Mary Johnston Hospital Development

Building another century for the Mary Johnston Healing Ministry

Mary Johnston Hospital (MJH), a time-revered tertiary level health care provider has been serving the City of Manila for 113 years. MJH is a mission-oriented hospital institution, under the auspices of the Philippines Central Conference – United Methodist Church (PCC-UMC). Physically located in the heart of Metro Manila, it serves the most densely populated community of Tondo with a population of roughly 1.7 million covering 267 (villages) barangays. In 2016, MJH embraced a new paradigm of wellness, integrating the value of stakeholders in the faith and healing process. It introduced the framework of “Healing Together”, premised on the platform of rendering the highest quality of participative partner-building care, health education and community service. Complementing this is the introduction of several bold health innovations with the end goal of building initially a national, and later, regional Methodist health system in the next century. By 2116, we would have achieved one that recognizes the value of spiritual healing and community participation as anchors in delivering its healing ministry to all national and later regional UMC members. As such, the Methodist members find their abundant health delivered to them together with the communities they serve and live in. The UMC embraces a preaching stance: to live lovingly and justly as servants of Christ by healing the sick, feeding the hungry, caring for the stranger, freeing the oppressed; being a compassionate presence, and working to develop social structures that are consistent with the gospel. With a population of more than 108 million, the Philippines are projected to grow at a steady rate with an increasing demand for quality health care. The imperative for the MJH to ensure the health of the UMC members composed of approximately 1,700 organized churches and more than 280,000 professing and baptized members and the communities it serves will have to be realized.

The Mary Johnston Hospital Development Fund (MJHDF) Advance opens opportunities for gifts and graces from both members and non-members, companies, institutions who resonate with the vision and mission of its healing ministry and those who would like to give their life a legacy. To date, there are eight (8) major health innovations covered under the MJH Development Fund Advance starting with: the (1) MJ Health System (MJHS). The MJHS is a UMC-inspired health system envisioned to primarily serve the members of the church across the country and as an intention of their community ministries. Through your gifts and graces, the MJH Trece Martirez Campus will rise in 3.8 hectares of land in Cavite where geriatric care and medical research for Asian diseases will be made as a part of a full-service hospital. In Baguio City and in Pangasinan, the MJH Diagnostic and Hemodialysis Center will be established whereas in Tuguegarao, Cagayan and in Kidapawan, North Cotabato 50-bed full-service hospital will be erected. (2) The Legacy Healing Wall is an inter-generational resource generation fund program envisioned to aid the next generations of Mary Johnston’s facilities and efforts. It aims to channel endowments, bequests, and gifts to focused health endeavors from benefactors. (3) Project 111. The Project is about integrating evidenced-based design in developing the healing spaces inside MJH and building new facilities to provide more services to the communities in Metro Manila. This is building another century for Mary Johnston Hospital to continue to deliver its mission of providing quality health care. (4) Mary Johnston Learning Institute (MJLI) and Rebecca Parrish Fellowship Program. MLJI serves the purpose of pursuing continuing education for the hospital’s three hundred (300) medical and non-medical personnel as well as institutionalizing a Clinical pastoral education system for its spiritual health initiative. Cognizant of the fact that education remains fundamental in advancing and achieving quality health care, strengthening the education ministry is essential for this purpose. (5) MJH Red Flame Initiative (RFI). This is the UMC Bloodline. This initiative is aimed to facilitate the establishment of voluntary self-sustaining blood supply and ministry in partnership with the churches in the Manila Episcopal Area (MEA) initially, as a blood network of donors and services. (6) MJ Green. This initiative looks at how creation care in Mary Johnston Hospital becomes as it embraces an environment-friendly hospital as a response to the worsening climate change condition. MJH would like to make a difference by reducing its carbon footprint and becoming energy self-sufficient while providing a green healing space concept. (7) Child1st. It is a Health Service Provider Delivery Network (HSPDN) of midwives to reduce maternal and child mortality through a more responsive and strategic approach. This is our mission of providing health access as a response towards poverty alleviation by making the services socially inclusive. (8) Jacobs Well (ness) Clinic (HIV AIDS response). In 2019, MJH received its national Department of Health (DOH) Certification as HIV/AIDS Treatment Hub. Building from the gains of Phase GBGM 1 project and with the increasing number of HIV cases in the country, MJH is looking at the continuity of the initiative, MTCT – maternal to child transmission prevention; now to consider co-morbidities with the resurgence of drug-resistant TB (Tuberculosis). Other innovations on-going are CPE Spiritual Center, Bishop Spouses Wing Renovation, Eveland Suites/Upper Room Suites, TB DOTS/TB Lamp, Milk Bank, and Child Physical Rehab among others.

The end state of Mary Johnston Hospital Development Fund Advance is to have a sustainable working UMC health system that will guide MJH quality health service across the country in the next century, hence the primary goal of this project is to lay a strong foundation by making all the innovations working and finding synergy as its partners and delivers quality health care services to the communities it serves.

Through the Mary Johnston Hospital Development Fund Advance, the members of the UMC and the communities it serves have guaranteed access to quality health service. The communities and the underprivileged of Metro Manila, not only of Tondo looks at MJH when it comes to quality health services. The UMC inspired health system finds synergy with the public health system. The Red Flame initiative is a unique life-saving response for its beneficiaries. The overall approach to health shifts from an individual “wait and see” attitude to become anticipatory and participative. Transformation of health-seeking behaviors because of the contact, care, and community help is afforded by the innovations, therefore our healing together is realized – where the abundant life that was promised by the greatest Physician and healer – our God, through our Lord Jesus Christ comes to fruition.