Now is the high-tide of the year,
And whatever of life hath ebbed away
Comes flooding back with ripply cheer
Now the heart is so full that a drop overfills it,
We are happy now, because God wills it.

? James Russell Lowell

MANILA, Philippines?I love this time of the year. A time when we take stock of our personal and professional growth and commitments?are we on course or do we need to replot our roadmap to success? A perfect opportunity for improvement and renewal.

As an important part of this midyear assessment, I made an inventory of the various cards in my wallet. Aside from my driver?s license, credit card and two ATM cards, I discovered that my wallet was also home to 20 cards from a popular bookstore and drugstore, several supermarkets, hotels and airlines. Was it worth maintaining all these cards? Absolutely. These rectangular plastic cards of various colors and designs earn ?points? every time I avail of these establishments' services, points that accumulate and eventually translate to ?rewards.?

Patient card

The latest, definitely the most unique, and possibly the most important addition to my collection of customer-retention cards is the St. Luke?s Health Advantage Card. A patient card from St. Luke?s Medical Center designed to make healthcare more efficient and convenient, the Health Advantage Card is a fast, secure and efficient way of identifying patients.

It facilitates speedy access to and retrieval of patient data, thus assuring more efficient service in various areas of the medical center. Unlike in other hospitals where a patient fills out the information form before being issued a patient card several days later, the St. Luke?s Health Advantage Card is issued to the patient free of charge upon admission.

The Health Advantage Card minimizes repetitive questioning prior to and during admission by preventing duplication of patient information and medical records. The card?s built-in microchip stores the patient?s name, birth date, personal identification number (PIN) and medical records file number. To access a patient?s personal records, authorized St. Luke?s personnel simply insert the Health Advantage Card in strategically located card readers or in Online Patient Inquiry Kiosks.

The card can be used in all St. Luke?s services that require a PIN in accessing the system. Thus, a patient only needs to provide personal and medical information once prior to admission and no longer has to answer the same set of questions over and over again in the course of his or her confinement?a necessary inconvenience in most hospitals.

Patient safety guaranteed

With the Health Advantage Card, patient safety and continuity of care are guaranteed. To maintain absolute confidentiality, all personal records are encrypted and safely stored in the hospital's system. All patient data remain secure and accessible only in St. Luke?s and to authorized hospital personnel only.

?Collecting and storing patient information is a data-intensive but vital undertaking for any hospital,? explains St. Luke?s President and CEO Jose G. Ledesma. ?Implementing an efficient and customer-friendly patient information system requires an innovative approach, which we were able to accomplish with the St. Luke's Health Advantage Card.?

?My St. Luke?s Health Advantage Card ensures a quick and hassle-free hospital admission through its express check-in and concierge services features,? says chemist-entrepreneur Pinky Tobiano.

With all the advantages it provides, my St. Luke?s Health Advantage Card will definitely find a permanent home in my wallet.

For feedback, please e-mail the Healthcare Technology and Outcomes Information Bureau at inquire@htoib.com.