The La Union Medical Center located at Barangay Nazareno, Agoo, La Union is a level 2 Tertiary Provincial Hospital worth P650 million (11.3 million euro dollars) with a 100 bed authorized capacity. The hospital was donated by the European Union to replace the old Doña Gregoria Memorial Hospital (DGMH) which was damaged by the 1990 earthquake.m

The Hospital opened its doors to the people of La Union and nearby provinces last April 08, 2002 and was transformed into autonomization or Economic Enterprise for Sustainability and Development through an Executive Order 004 Series of 2002 operating as such for the first two (2) years with a set of Board of Trustees chaired by then incumbent Governor, Honorable Victor F. Ortega.

On March 02, 2005, the hospital was converted into a non-stock, non-profit local government controlled corporation by virtue of the enactment Republic Act 9259. It is the first and only Provincial Hospital transformed into a non-stock, non-profit local government controlled corporation up to the present time. It has a set of Board of Trustees with fifteen (15) members chaired by the incumbent Governor of the province, Honorable Manuel C. Ortega.

The hospital operated with four (4) major clinical departments:

• Department of Surgery with sub-specialties in orthopedic, Ophthalmology, Otorhinolaryngology, Neuro surgical, Urology and Thoracic & Cardiovascular surgery
• Department of Internal Medicine with sub-specialties in Adult Cardiology, Gastroenterology, Nephrology, Ambulatory Diabetes and DOTS clinic
• Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology with sub-specialty in Gynecologic Oncology
• Department of Pediatrics with sub-specialty in Pediatric Cardiology

The hospital operates with a manpower complement of 294 employees as of the present time. Though due to voluminous work to be done on a 24/7 and 365 days in a year, the hospital needs more additional employees, but due to budgetary constraints, hiring of additional employees is not possible.

The hospital’s financial operations under the Finance Department is fully computerized with the setting up of a fully automated financial operations system and the computerized Electronic New Government Auditing System (E-NGAS).

The Province of La Union has a total population of 740,000. LUMC for the past ten (10) years has served 490,581 out-patients and 137,593 in-patients or a total of 628, 174 or more than 50% of the population. Also, for the past ten (10) years, ratio of patients served averages to 48% charity, 45% with Phil health insurance and 7% private paying patients.

LUMC have P40 million annual budget with financial assistance of P35 million from the Provincial Government of La Union and P5 million from the Governor’s Economic Development Fund (EDF). And so, La Union Medical Center must generate about P100 million cost recovery and revenue enhancement program to sustain the operations of the hospital.

The hospital has established a Private and Public Mix type of revenue enhancement program. The hospital’s Social Service Section classifies patients according to their capacity to pay from Class A to D. The amount / cost of hospital services which are not paid are considered as quantified free service extended to indigent patients.

Originally, the hospital has twenty-five (25) detached buildings. However, from the hospital’s income, two (2) buildings were added: a 2-storey Medical Ward building and a Pediatric Ward building. At present, a 2-storey OB-Gyne building is being constructed (Phase 1) funded by the Department of Health, however, Phase 2 requires additional funding of about P15 million to be fully functional and operational.

The La Union Medical Center, though with limited resources will try its best to continue to fulfill its mission and vision in the delivery of quality tertiary medical / surgical care delivered in an atmosphere of competent, affordable, compassionate, friendly and caring hospital environment most especially to the people of La Union.