ILOILO CITY, Philippines—Teachers are the best people to put up schools; artists, galleries; engineers, construction companies; pharmacists, drug stores. By the same token, doctors are also the most qualified to go into a medical service enterprise.

It took Dr. Rodolfo “Dodie” de la Cruz and his partners—all physicians like him—time to realize this, however. At first, they agonized over the ethical question whether doctors should or shouldn’t engage in capitalistic business.

Scruples over profit were eventually put to rest. Money after all can be a means to serve the larger society. “Being in business gives doctors control. When we are in control, we are more responsive to patients’ needs.”

These became the motivation for eventually putting up numerous Medicus Clinics, now one of the more ubiquitous landmarks in Iloilo.

With Dodie and his partners—Doctors Vicente Villareal, Federico Arcenas, Leopoldo Gonzales, Gulmatico Jose, Jaime Manila, Elma Maranon, Manuel Posecion, Antonio Reyes, Tommy Que and Benjamin Legarda—pooling in investment money of an average of P75 thousand each, Medicus began with an initial capital stock of P700 thousand.

The first ever Medicus diagnostic center was put up in August 1991 at a rented space and with sparse facilities. Their first work force was five employees, mostly medical technologists.

Medicus began auspiciously. “The market was ready for us; we were serving a real need.” The bigger problem was convincing other doctors to join in. Today, Medicus boasts of a complement of 350 specialists in every medical specialization.

Another problem then, as now, was how to hold on to medical technicians whom they kept losing to jobs abroad. As the exodus cannot be helped, Dodie and his colleagues take it coolly. There are always new graduates to be hired, though the learning can be long and expensive.

After 17 years, Medicus is No. 1 in medical laboratory and diagnostic services in the Panay islands, with five diagnostic centers in the city proper, including Jaro, La Paz and Molo, and four branches at Sara and Estancia in northern Iloilo, Roxas City in Capiz and San Jose in Antique.

Medicus spin-offs and innovations

Medicus is also the most well-equipped in diagnostic and other facilities. “We are the only one in Panay with MRI, except for one big hospital, the only one with ambulatory surgical care facility, one of the few with out-patient facilities.”

Medicus is phenomenal in its growth and innovations. In 1994, it integrated into what are now known as the Health Partners Condo-Clinics. To date, about 70 doctors have set up their private practice in these clinics.

In 2001, Medicus began to offer the “Medcard,” a prepaid annual health card providing members access to preventive healthcare. Medicus later organized a Hypertensive and Diabetic Club whose members are given information about and the diseases and given special discounts on medicine and diagnostic and consultation services. In time, these two services fused and there are now about 13,500 card-carrying members of the club.

In 2003, Medicus opened its first pharmacy and health shop to fill initial medication prescriptions for patients emerging from consultations at the various condo-clinics. Today, there are four such outlets located in General Luis, Lopez, Jaro and Roxas City.

Later that year, Medicus went on the air with the “Clinic on the Air,” one of the first interactive health programs on television, aired over Sky Cable Community Channel 13. This is a patient education program where specialist doctors talk of health concerns and answer phoned-in inquiries.

Dodie has since stepped down as Medicus board chair to give way to other senior doctors. He is now its vice president for operations and continues to be a force for innovation and growth.

Success begetting more success

At a medical convention in Bangkok, Thailand in 1995, Dodie met a representative of Siemens International, an Indian national, who told him the company was looking for markets for its hearing aids and odometric equipment. Before the month was up, Dodie had signed up to be an importer and wholesaler of the products.

This is how Ear Diagnostics Inc. or EDI came into being. It grew fast and became the fourth biggest distributor of Siemens hearing aids in the country. “If you carry a reputable brand of a needed product like Siemens hearing aids, it is hard not to grow,” says Dodie.

Its second branch was established in Manila in 1997 at Don Santiago Building, Ermita. A third branch followed quickly in Cebu City at the Golden Peak Hotel.

Altogether, EDI employs 20 people, including nurses, psychologists, electronic technicians and medical technologists.

EDI technicians go around offices in southern Philippines to conduct hearing screening for employees and promote awareness of auditory impairment problems which Dodie calls a silent and invisible debility.

EDI has evolved to become a family corporation whose president is Dodie and general manager is daughter Sandy Jo.

A giving profession

The medical profession is a giving, healing profession. But by going into business, Dodie believes he is able to give more than the average doctor can. EDI, for example, has a program that gives away hearing aids to indigent and deserving children. “We interview families to determine the ones who will benefit most from the devices.”

By being in business, he gives back to society through ethical business dealings that tolerate no “shortcuts” and gives socialized pricing. He also gives back by dealing fairly with his staff with an open management style. At EDI, employees are sent to technical training programs at Siemens Singapore, with the company paying for plane fare and accommodations.

He does not micromanage. The trick, he says, is to harness good people who can implement ideas and policies. This way, he has time to continue being a hands-on doctor, with time to spare for golf and scuba diving.

Credit is due, he thinks, to a UP education that taught him social responsibility and compassion for the unfortunate, and interaction rather than isolation.

Dodie is as much a doctor as an entrepreneur. As a doctor, he is quite hands-on. As an entrepreneur and manager, he delegates. He would often develop an innovative idea, e.g., the “Clinic on the Air,” and then let his managers and staff execute it.

He likes the freedom that being in business affords the doctor that he is. He can serve without giving much thought to compensation. This way, he retains much of the passion for his profession he had as a young doctor. This way, too, he is much less prone to burnout.

His advice to doctors who have half a mind on business:

“Look for qualified people and harness their talents; don’t micromanage.

“Let people speak out their minds; be open to ideas; don’t shoot down any idea as something that will definitely fail.

“Retain your passion for medicine as a profession.”

(The story of Dr. Rodolfo de la Cruz and his medical service enterprises is among 25 documented in Dreamers, Doers, Risktakers, Part 4: Iskolar ng Bayan Gives Back the enterprising way published by the UP Institute for Small-Scale Industries and the Small Enterprises Research and Development Foundation. For inquiries about the book, call 9287076 to 79 or e-mail info.issi@up.edu.ph.)