- CHERYL G. CRUZ
Bacolod Councilor Em Ang said March 15 that she is proud of Ellen Joy Arigorat, a 2024 Changemaker in Health awardee, at the ongoing Healthcare Information Management System Society (HIMSS) Conference 2024 in Orlando, Florida, USA.
Ang, who attended the HIMSS with Local Economic and Investment Promotions Office (LEIPO) head Frances Mae Llamas, said that Arigorat is the program director for Nursing Informatics at the New York Presbyterian Hospital in New York.
“Born in Bacolod City in 1984, she studied elementary in USLS until her family moved to New Jersey, USA in 1992,” Ang said of Arigorat, adding the latter “serves as an inspiration for all hardworking Pinoys in the US healthcare system, and a source of pride for Bacolodnons.”
Ang, a registered nurse herself, said in a post that the award recognizes individuals, who lead in the global healthcare ecosystem, particularly those who demonstrate a commitment to harnessing the power of information and technology to positively transform health and healthcare, driving transformational change leading to improved health outcomes, and gaining the recognition and respect of their peers.
“Ellen came to the Philippine booth three days in a row, and members of the Philippine delegation were proud to have met her,” Ang said, adding that Arigorat also came to see her at the 2023 HIMSS Conference in Chicago.
She said that this year’s HIMSS, from March 11-15, focuses on health equity in addressing disparities and ensuring quality care for all. “This is crucial in building a healthier future.”
Ang said that Bacolod City is the only LGU participant included in the Philippine delegation that is headed by Department of Trade and Industry Undersecretary Rafaelita Aldaba, and Healthcare Information Management Association of the Philippines director John Dave Dueñas.
Aside from Bacolod, there were also representatives from 17 private companies, together with the DTI, Department of Information and Communications Technology, Board of Investments, and the Philippine Economic Zone Authority, Ang added./CGC
