RCCS Philippines and SCGH Australia SRC partnership Central Luzon, Philippines; New peritoneal dialysis program launched.
A “globally aligned model of excellence in kidney care”: six years of progress through an SRC partnership - International Society of Nephrology
A “globally aligned model of excellence in kidney care”: six years of progress through an SRC partnership
Members of the nephrology team from Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital (SCGH) in Australia visit the nephrology team at the Renal Clinical Care Services Inc. (RCCS) in Central Luzon, the Philippines
“ Through this collaboration, the RCCS has emerged as a resilient, patient-focused, and globally aligned model of excellence in kidney care, advancing the ISN’s mission of equitable kidney health for all .” Ramon Jose F. Suarez
The ISN Sister Renal Centers (SRC) partnership between the Renal Clinical Care Services Inc. (RCCS) in the Philippines and the Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital (SCGH) in Australia, launched in 2019, has transformed RCCS’s capacity, expanding its services beyond conventional hemodialysis and hemodiafiltration and developing a multidisciplinary team aligned with global best practices.
RCCS joined the SRC Program to build sustainable systems for high-quality, patient-centered care. Priorities included localized clinical guidelines, key performance indicators (KPIs), and structured in-house training.
Ramon Jose F. Suarez, medical director and nephrologist at RCCS, commented, “ The program structure provided clear, measurable goals and helped the team track its progress, while its competitive nature encouraged continuous improvement. Overall, the ISN’s support helped facilitate RCCS’s growth, build the team’s confidence, and enable greater participation in the global kidney care community .”
With guidance from SCGH, beginning with an onsite visit and continuing through mentorship, virtual exchanges, international immersion experiences, and participation in conventions, RCCS updated its hemodiafiltration and peritoneal dialysis protocols and expanded services to include continuous renal replacement therapy, hemoperfusion, home hemodialysis, and a new peritoneal dialysis program for Central Luzon, where the center is based.
The partnership also introduced structured training programs for nurses, technicians, and allied health professionals, ensuring consistent competency across the care team. Dr. Suarez noted that the partnership’s impact went beyond improved procedures and skills to positively influence staff mentality, saying, “ Exposure to international best practices strengthened staff commitment to excellence, encouraged innovation, and reinforced delivery of compassionate, patient-centered care .”
Members of the nephrology team from RCCS visit SCGH in Perth, Australia
The collaboration also helped turn basic procedures into regularly updated standard operating procedures with more systematic quality monitoring. RCCS introduced KPIs to support data-driven improvement, began contributing to clinical research, and expanded patient education through tailored resources on dialysis modalities and infection prevention, alongside structured peritoneal dialysis training for patients and caregivers.
As the formal SRC partnership concludes, RCCS plans to continue its relationship with SCGH through mentoring and best-practice exchanges. Priorities include expanding the peritoneal dialysis program, further developing data-driven quality improvement, strengthening the multidisciplinary team, and building local partnerships with academic institutions, suppliers, and health organizations. In the longer term, RCCS hopes to use the experience gained through the partnership to support other kidney care centers in the Philippines.
Dr. Suarez added, “The RCCS–SCGH partnership exemplifies how sustained mentorship, capacity building, and shared values can elevate renal care in resource-limited settings. We extend our deepest gratitude to SCGH for its guidance, generosity, and enduring partnership, and to the ISN-SRC Program for its structured framework, responsive team, and impactful support that made this transformation possible.”
Feeling inspired by this success story? ISN members can apply to the Sister Renal Centers Program by October 1 and the Sister Transplant Centers Program by October 15.
Grants , News , Sister Renal Centers
Through this collaboration, the RCCS has emerged as a resilient, patient-focused, and globally aligned model of excellence in kidney care, advancing the ISN’s mission of equitable kidney health for all
The program structure provided clear, measurable goals and helped the team track its progress, while its competitive nature encouraged continuous improvement. Overall, the ISN’s support helped facilitate RCCS’s growth, build the team’s confidence, and enable greater participation in the global kidney care community
Exposure to international best practices strengthened staff commitment to excellence, encouraged innovation, and reinforced delivery of compassionate, patient-centered care
“The RCCS–SCGH partnership exemplifies how sustained mentorship, capacity building, and shared values can elevate renal care in resource-limited settings. We extend our deepest gratitude to SCGH for its guidance, generosity, and enduring partnership, and to the ISN-SRC Program for its structured framework, responsive team, and impactful support that made this transformation possible.”
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