Double Win for GCEO Employee Excellence Award

Dr Low Cheng Ooi and Mr Tan Hai Yang did CGH proud clinching the GCEO Employee Excellence Award for the Medical and Allied Health categories respectively. The inaugural award launched on 21March 2005 was given to exemplary employees from SingHealth institutions.

21 nominees vied for the awards under the five Medical, Nursing, Health Sciences, Administration and Ancillary categories. CGH is the only SingHealth institution to win 2 out of 5 awards. Nominees were judged on professional excellence, alignment with SingHealth Values, awa rd achievement and contribution to the community.

Mr Tan Hai Yang, CGH’s only principal physiotherapist, is an all rounder who not only excels in his chosen field, but is a great advocate of healthy lifestyle and a committed grassroots leader. Professionally, he has initiated a number of therapies and procedures at CGH. E.g. he started the Back Exercise Class Programme and the Manipulative Physiotherapy Clinic in 2002 and 2004 respectively. An ex-PSC scholar, Hai Yang is active in research on back pain, neck pain and manual therapy. He has published 1 article, presented 3 research papers and supervised 5 research projects. He is also a lecturer for Nanyang Polytechnic's Physiotherapy Programme for third year students and sits in the committee to develop an advanced diploma in physiotherapy.

Hai Yang is big on healthy lifestyle and it is common to see him at sporting events sweating it out or at the sidelines cheering on the participants. He is the Vice Chairman of CGH's Healthy Lifestyle Committee, and plans activities such as an annual physical testing for staff, vertical challenge and various healthy lifestyle activities. He is also Vice Chairman of CGH Recreational Club, and plans and organises the annual inter-departmental tournaments and outdoor activities. He is currently part of the team organising SingHealth's President's Challenge 2005. His enthusiasm in this field won him the Health Promotion Board Health Promoter Award in 2004.

Hai Yang is also actively involved in grassroots work. His numerous community hats include chairman of the Tampines Changkat Youth Executive Committee, Vice Chairman of a Resident's Committee, Asst Secretary of Tampines Changkat Citizens' Consultative Committee’s and a Tampines Town Councillor. In his capacity, he has organised various recreational and health-related activities for the community Eg Mutli-disciplinary talk on Back Pain for residents, health screening for elderly residents, mass cycling for Tampines residents, Kidsread programme for under-privileged children, and rat control in Tampines Constituency. He also set up a website for Tampines Changkat Grassroots organisations to provide local information for Tampines Changkat residents.

Apart from the above, Hai Yang also contributes to community projects to help the less fortunate beyond our shores. He helped raised funds from the collection of old newspaper/clothing for victims of the Asian Tsunami tragedy. He wasalso involved in collecting old books for a children library in Cambodia to be built later this year under People’s Association Youth Movement.

Hai Yang is a father of three boys and is a very dedicated father. Despite all his various commitments, he still manages to find time to spend with his family.

"It is all about giving what has been received. Society has given me a good education, a chance to study abroad, a good place to work and a good environment to raise a family. It is only appropriate for me to contribute back to society," said Hai Yang on how he finds time to be involved in community and grassroots work.

Dr Low Cheng Ooi, Senior Consultant and Chief of Orthopaedic Surgery, was the among the first few doctors in public service to volunteer during the recent relief efforts to go to Meulaboh, Aceh in aid of the Asian Tsunami victims. There, he led the first medical team, of 7 doctors and nurses, for more than two weeks, to provide much needed medical aid to those who have survived the disaster. This is not his first mission, having led a team a couple of years ago to Bengkulu, Sumatra, Indonesia, to provide aid to victims of an earthquake.

Locally, Dr Low has been supporting the St Andrews Community Hospital for many years. In fact, he contributed his services in helping to plan the new hospital which received its first patient in April 2005. He has been the link between CGH and the new St Andrews Community Hospital, which is sited beside CGH and is linked by a skybridge to facilitate the transferring of CGH's discharged patients into the new community hospital for continued care.

Dr Low also chairs CGH's Homecare Assist Fundraising Committee, which helps to raise funds for needy CGH patients who need to be cared for at home after discharge. As a talented balloon sculptor, he used his talent to train his fellow colleagues to help raise funds for HomeCare Assist.

Apart from his professional career at CGH, Dr Low has chaired a number of national professional societies in the field of orthopaedics, e.g. Society of Hand Surgery. Active in research activities, he has published numerous papers and publications on Orthopaedics and Hand surgery.

He is committed and involved in a number of initiatives to improve patient care, which includes the planning and implementation of the cluster-wide electronic medical records system, which helps enhance retrieval of information to improve patient safety.

Dr Low was also the recipient of the National Day Award - Commendation Medal (Military) in 2004. This is not his first award, having won others such as Good Service Award, SAF and the NS Men of the Year Award in 2001.

Dr Low's philosophy is that

"So long as you are true to your calling - i.e. doing what's best for patients - you'll do well despite what you have been tasked with, e.g. clinical work, research or administrative responsibilities, because ultimately, your focus is still on patients and their well being."