSITION
In recent years, health consumers have become much more engaged and empowered, demanding greater ownership of their healthcare with a single touchpoint.
“Patients are seeking ways to decrease their hospital visits and length of stay, wanting to be seen quicker, get well faster, and be discharged as soon as possible,” observes Burgoyne.
This trend presents an opportunity for facilities to adapt and provide reliable clinical outcomes whilst maintaining a personalised experience.
In turn, private medical insurance is becoming more attractive as people require rapid access to care and recognise the benefits of private services.
Meanwhile, as the digital landscape of the region’s healthcare is ever-growing, the delivery of medical services is shifting. Namely, institutions are seeing the adoption of telemedicine, self-diagnosis health apps, long-term illness management tools, and electronic records.
Looking forward, artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled devices and automation technology, such as blockchain electronic health records and machine learning (ML), will transform the way patients interact with healthcare professionals, how data is shared amongst providers, and how decisions are made about treatment plans.
There is also an industry-wide change in the way data analytics are used, helping healthcare providers lower the rate of medication errors through automated patient record analysis, facilitating greater efficiency in preventative care.
With this in mind, MIH aims to enhance its patients’ experience going forward by investing in cutting-edge medical technologies and facilities, as well as expanding its range of specialised treatments.
“While we continuously assess our goals, our overarching objective remains meeting the evolving healthcare needs of our community and maintaining our position as a premier healthcare provider in the Asia Pacific region,” Burgoyne concludes.
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