The 16th Annual Global CSR & ESG Summit & Awards 2024 was held on April 25 in Hanoi, Vietnam. The event showcased tremarkable strides in corporate social responsibility (CSR) and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives, and featured some of the most outstanding achievements by enterprises and organizations in this regard.
Vietnam’s Vinmec Healthcare System received platinum awards for Best Community Program, Best Workplace Practices, Empowerment of Women, and Best Country Excellence in Vietnam in the US$1 billion and above market capitalization category.
Founded in 2012 to contribute to sustainable development in the Vietnamese healthcare sector by delivering high-quality medical services, Vinmec stands as a beacon of academic healthcare, dedicated to shaping the global healthcare narrative through innovative research, groundbreaking discoveries, and a steadfast commitment to clinical excellence and value-based care solutions.
In an interview with ACN Newswire, Vinmec CEO Le Thuy Anh discusses the company’s visionary objectives and operational aspirations, and how, amid an era marked by pressing healthcare challenges, the company’s resilience, foresight, and unwavering dedication are helping transcend geographical boundaries by creating a sustainable healthcare ecosystem.
ACN: Can you share with us the vision and mission of Vinmec, particularly its dedication to academic healthcare for people at local and global scales?
Le Thuy Anh: Vinmec’s vision revolves around addressing critical healthcare challenges nationally and globally, especially in light of the transition from communicable to non-communicable diseases and an aging population. Vinmec is pioneering as an agent of change based on a model of academic medicine with three pillars: excellence in clinical programs; innovative research; and medical education. Aligning with this vision, Vinmec’s mission is caring with compassion, professionalism, and wisdom based on the core values of C.A.R.E (Creativity, Accountability, Reliability, Excellence). Based on this, we aim to contribute significantly to sustainable healthcare development by delivering high-quality medical services, focusing on academic healthcare through innovative research and clinical excellence.
ACN: How does Vinmec approach innovation, research, and breakthroughs to achieve clinical excellence?
Le Thuy Anh: Our approach to innovation and research is integral to achieving clinical excellence. We invest significantly in research and technology transfer, operate research institutes like Vinmec Research Institute of Stem Cells and Gene Technology (VRISG) for stem cell therapies, and the Hi-tech Center for groundbreaking trials.
VRISG is a pioneering research institute specializing in stem cell therapies for a range of rare diseases and is also the first to utilize CAR-T cell therapy for leukemia treatment in Vietnam. Vinmec’s Hi-tech Center has achieved significant milestones, including conducting large-scale clinical trials for COVID-19 vaccines, successful international clinical trials on the efficacy of new cancer drugs, and becoming a reference laboratory for renowned medical partners like AstraZeneca.
Our emphasis on cutting-edgeinnovative applications like 3D printing and robotic surgery ensures clinical excellence and value-based solutions for our patients.
ACN: Creativity is highlighted as a core value of Vinmec. Can you provide examples of how the organization fosters continuous innovation to offer patients the best solutions?
Le Thuy Anh: Creativity drives our long-term development and breakthroughs, evident in our research findings turned into clinical trials like Car-T cell therapy for leukemia and stem cell transplantation in the treatment of autism and cerebral palsy, to name a few.
We empower our doctors with modern techniques and equipment through many training and clinical observership programs in the developed countries of medicine. We continuously innovate in workplace practices through initiatives like the Creativity Subcommittee, Kaizen, PDSA, and lean operations fostering a culture of excellence and implementing ideas that enhance quality and customer experience at all levels.
ACN: Accountability is crucial in healthcare. How does Vinmec ensure the highest level of accountability to patients and their families in terms of care ethics, skills, knowledge, and professional standards?
Le Thuy Anh: We ensure accountability through JCI accreditation, rigorous safety programs, and continuous training for our staff. Vinmec is the first and only healthcare system in Vietnam having two hospitals accredited by Joint Commission International (JCI) – the world’s most rigorous standards in hospital quality and patient safety.
Our focus on patient safety, through programs like Daily Safety Huddles where we hold a brief meeting in the morning between specialties, heads of departments, and other stakeholders to discuss clinical issues of patients; and the SpeakupSpeak up for every clinical staff to share and point out the patient’s risks reflects our commitment to the highest professional standards and ethics in delivering healthcare services.
Vinmec’s people play a key role in delivering the highest quality levels of healthcare, so we focus on continuous training and the well-being of the staff. As the first and only private academic healthcare model in Vietnam, excellence through persistent and personalized education is decisive for all Vinmecers, leading to delivering best practices.
ACN: Reliability is emphasized as a core value of Vinmec. How does the organization demonstrate its commitment to being the most reliable healthcare provider to the community?
Le Thuy Anh: Our commitment to reliability is evident through community initiatives, financial support for patients, and our response to healthcare crises like COVID-19.
Throughout 12the 12 years since its establishment, Vinmec has been entirely engaged in building a sustainable community.
Our business goals are always set in parallel with the benefits for the community at large. Thus, Vinmec is the only private healthcare system pursuing the model of a “not-for-profit” and value-based healthcare model in operation in Vietnam.
Vinmec’s contributions to the community are presented through community free health screening for over 15,000 people (in the past 5 years), financial support of VND300 billion annually for patients, medical education, and technology transfer for peer hospital and provincial hospitals.
Last but not least, Vinmec strongly responsed to Vingroup’s fight against COVID-19, making significant contributions in terms of human and material resources.
ACN: Excellence is a fundamental value for Vinmec. Could you discuss the organization’s approach to pursuing the highest service quality and implementing the best healthcare practices?
Le Thuy Anh: Pursuing excellence is at the core of our operations, seen through strategic partnerships, international accreditations, and Centers of Excellence for various disease groups.
Vinmec’s strategic partnerships with industry leaders like Cleveland Clinic and GE Healthcare have facilitated continuous improvement in service quality by leveraging advanced techniques and expertise. Over 12 years, Vinmec has received numerous international awards and accreditations, establishing Centers of Excellence (CoE) in critical areas like Cardiology, Orthopedics, Oncology, and Immunology, recognized globally for their cutting-edgeinnovative technology and specialist teams. Notably, the COE for Cardiology of Vinmec Times City International Hospital and Vinmec Central Park International Hospital were honored by the American College of Cardiology as the first centers of excellence in Asia.
Our focus on optimized treatment efficiency and outstanding service quality, along with continuous learning and improvement, ensures the best value-based solutions for our patients.
ACN: How does Vinmec ensure that compassion, professionalism, and wisdom are integrated into its care delivery model and reflected in the patient’s experience?
Le Thuy Anh: We take our responsibility extremely seriously and are committed to our mission of providing the utmost quality of care for our patients with professionalism, wisdom, and compassion. Our mission transcends the provision of healthcare services. It encompasses a commitment to nurturing a workplace where every member feels valued, respected, and motivated to excel.
At Vinmec, we believe in creating value not only for our patients but also for our people – the heart of our organization. This commitment is reflected profoundly in our workplace practices, where we strive to create an environment that not only fosters growth and recognition, but also integrates the core values of C.A.R.E (Creativity, Accountability, Reliability, Excellence) into every facet of our operations.
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Our approach to workplace practices is holistic, focusing on the Total Rewards policies that motivate, develop, and nurture our employees. Holistic care extends through various stages of an employee’s journey, including recruitment, integration, promotion, training, and development. Meanwhile, Vinmec’s Comprehensive Care Program, “Vinmec Health & Wellbeing,” offers a holistic approach to employee wellness, encompassing mental and physical health, career development, and family and social connections. This initiative underscores Vinmec’s commitment to fostering a nurturing and supportive environment for all our staff, ensuring a well-rounded support system.
Our CARE culture forms the foundation of the Vinmec management framework. At Vinmec, we focus on value-based leadership, where our leaders exemplify the CARE principles in their daily actions. Vinmec has established a Cultural Framework with activities promoting the distinctive CARE culture. These activities are implemented deeply within the framework, following a planned timeline and themes for each quarter. The cultural activities have seen widespread and enthusiastic participation from members.
As a result, Vinmec is the first and only healthcare system in Vietnam that received the “Best Place to Work” award in 2023.
ACN: Looking ahead, what are the future plans and goals for Vinmec in terms of furthering its mission of academic healthcare and delivering excellence in patient care?
Le Thuy Anh: Our future plans include expanding our hospital network, treating rare diseases, promoting preventive medicine, and adopting advanced healthcare models. We aim to remain a factor of change and sustainability in Vietnamese medicine, delivering academic healthcare excellence and achieving international standards of care.
Vinmec has steadfastly pursued its vision of becoming Vietnam’s first academic private healthcare system, emphasizing creativity and innovation to address complex medical challenges and promote preventive medicine, patient engagement, and the adoption of P4 medicine (Predictive, Preventive, Personalized, Participatory).
The upcoming opening of two new Vinmec hospitals will expand its network to nine international hospitals nationwide, showcasing its ongoing commitment to excellence and attainment of world-class quality certificates.
About Vinmec
Vinmec is dedicated to academic healthcare for people at local and global scales through innovation research and breakthroughs that lead to clinical excellence and value-based care solutions. For more information visit, https://en.vinmec.com.
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