ELEVATING its reputation as a leading hospital in Cebu, the Southwestern University Medical Center (SWUMed) has inked an agreement with Mount Grace Hospitals Inc. (MGHI) to further advance healthcare services and medical education by reaching out to communities in the Visayas region and neighboring provinces.Under the partnership, Mount Grace Hospitals Inc., a member of the United Laboratories Group, the country’s largest pharmaceutical company, will be managing SWUMed from handling day-to-day operations and improving medical services to providing exceptional training to next generation health professionals.A 115-bed tertiary general hospital, SWUMed since its establishment has been a trusted leader in providing the community access to state-of-the-art and affordable healthcare services. SWUMed is also the medical training arm of the Southwestern University Phinma School of Medicine.A ceremonial signing was held on Feb. 18, 2022 at the Mount Grace headquarters in Mandaluyong with the executives of Southwestern University Phinma led by its president Dr. Chito Salazar and Mount Grace representatives headed by president and chief executive officer Carlos Ejercito and executive vice president and chief operations officer Rhais Gamboa.“Our newlyvformed agreement with SWUMed expands the reach of Mount Grace in Visayas and Mindanao. With this, we are able to bring in our medical expertise through a strong geographical presence in key urban areas in the country, making us true to our vision as stewards of health in communities around us,” said Ejercito.The event was followed by a virtual signing on Feb. 21 with the Southwestern University Phinma board of directors Ramon del Rosario Jr., Magdaleno Albarracin Jr. and Oscar Hilado. SWU Phinma chairman del Rosario expressed his appreciation of the recent collaboration. “We are delighted to have found an ally in Mount Grace. This partnership will let us bring the latest healthcare innovations and services to Cebu, position SWUMed at the forefront of healthcare and medical education and enable more Filipino families to live dignified lives,” he added.The official turnover and announcement of the partnership is slated to happen in April in Cebu. SPONSORED CONTENT