Philippine Nursing Informatics Association pays courtesy call to Philippine

Nurses Association

Manila, Philippines (June 29, 2010) — The Philippine Nursing Informatics Association (PNIA) took its
first step to be recognized as a sub-specialty organization when it paid a courtesy call to the Philippine
Nurses Association (PNA) at the PNA National Headquarters in Malate yesterday.

“This is a very timely action,” lauded Dr. Teresita I. Barcelo, PNA national president, to the officers of
PNIA on formally organizing an association specializing in the field of nursing informatics. “Nursing
informatics is only of the emerging fields in nursing.”

The Philippine Nursing Informatics Association was established earlier this year with a vision of
advancing nursing informatics in the Philippines through practice, education, research, and public
awareness.
“We wanted to formally introduce PNIA as an organization to PNA,” expressed PNIA president Kristian
R. Sumabat. “PNIA acknowledges the Philippine Nurses Association as the mother-organization of
nurses in the country which provides guidance and direction to the future of Filipino nurses here and
abroad.”
Founded in 1922, the Philippine Nurses Association is the only accredited professional organization
recognized by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC).
“We also intend to know and understand the recognition process of a sub-specialty organization and
solicit words of advice on possible projects and activities that PNA can hold independently and in
partnership with PNA.”
Dr. Barcelo welcomed PNIA as an organization and was keen to note that the officers are pursuing
post-graduate degrees in health informatics and are working in the health informatics industry. She
also encouraged the officers to finish their master’s degree, continuously gain more experience, and
be part of the academe.
The interim officers of the Philippine Nursing Informatics Association are the following: Kristian R.
Sumabat (President) and Mia Angelica Alcantara-Santiago (Vice President) are both Clinical Systems
Analysts of St. Luke’s Medical Center – Global City and Master of Science in Health Informatics (MSHI)
students at the University of the Philippines in Manila; Pia Athena L. Pelayo (Secretary) is the Phil-ETB
Manager Project Coordinator for the Information System for Tuberculosis at the Department of
Health’s National Epidemiology Center (NEC) and a former telehealth nurse at the UP Manila –
National Telehealth Center (UPM-NThC); Alexandra Belle S. Bernal (Assistant Secretary) is currently
an OR nurse at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) and also a former telehealth nurse at UPM-NThC;
Isidor F. Cardenas (Treasurer) is the Coordinator for Telehealth Services (including eLearning, and
eMedicine) at the UP-NThC; Noel A. Bañez (Auditor) works as the Coordinator for Primary Health
Informatics and the Community Health Information Tracking System (CHITS) at the UP-NThC; Sheryl
M. Ochea (Public Relations Officer I) worked as a renal nurse and finished her Master of Science in
Nursing (MSN) – Information System at Xavier University, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.A., and Art M.
Ongkeko, Jr. (Public Relations Officer II) is the Coordinator for Knowledge Management at the UP-
NThC.
Sumabat also presented a copy of PNIA’s Constitution and By-Laws; and organizational profile to Dr.
Barcelo.
PNIA is also inviting nurses to enlist as founding members. “We welcome online members such as
registered nurses or student nurses interested in nursing informatics to be part of this historic
undertaking and enlist as Founding Members of PNIA,” Sumabat said. Interested individuals may sign-
up at http://tinyurl.com/joinpnia.
“This is a very timely action,” lauded Dr. Teresita I. Barcelo, PNA national president, to the officers of
PNIA on formally organizing an association specializing in the field of nursing informatics. “Nursing
informatics is only of the emerging fields in nursing.”
The Philippine Nursing Informatics Association was established earlier this year with a vision of
advancing nursing informatics in the Philippines through practice, education, research, and public
awareness.
“We wanted to formally introduce PNIA as an organization to PNA,” expressed PNIA president Kristian
R. Sumabat. “PNIA acknowledges the Philippine Nurses Association as the mother-organization of
nurses in the country which provides guidance and direction to the future of Filipino nurses here and
abroad.”
Founded in 1922, the Philippine Nurses Association is the only accredited professional organization
recognized by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC).
“We also intend to know and understand the recognition process of a sub-specialty organization and
solicit words of advice on possible projects and activities that PNA can hold independently and in
partnership with PNA.”
Dr. Barcelo welcomed PNIA as an organization and was keen to note that the officers are pursuing
post-graduate degrees in health informatics and are working in the health informatics industry. She
also encouraged the officers to finish their master’s degree, continuously gain more experience, and
be part of the academe.
The interim officers of the Philippine Nursing Informatics Association are the following: Kristian R.
Sumabat (President) and Mia Angelica Alcantara-Santiago (Vice President) are both Clinical Systems
Analysts of St. Luke’s Medical Center – Global City and Master of Science in Health Informatics (MSHI)
students at the University of the Philippines in Manila; Pia Athena L. Pelayo (Secretary) is the Phil-ETB
Manager Project Coordinator for the Information System for Tuberculosis at the Department of
Health’s National Epidemiology Center (NEC) and a former telehealth nurse at the UP Manila –
National Telehealth Center (UPM-NThC); Alexandra Belle S. Bernal (Assistant Secretary) is currently
an OR nurse at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) and also a former telehealth nurse at UPM-NThC;
Isidor F. Cardenas (Treasurer) is the Coordinator for Telehealth Services (including eLearning, and
eMedicine) at the UP-NThC; Noel A. Bañez (Auditor) works as the Coordinator for Primary Health
Informatics and the Community Health Information Tracking System (CHITS) at the UP-NThC; Sheryl
M. Ochea (Public Relations Officer I) worked as a renal nurse and finished her Master of Science in
Nursing (MSN) – Information System at Xavier University, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.A., and Art M.
Ongkeko, Jr. (Public Relations Officer II) is the Coordinator for Knowledge Management at the UP-
NThC.
Sumabat also presented a copy of PNIA’s Constitution and By-Laws; and organizational profile to Dr.
Barcelo.
PNIA is also inviting nurses to enlist as founding members. “We welcome online members such as
registered nurses or student nurses interested in nursing informatics to be part of this historic
undertaking and enlist as Founding Members of PNIA,” Sumabat said. Interested individuals may sign-
up at http://tinyurl.com/joinpnia.
Philippine Nursing Informatics Association
 Founded in 2010, PNIA is an association of Registered Nurses with a common
vision to promote the use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) to
improve Nursing Practice, Education, Administration and Research in the Philippines.

PNIA envisions the advancement of nursing informatics in the Philippines

through practice, education, research, and public awareness.