CHONG HUA HOSPITAL KICKS OFF ITS VASCULAR TRAINING PROGRAM:THE 1ST OF ITS KIND OUTSIDE METRO MANILA

CHONG HUA HOSPITAL KICKS OFF ITS VASCULAR TRAINING PROGRAM:

THE 1ST OF ITS KIND OUTSIDE METRO MANILA

Dr. Bernadette Halasan

Chong Hua Hospital (CHH), one of the premier institutions in the Visayas and Mindanao and a recognized center for excellence for both Internal Medicine & Cardiology Fellowship training in the country started its Clinical Research Fellowship last August 2021. After a series of evaluations from the Committee on Training of the Philippine Society of Vascular Medicine, the institution was given a go signal to start its training program with the acceptance of its 1st ever Vascular Clinical Research Fellow Dr. Noel Vasquez.

The hospital not only passed the facility requirements with its state-of-the-art machines and fully equipped units (including the vascular laboratory and wound care clinic) but also got accredited (on a probationary status, as required by the society for new institutions) because of the fulfillment of its required number of cases both in the vascular imaging as well as clinical side. Moreover, CHH is also fully supported by 7 active and strong consultants with collaboration among the allied specialties of Vascular Surgery, Invasive Cardiology as well as Hematology and Rheumatology departments.

Dr. Vasquez, during his training, has presented various case reports and research including TAKAYASU ARTERITIS IN A 23-YEAR OLD FEMALE PRESENTING AS HEART FAILURE: A CASE REPORT, PERIPHERAL ARTERIOVENOUS MALFORMATION OF THE UPPER EXTREMITY PRESENTING AS DIGITAL ISCHEMIA: A CASE REPORT and PREVALENCE AND PREDICTORS OF MORTALITY OF HOSPITALIZED PATIENTS WITH COVID-19 ASSOCIATED VENOUS THROMBOEMBOLISM. The two case reports were accepted for poster presentation on the Annual Society for Vascular Medicine Convention in the US.

Though still going on its second year, the CHH vascular training program is quite promising and serves as a hallmark and inspiration that the possibility of creating more vascular specialists from institutions outside of Metro Manila is very much feasible. By doing so, we may fill the vacuum created by the absence of vascular specialists in some parts of the nation, better meet the needs of the nation's expanding population, and be able to address vascular issues that arise in routine clinical practice with a high calibre of knowledge and expertise.