History
The Medical Center (UERMMMCI) turned 50 years old last June 2007. A year-long activities culminating with the Recognition Night for 50 Outstanding Alumni Awardees & 50 Golden Jubilee Alumni Awardees on June 15, 2007 celebrated this milestone.
The College of Medicine was the first academic unit established in the Medical Center in 1956. It is situated on a 10,000 square meters lot which was originally the property of Instituto de Mujeres. The College was established as a separate corporation non-stock, non-profit, affiliated with, but independent of the University of the East-Manila. The Board of Trustees of the University has set as its purpose “complete dedication to the medical education, research and alleviation of human sufferings” thus making the University of the East (UE), College of Medicine the first philanthropic institution in the country.
In 1957, the UE College of Medicine was renamed “the University of the East Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center” or UERMMMCI as a tribute to the late President Ramon Magsaysay who died in a plane crash in Cebu City. The first graduates of the Medical School were in 1961.
The vision of the Board of Trustees to expand its courses and services was realized when the College of Nursing was organized in 1959 with the late Dr. Purita F. Asperilla as the founding Dean. The course was a 5-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing whose graduates become health care professionals who are competent caring, compassionate and more qualified to pursue higher education courses. When Dr. Asperilla resigned, Mrs. Evangelina M. Dumlao, a senior faculty of the College, took over the deanship in 1971 and was concurrently appointed Chief Nurse, UERM Hospital. She was conferred the title Dean Emeritus by the Medicine Center University in 1999. The first alumna Dean was Dr. Carmelita C. Divinagracia, a member of the Pioneer Class (1962) of the College, who succeeded Dean Emeritus Dumlao.
In 1960, the UERM Memorial Hospital was established to serve as the clinical laboratory for the Colleges of Medicine and Nursing, and subsequently the College of Physical Therapy. Two (2) new buildings, now the Jose M. Cuyegkeng Building and the New Administration Building were completed in 1965.
The plan to establish the College of Physical Therapy started in 1987, largely due to the initiative of the then, President Isidro D. Carino. The feasibility study and preparations were diligently made by Dr. Juan A. Alcazaren then the Head of the Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, UERM Memorial Hospital and Dr. Arnel V. Malaya(UERM Medicine ’82).
Subsequently, the Department of Education Culture and Sports (DECS) granted provisional permit to initially offer the 5-year BSPT proper, and thus, the College opened its doors on June 15, 1988 with 202 freshmen students and 52 second year students who were mostly transferees. Dr. Alcazaren acted as Officer-In-Charge, with Dr. Malaya as College Secretary, until 1989, when the former retired from UERMMMCI.
Dr. Malaya took over as OIC until January 1991, when he was officially appointed as Dean by Chairman P. O. Domingo and continue to serve as such to the present. At about the same time, Dr. Josephine R. Bundoc(UERM Medicine ’85), became associated with the College, first as a lecturer and later as College Secretary until 2001. Dr. Raquel S. Cabazor(UERM Medicine ’92) assumed the position of College Secretary until 2009 wneh she was named Dean of the College. Presently Dr. Carmina Ann J. Cortez (UERM Batch ’97) holds the position College Secretary.
It was also in 1991, when the College was finally granted full recognition by the Department of Education Culture and Sports to offer all levels of the 5-year Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy program.
At present, the Medical Center is composed of six (6) major units namely: The Memorial Hospital,(pay and teaching/clinical divisions)which is the base hospital of the Colleges of Medicine, Nursing & Physical Therapy; the University Health Service; and the four (4) academic units: Colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Physical Therapy and the Graduate School.
The Graduate School started in 2001, with the Institute for Studies on Diabetes Foundation, Inc. (ISDFI) as the 1st post graduate program. In 2003, Dean Carmelita Divinagracia of the College of Nursing serving as concurrent Dean, it began to offer the following courses: Masters of Science in Nursing, Gastroenterology, Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Majors in Gastroenterology, Otolaryngology ,Reproductive Medicine& Later Masters Public Health major in Epidemiology and Health Facility Management and Masters in Asian Health Practices.
The sixth unit is the Research Institute for Health Sciences which was established in 2004, as an expansion of the Research Development Office, to serve the entire Medical Center including the Hospital. Dr. Georgina T. Paredes, served as the first Director, but it is now headed by Dr. Fernando S. Sanchez, Jr., a former Dean of the College of Medicine, as Director.
To maintain academic excellence, the Medical Center has sought voluntary accreditation of all academic units with PAASCU. The College of Nursing and College of Medicine are Level III accredited and the College of Physical Therapy is now Level II accredited.