Cardiology Department celebrates Heart Week 2019

THE HOSPITAL WITH A HEART – True to its creed embodied in the slogan (The Hospital with a Heart), the Makati Medical Center, Section of Cardiology launched the first Heart Week celebration  on February 4 to 8, 2019 with a theme, “Limang Dekadang Pag-aalaga, Sa Puso Nagmula.”

                The celebration was in line with the 50^th  year anniversary of MakatiMed paralled to that of the Section of Cardiology’s  foundation in 1969. The five-day event kicked off with the Opening Ceremonies on February 4. With the majority of the Cardiology staff in attendance headed by Saturnino P. Javier, MD, Section Chief of Cardiology, and Raul L. Lapitan, MD, overall chairperson of Heart Week 2019, the event started with messages from the organizers followed by inspirational remarks from Maria Corazon C. Consunji, MD, President and CEO. This was followed by the ribbon-cutting for the lobby exhibits led by Dr. Javier; Dr. Lapitan; Dr. Consunji; Johnny B. Sinon, MD, Medical Director; and Nannette R. Rey, MD, President of the Philippine Heart Association.
 
The lobby exhibits featured five (5) decades of events and achievements in Cardiology  – moving chronologically  from the Decade of Foundation to Modernization, Innovation, Education, and culminating in the Decade of Recognition for all the graduates, achievers and accomplishments of MakatiMed through the years.
 
An on-the-spot painting contest titled “Faces & Rituals of Art in Medicine (FRAMes)” was also held. Various professionals, including nurses, medical technologists, doctors and administrative staff, joined the activity with a common goal of linking art with the healthy lifestyle advocacy.

                Organized by Adolfo B. Bellosillo, MD, President of the Foundation for Lay Education on Heart Disease, Inc. (FLEHD), the Section of Cardiology also mounted a lay forum that went through the issues and concerns in diagnosis and management of Acute Coronary Syndrome. The forum provided the lay attendees with education on heart illness via musical presentations which hemmed on the theme – “How to remain young at heart”. 

                The Heart Shots – a wet clinic for physicians and nurses – was also conducted during the Heart Week. The educational activity sought to reach out to other subspecialties about commonly encountered dilemmas in diagnostic modalities such as electrocardiography, vascular and echocardiography. It gave attendees the chance to do ankle branchial index, interpret 2D-echocardiographic results, understand vasovagal syncope and premature ventricular contractions. 

                As part of the Philippine Heart Association’s advocacy of educating lay people to save lives, the Section of Cardiology hosted Hands Only CPR training. This was spearheaded by Dr. Lapitan and Oliver M. Sansano, MD. Several participants coming from the Philippine Navy, security personnel, administrative staff, employees and medical clerks and interns were in attendance. At the end of the activity, the session produced 70 new CPR-knowledgeable individuals. 

                The week-long celebration culminated with the 21^st Mariano M. Alimurung Memorial Lecture which was regularly held in honor of Dr. Mariano M. Alimurung, whose legacy extended far beyond the field of cardiology.  After inspirational remarks reminiscing the life of Dr. Alimurung – given by Adoracion Nambayan-Abad, MD (as a Mentor), Dr. Rey (as a Leader) and Benjamin N. Alimurung, MD (as a Father), the highlight was the talk on the topic of Sudden Cardiac Death in Athletes delivered by Richard J. Kovacs, MD, Vice President of the American College of Cardiology.

                The scientific activity was immediately followed by the conferment of the first ever Mariano M. Alimurung Award of Distinction to five (5) luminaries in Cardiology – Dr. Bellosillo; Francisco G. Dizon, MD; Clemente C. Gatmaitan, MD; Florina R. Kaluag, MD; and Juanita G. Zagala, MD. All five (5) honorees contributed to the growth of Cardiology, not only in MakatiMed, but in the entire nation as well. The citations of the five awardees were read by their respective Marshalls – Noel L. Rosas, MD, Chairperson of the Department of Medicine; Jorge A. Sison, MD; Dr. Lapitan; Anthony B. King, Jr.; and Mary Milagros D. Uy, MD.
 
                Heart Week 2019 offered a diverse array of venues for learning, celebration and recognition. Put together by the Organizing Committee consisting of consultant staff and fellows-in-training, the event was a fitting tribute in honor of MakatiMed’s golden anniversary.