A woman of few words, that’s how Maria Cecilia Jose (or Ces to her family, friends and colleagues), associate director of the information management department at the St. Luke’s Medical Center (SLMC), describes herself, letting her performance do the talking as she devotes her time and effort with what she does best—keeping SLMC’s systems up and running.

Jose’s career in IT began right after she got a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics degree from the University of the Philippines. After her graduation, she was offered a job at the Infrastructure Computer Center (ICC), the IT arm of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). There she received an on-the-job-training in EDP fundamentals and computer programming.

“Back then, Computer Science was still not offered as a course, so professional training in this field could only be acquired from companies who were early adopters of computerization. My mentors at ICC-DPWH did a very good job in giving their new hires classroom and hands-on-training in EDP. It jumpstarted my career in IT, as well as those of my batch mates,” Jose recalls.

She also harnessed her IT skills by regularly surfing the Internet, reading IT journals, talking to IT vendors and attending seminars to keep abreast with the latest technology and innovation in the market.

After her stint at DPWH, Jose worked at Manila Bankers Insurance Company, TEMIC Telefunken Microelectronic (formerly owned by Daimler Chrysler), and T-Systems IT Services (a subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom). Then in 2005, she joined SLMC.

At SLMC, Jose handled the management of services, systems and infrastructure, including the various sections under IMD, such as medical informatics, applications development, infrastructure support, systems quality assurance, user support, training, and helpdesk support.

Having worked in both the public and private sectors, Jose says managing IT in the two sectors is similar in many aspects. Both sectors, she says, have to constantly grapple with the challenges of high turnovers, user availability and, of course, meeting project deadlines.

“There are so many unexpected things that could prevent a project from being implemented on time; so to deal with this, I make sure that we start with clear objectives and performance metrics and realistic project plans and have the right resources on board. Of course, management commitment and support as well as regular communication with users are also critical in the success of the project,” she explains.

With all these in mind, Jose tries to adapt to every situation and encourages her staff to do the same. “I tell them to be open about issues and problems that they may have during meetings and discussions. And while I’m appreciative of the work that they render, I’m also very direct in pointing out aspects of their jobs that need to be improved,” she notes.

What she loves most about her job, however, is the opportunity it gives her to witness first-hand how technology helps improve the quality of care that SLMC is providing its clients. She says: “Seeing the rapid changes in technology, having the chance to apply new technologies to support the business strategies of the organization I’m a part of and, best of all, witnessing how these have helped improve the way we deliver service to our customers and the way our users work, give me a lot of fulfillment.”

But while admitting that technology has revolutionized the way services (like communication) are delivered, Jose believes that it is both a boon and a bane as it has also resulted in the lack of emphasis on direct interaction through face-to-face communications. “The human touch can never be replaced, even with great strides in technology,” Jose points out.

When asked about what she still wants to achieve, she replies: “In the short term, I want to see the successful implementation of all our projects and plans for the year. Then, I hope to see the technologies and systems—for instance, the computerized physician order entry system and medication management—to be implemented and make a difference in how the medical center delivers quality patient care and improves efficiencies.”

Beyond achieving efficiency objectives, Jose also takes pride in seeing IT become a strategic advantage and be an instrument or a catalyst for making that happen. “Although we are not the frontline healthcare workers, we do support how these workers are able to deliver the services to the patients,” she says. “IT is now one of the many tools that help improve the quality of care; you cannot really provide care without IT behind it.”

DOSSIER

Name: Maria Cecilia C. Jose

Position: Associate Director

Company: St. Luke’s Medical Center

Ambition: To someday be able to help generate jobs for many of the unemployed citizens in the country. Outside IT, she wants to see her children finish their studies, build their careers and realize their full potentials.

What keeps her going: Her faith in God and the love of her family.

How she wants to be remembered: As a person, who always gives her best shot, be it in the family, work or in the community/parish service.

Something people don’t know about her: That she serves at their parish and CFC community, conducting and coordinating pre-Cana and Responsible Parenthood-Natural Family Planning seminars as well as elderly fellowship assemblies.

Other interests aside from IT: During her free time, she indulges in reading pocket books, watching movies, and baking goodies.

By Vernadette Joven
Published in the March 2008 print edition of Computerworld Philippines
April 11, 2008

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