De La Salle Health Sciences Institute - History

History

The De La Salle Health Sciences Institute traces its roots to a group of doctors from the College of Medicine of the University of the Philippines and the Philippine General Hospital who, in 1976, decided to establish a medical school to support the need for a well-trained staff for the newly inaugurated Medical Center Manila. In consonance with the government policy of dispersing educational facilities outside the capital city and encouraging the establishment of medical schools in various regions of the country, they decided to establish a medical school in Dasmariñas, Cavite. Originally named Emilio Aguinaldo College of Medicine, the school opened in 1979 under the management of the University Physician’s Foundation, Inc and with the Jose P. Rizal National Medical Research Center as its initial teaching hospital.

In 1980, the foundation acquired 1.2 hectares of additional property and construction was started for a 180-bed teaching hospital. This 4-storey hospital, the University Medical Center, was inaugurated on July 31, 1982. In 1985, the construction of the second 4-storey Medical Research Building for the College of Medicine started.

In June 1987, ownership and management of the Emilio Aguinaldo College of Medicine and the University Medical Center were acquired by the De La Salle University Inc. The College of Medicine was renamed the De La Salle University-Emilio Aguinaldo College of Medicine and the hospital the De La Salle University Medical Center. Since the De La Salle Brothers assumed ownership of both the hospital and the college, both have steadily grown. In 1990, the De La Salle University Medical Center continued its expansion with the inauguration of the WU Building. In 1992, the college was renamed the De La Salle University College of Medicine. On April 7, 1994, the De La Salle University Angelo King Medical Research Center was established. In June 1994, the management of the College of Physical Therapy which was then part of DLSU-Aguinaldo (now DLSU-Dasmariñas) was turned over to the De La Salle University College of Medicine. By June 1995, the complex consisting of the College of Medicine, University Medical Center, College of Physical Therapy and Research Services was named De La Salle University – Health Sciences Campus or DLSU-HSC under the ownership and administration of the St. Bro. Miguel Febres Cordero Medical Education Foundation.

The DLSU Medical center continued to grow with the opening of the ten-storey Teodorica Favis Vda. De Rivero Hall in 1997 and of the one-storey Jose Sotto Tantiansu Center Institute in 1988. In January 1999, the Institute of Continuing Education for the Health Profession (formerly Institute of Graduate Studies) was established.

In October 1999 and July 2003, the De La Salle University Medical Center gained the distinction of being the first hospital in the Philippines to have been awarded an ISO 9001 Certification and a Certification by the TUV–Rheinland and Berlin– Brandenburg Group of Companies.

In May 2000, the colleges under the administration of the DLSU-Health Sciences Campus increased with the transfer of the Colleges of Medical Radiation Technology and Nursing and Midwifery (formerly under DLSU-Dasmariñas).

Eventually, the institution’s name became De La Salle Health Sciences Institute upon approval of the Board of Trustees in September 2007.

At present, the Institute offers academic programs through its four colleges: Medicine, Physical Therapy, Medical Radiation Technology, and Nursing and School of Midwifery.