St. Jude Hospital: A passion to help the poor
MANILA, Philippines - Dr. Evangeline Atienza-del Rosario, newly installed president of St. Jude College and St. Jude Hospital, can bank on the work of her parents with their passion for service and commitment to helping the poor.
Dr. Ramon Diokno Atienza Jr. and his wife Dr. Felicidad Calip Atienza started a noble mission in Sampaloc, Manila. True to their oath to help people, the couple gained the trust and respect of the neighborhood and became the pillars of strength and hope for the underprivileged.
“From long hours of sitting at the back of our car, I witnessed how my parents would make house calls. Before we had our first car, my dad and mom used to ride a bicycle just to get to their patients,” narrates Dr. Evangeline del Rosario. “I’ve never seen anyone like them spending their prime years building something I never thought would become good avenues to reach out to our less fortunate kababayans.”
In the early ’50s, the Atienza couple put up a 12-bed clinic so they could have a place where their patients could recuperate. Then on Oct. 28, 1968, during the Feast of St. Jude of Thaddeus, their dream to provide an opportunity for young girls was realized with the creation of the St. Jude College School of Nursing.
Dr. Del Rosario declares, “St. Jude is an opulent inheritance not for its monetary aspect. My parents’ legacy is in every wall and stone of St. Jude. They built this institution from hard work.”
She adds, “Like my parents, I, too, am dedicating myself to St. Jude. As I assume my presidency of St. Jude College and St. Jude Hospital, I will continue what I have started the frist time I joined these companies 20 years ago.”
A holder of several degrees — master of science in hygiene major in hospital management and doctor of philosophy major in educational management — the good doctor means business.
As the new president, Dr. Vangie del Rosario has adopted the following: state-of-the-art technology in virtual laboratories for its flagship courses (Nursing, RadTech, and Hospitality Management); partnership with learning institutions in Asia and the US; and accreditation of several programs.
She vows, “I am committed to bringing forth a global Thaddean who can stand proudly in claiming that he is a Filipino because he has the education, the brains, the brawn, the values, and the skills. My parents taught me that we have a duty to our brothers and sisters and we need to contribute to the growth of the people around us.”
