Aster Clinic marks a milestone as the first outpatient clinic in the country to receive an ISO 9001:2015 certification from the reputable German company TUV Rheinland. Coincidentally awarded at the turn of 30th global anniversary of its parent company, Aster DM Healthcare LLC based in UAE, Joyce Alumno, Country Manager of Aster DM Healthcare Philippines, identified the company’s unwavering core values, world-class standards, excellent patient experience, and technological advances in patient care as the advantages that awarded them the newest quality management system certification. The ISO 9001:2015 is the most difficult certification process so far and TUV Rheinland is one of the most reputable certification firms that awards such. The newest certification requires a holistic, rigid procedure as it looks into how a company manages potential risks, aside from conforming to international standards and other crucial criteria for assessment. “It was not easy to pass the 9001:2015 commendations. We had to go through a tough process, which required us to document everything. However, with our existing international standards, we were given the TUV Rheinland approval after six months. Usually, assessments can go up to two years,” Alumno said. World-class standards as guiding principles for superiority Alumno said that Aster Clinic is guided by standards that have been around for 30 years. “Aster DM Healthcare established a certain level of quality as benchmarks for about 300 Aster units located around the globe. We are guided by six core values, including integrity, passion, respect, compassion, excellence and unity that we have ingrained in our system and culture since we started operating.” Although Aster Clinic is just one year old in the country, its foundation is based on the standards set by their international counterparts in different parts in the world. Excellence and as a core value of the trusted brand Among Aster Clinic’s core values, excellence is given emphasis as it highlights the quality and superiority of the company in patient care. “Excellence is our most important norm. As we aim to give the best service to our customers, we continue to improve our standards. We set the benchmarks and we further raise it. Our goal is to continuously develop as a global company and that Quality is a culture in Aster and the company puts a premium on service as this is what Aster DM Healthcare is known for. Technological advances in patient care “We’ll treat you well.” This is the proposition of Aster Clinic in the Philippines. But, more than just a marketing tagline, Aster Clinic has added more value to its goal of treating its patients well by introducing best practices that uses technology. The Clinic Information System (CIS) and Electronic Medical Records (EMR) are technological breakthroughs in the company that have been recognized for its efficiency to patient care. The CIS and EMR are systems for recording and keeping patients’ health information like laboratory results, medical check-up appointments, and even x-ray images. The information can be tracked by patients through the internet or their smartphones, which saves time, effort and costs on the part of the patients. The doctors can quickly refer to the patients’ records. “We have top-of-the-line machines and equipment to back this modern system. The technology is created by the Aster group and is unique to the company. These technologies help eliminate errors and the switching of results. It is proven and tested to be efficient and effective,” Alumno said. Aster Philippines looks into more opportunities “The ISO 9001:2015 certification is not just a marketing strategy for Aster Clinic. The company wants to make sure that they are setting the bar for international standards for outpatient clinics, thus we deemed it necessary to be certified by none less than TUV Rheinland. Our greatest goal is to gain customer satisfaction through our excellent services. Through the ISO certification, we are confident that we will deliver the best satisfaction that our patients would like to experience,” Alumno emphasized. Meanwhile, the company is planning to expand in the country and will open three more branches in February next year. “We want to become a chain of outpatient clinics while we look for opportunities of building hospitals and pharmacies because that’s what we have within our network. If the market is good, we are planning to do this in Metro Manila and in some key cities in the country” Alumno said. Alumno added that the company will continue to promote its services, especially among the young adults as they recognize the increase of chronic or lifestyle diseases among this age group. With an ISO 9001:2015 certification on its company wall, Aster Clinic in the Philippines is hopeful that these plans will be part of the future.
