IHSN marks 70 years with primary health care conference

Conducted as one of the Institute of Health Sciences and Nursing (IHSN)’s main events for its 70th anniversary, the Dean Felicidad Elegado Conference gathered educators, researchers, and practitioners for a half-day program themed “Reimagining Primary Health Care: Innovations, Integration, and Nursing Excellence.” 

The keynote address was delivered by Dr.  Fely Marilyn Lorenzo, former professor at University of the Philippines-Manila and former Project Director of USAIDHRH2030. Lorenzo centered her talk on the critical and often underappreciated role of primary health care in the Philippine health system. She defined primary care services as “the first contact accessible-, acceptable-, affordable-, type of services and part of the bigger health care system,” and highlighted its importance to everyday life.  

“The primary care services are the most important part. It's something that all of us will need 80 to 90 percent of our lives. We only need hospitals 5 percent of the time. But we need care—whether self-care or primary care—the rest of the time,” said Lorenzo. 

Lorenzo traced how successive administrations and shifting health policies contributed to the decline in prioritizing primary health care, despite international frameworks and research highlighting its importance. In re-evaluating primary health care in the Philippines, she explained how social and political factors also need to be considered.  

“The primary health care levers are now wider, including political commitment and leadership, which we never took into consideration before, [as well as] governance and policy frameworks, up to monitoring and evaluation,” she said. 

With the Universal Health Care Act now in effect, Lorenzo pointed to a necessary shift in philosophy. “It's the acceptance that health care has to be more comprehensive if it is to work. It is the approach. But primary care, where we hope more nurses will go to, is the level of individual-based care where we must get our nurses,” she said. Given this, she emphasized the evolving responsibilities of the nursing profession. “In strengthening responsive nursing practice, we have to think of role deepening and expansion so that we make a difference to our patients.”  

The conference continued with three plenary sessions. Plenary Session 1 was handled by Joanna S. De Guzman, chief nurse of Commonwealth Hospital and Medical Center. Plenary Session 2 featured Katryna Villanueva-Araneta, director of nursing at Children's Health of Northern California and former nurse researcher at the Sean N. Parker Center for Allergy and Asthma Research at Stanford University. Plenary Session 3 was led by Marife Sevilla, chair of the Human Rights Committee and Cy Press Task Force of the Philippine Nurses Association of America — with sessions addressing nurse migration and the ethical recruitment of Filipino nurses in the United States. 

Far Eastern University President Juan Miguel Montinola delivered a special message underscoring the significance of the occasion. “The significance is manifold: we [the nursing program] are at our 70th year anniversary and we as a university are approaching our centennial anniversary,” he said, noting that “when you look at the accomplishments of the many institutes, nursing stands out as it is one of the oldest programs.” He described IHSN as having “indeed been a flag-bearer of the healthcare science reputation of FEU, given its long history, strong and consistent board performance results, notable accomplishments of alumni, not only here in the country, but also abroad.” Montinola also spoke candidly about the demands of the profession. “Nursing is probably one of the toughest [programs]— it still has one of the most number of required units per [Commission Higher Education memorandum order], the career is very rigorous — oftentimes can be quite exhausting,” he said. Despite this, he added, “All of that brings about a very strong spirit for those who are able to complete and do well and having a meaningful career in nursing.”  

“It stands as one of the enduring projects of the Dean Felicidad Elegado Endowment. It was established in honor of the late [dean], the first of the [FEU IHSN],” said Dr. Moira Uy, dean of the institute. “Dean Elegado is fondly remembered for her visionary leadership and for initiating the transition of the institute from a basic nursing curriculum to a baccalaureate degree program.”  

Uy also recalled the significance of the conference’s inaugural lecture, noting that it featured Lorenzo, Dean Elegado's daughter, as the first professorial lecturer.  

“The inaugural lecture featured [Dr. Lorenzo] as our first professorial lecturer, thus formally inaugurating a tradition that honors both academic excellence and the lasting legacy of an educational pioneer,” she said. “We hope today's discussions will inform, inspire, and guide us as educators, researchers, and practitioners.” 

The conference was held last Feb. 10 at the FEU Main Auditorium.