Teófilo Lama Pico
President, Grupo Hospitalario Kennedy
My initial plan was to provide better healthcare to the inhabitants of Guayaquil, while contributing to improving the private and public healthcare system in our country. Over the years, we have improved our services and the application of new technology. We have also strengthened our ties with universities in order to contribute to the educational process of future doctors and specialists. We welcome final-year students from two of the leading higher education institutions in our country, and, several years ago, we established our own Master’s degree in Medical Pathology and Anesthesiology. We have become a very reputable brand that works for the community, where patients can find the most advanced medical practices, highly qualified professionals, and a very efficient and effective hospital. The Ecuadorean health system has come a long way already and has improved its overall standards. Today, there are fewer Ecuadorean citizens who travel abroad for treatment. We need to strengthen the healthcare system in the rural areas of our country, because the people living there often lack access to healthcare resources. We need to strengthen educational programs to offer future doctors and specialists all the tools needed to become excellent professionals in Ecuador without leaving the country—those who left for other countries in order to pursue higher educational goals often stay there after they finish their studies.
Francisco Cepeda
General Manager, Hospital de Los Valles
We started our operations in June 2006. The idea behind the project was to provide the valley areas around Quito and its citizens with a high-quality hospital, as before the creation of our institution patients had to go into Quito itself. We saw a gap in the healthcare market in the area, and combined with the future prospects the new airport would bring, it was an attractive opportunity. We are a private institution within the healthcare sector with the largest open capital in Ecuador—there are 1,700 stakeholders invested in the hospital. This has afforded us the availability of funds to build up the hospital without interruption. Overall, I think the sector lacks experienced professionals, and, due to the complexity of our industry, that is a huge challenge. Regardless of how much you spend on technology and advanced equipment, if you don’t have the right professionals and a well-planned strategy, investment is useless. That happens especially in the public sector, as the private sector, I believe, is one or two steps ahead. Our hospital has 570 employees, including 40 doctors and 250 attending doctors, who bring their own patients along with them to the hospital and use our infrastructure. We also employ some foreign professionals from countries such as Colombia, Spain, Peru, and Chile.
Dr. Rafael Arcos R.
President of the Directory, Dr. Rafael Arcos R.
In 1977, a group of optimistic leading physicians had the vision to build a hospital meeting international standards in Quito. Two years later, in a strategic and historic alliance between American Medical International (AMI) and CONCLINA CA, they initiated a project that would transform hospital medical care in the country. In 1982, construction on the hospital began and, three years later, Hospital Metropolitano opened its doors to the community. The Hospital has tried to grow beyond Quito, with special emphasis on rural areas of the country; however, inadequate administrative and economic resources hinder such expansion plans. Therefore, we are working on training programs outside Quito, and, given sufficient economic resources, we plan to open another hospital. Our focus today is on introducing state-of-the-art technology, withan estimated investment of $3 million a year. Being accredited by Joint Commission International (JCI) has confirmed our focus on the highest patient care standards and results, earning us the respect of healthcare leaders. JCI has also encouraged us to always pursue quality, safety, and efficiency in healthcare provision to global standards. It is also very important for the hospital to be able to offer highly specialized staff. We will therefore continue expanding our facilitates as the country continues to develop socially and economically, thus boosting the purchasing power of the middle class, our main patient group.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
You may also be interested in...
ECUADOR - Energy & Mining
Gonzalo Uquillas Vallejo
Interview
General Manager, Electric Corporation of Ecuador (CELEC EP)
ECUADOR - Real Estate & Construction
Tommy Schwarzkopf
Interview
Founder, Principal, & CEO, Uribe Schwarzkopf
