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It was somewhere between the beaches of Santa Monica and Venice. The exact spot where German-Scot Andrew Leeka first set his eyes on the beautiful, long-haired Filipina who was rollerskating along his path. Andrew just had to introduce himself to Melinda Tabanera. And thus began the “Filipinizing” of Andrew Leeka.
“Six years later, I proposed to Melinda at that exact spot at the beach,” recalled Andrew. “Now, we have two sons, Justin (18) and Ryan (15) and my Filipino relatives (by marriage) far outnumber my own relatives. I have adopted the culture, the food and people,” he added.
The Chief Executive Officer and President of Good Samaritan Hospital, Leeka, says, “I want the whole Filipino community to know that the leadership of this organization has a strong relationship with Filipinos. Not only am I married to a Filipina, but a huge proportion of our personnel are Filipinos, so definitely Filipinos should feel very comfortable at Good Samaritan.”
Recognized as one of America’s 50 Best Hospitals in 2007 and 2008 by HealthGrades, Inc., the nation’s largest independent health care ratings company, Good Samaritan Hospital (GSH) has also been voted Best Medical Center in Downtown for eight years in a row by the Los Angeles Downtown News. Internationally renowned for its excellent quality of care, GSH has consistently achieved better survival rates and lower complication rates when compared to all hospitals throughout the United States. It ranks among the top hospitals in the nation in several specialty areas including: Cardiac (5 Star Rating for Care of Congestive Heart Failure); Orthopedics (5 Star Rating for Total Knee Replacements; 5 Star Rating for Partial Hip Replacements); Critical Care (5 Star Rating for Care of Sepsis); Pulmonary (5 Star Rating for CAP (Community Acquired Pneumonia) & 2007 Recipient of the Pulmonary Excellence Award; Among the Top 10 percent in the Nation for Pulmonary Care); Stroke (2007 Recipient of Stroke Care Excellence Award™; Among the Top 5 percent in the Nation for Care of Stroke; 5 Star Rating for Stroke Care); GI (5 Star Rating for GI Surgery and Procedures; 5 Star Rating for GI Bleed; Among the Top 10 percent in the Nation for Overall GI care); Women’s Health (5 Star Rating for Women’s Health)
In 2008, Good Samaritan Hospital is recognized as a five star performer in several clinical areas including joint replacement, stroke, and pulmonary care according to The Eleventh Annual Health Grades Hospital Quality in America Study. According to the study, patients admitted to the nation’s top-performing, five-star hospitals like Good Samaritan Hospital, have, on average, a 70 percent lower chance of dying, than those treated at one-star hospitals.
“Our hospital is 123 years old so we have a long history of caring for the community, including Filipino Americans. Filipinos can feel very comfortable here, since there are Pinoys in every single department in the hospital. Besides, Good Sam has been voted as among the best hospitals in the US -- 1 of only four in California. So why risk your care in another place?” Leeka said.
With his long association with Filipinos, Leeka has come to understand and appreciate a lot of the cultural aspects and relationships inherent in Filipino culture. “I understand how a hospital setting can make one fearful since it is associated with something serious and life-threatening. So, when you step into a hospital and you see another Filipino, you feel more relaxed. There’s immediately a bond that says ‘I understand what you’re going through.’ I see this character trait in Filipinas – they are naturally helpful, they want to give care,” said Good Sam’s CEO.
It will please Pinoys to know that the five-star hospital ranked as one of America’s best hospitals is not only headed by an “almost Filipino”, but also gets its nurses from – where else? –the Philippines. Leeka explains, “We have this partnership with Cebu Doctors Hospital for the past three years now. We send educators from the hospital to train their nurses on latest techniques and equipment who have to stay with Cebu Doctors for at least two years. Then, we select a group of nurses to employ here at GSH, who can earn from $60,000 - $100,000 a year. There are now 8 nurses in training in Cebu preparing to immigrate here in LA.”
Surprisingly, Andrew Leeka has been to the Philippines on official business several times, unlike his Filipina wife, Melinda, who has never been to her homeland. “My wife’s father, Juan Tabanera, came to the States in the 1920s aboard a ship. He worked in all kinds of jobs until he was stable enough to go back to the Philippines to get his wife, Nita. They had four kids – 3 girls and 1 boy. They were proud to become Americans and were extremely patriotic,” related Leeka. But, Andrew revealed that his family looks forward to visiting the Philippines with him soon, “on a holiday and not on a business trip”.
When not busy running the hospital, Andrew takes eskrima lessons, “that’s martial arts, Filipino style,” he said. Or, he would be eating at Goldilocks or Max’s (“my boys’ favorite restaurants”) if not grilling bangus at home (“Just grill the marinated bangus for five minutes on one side –delicious!”). How much more Filipino can this German-Scotget? (www.asianjournal.com)
(Published October 22, 2008 p.2mdwk LAMDWK)
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