LIPA CITY, Batangas — Mary Mediatrix Medical Center (MMMC) launched two new specialized facilities on Tuesday—the Urgent Care Center and the Lifestyle and Wellness Center—establishing the first hospital-based urgent care facility in the province of Batangas.
The creation of the Urgent Care Center aims to address low-acuity illnesses and minor injuries that require prompt attention without requiring full Emergency Room admission. By handling non-life-threatening cases, the facility is designed to bridge the gap between primary care clinics and emergency units, allowing the main Emergency Room to prioritize critical and life-threatening emergencies.
Patient initial assessments at the center are governed by the internationally recognized Emergency Severity Index (ESI) to standardize triage protocols.
“Nowadays, effective healthcare must ensure that every patient receives the right level of care at the right time, in the right setting. The Urgent Care Center enables us to deliver timely, evidence-based treatment for non-life-threatening conditions and improve the efficiency of our emergency services. As for the Lifestyle and Wellness Center, it empowers individuals to take charge of their health through prevention, early detection, and personalized wellness,” said Dr. Rommel Lojo, Medical Director of MMMC.
Alongside immediate non-emergency care, the newly opened Lifestyle and Wellness Center focuses on proactive health management through executive check-ups, nutrition counseling, physical rehabilitation, and multidisciplinary wellness programs.
MMMC officials highlighted that the facility incorporates evidence-based clinical protocols, following the institution’s recent recognition by the World Stroke Organization with a Platinum Award for timely clinical interventions.
“Those same principles guide our Urgent Care Center and Lifestyle and Wellness Center. Whether a patient needs immediate treatment for an urgent condition or support in preventing disease before it begins, our goal is to deliver the same standard of compassionate, high-quality care at every stage of the healthcare journey,” said Dr. Edna Cuasay, Assistant Medical Director, Chief of Clinics, and Head of the Institute of Clinical Neurosciences.
The expansion comes as the 68-year-old healthcare institution seeks to respond to growing regional demands for structured patient flow and accessible preventive medicine across Southern Luzon.
“For 68 years, Mary Mediatrix Medical Center has grown alongside the communities we serve. We continually invest in facilities, technology, and people to meet their changing healthcare needs through the years. These two centers are an investment in a future of healthier, longer, and happier lives for our families in Batangas.
“As we celebrate this milestone, we reaffirm our commitment to making quality healthcare more accessible, responsive, and patient-centered. We are guided always by our promise of Alagang May Malasakit,” said Dondi delos Santos, President of MMMC.
The launch builds upon MMMC’s ongoing initiatives to streamline specialized emergency networks across the region. On September 16 last year, they launched “Code HB: Heart of Batangas,” a first-of-its-kind initiative in the country designed to train partner healthcare facilities across Southern Luzon to quickly stabilize and transfer heart attack patients to Mediatrix for specialized treatment, with the goal of improving survival outcomes through faster coordination.| Sheenalei Briana Rayos
