Welcome Address by Ms Alice Seow, Principal, ITE College West, at the MOU Signing Ceremony between ITE and NHG Health

Mr Tan Kiat How, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Digital Development and Information, and Ministry of Health

Professor Chua Hong Choon, President of NHG College and CEO of Khoo Teck Puat Hospital and Yishun Community Hospital, NHG Health

Dr Wong Kirk Chuan, COO, Woodlands Health, NHG Health

Ms Fatimah Moideen Kutty, Director of Operations, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital and Yishun Community Hospital, NHG Health

Ms Yen Tan, CEO, The National Kidney Foundation

Associate Professor Michael Thaddeus Tan, Dean, Research & Knowledge Exchange, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, University of the Arts Singapore

Industry partners, guests, ITE Colleagues and Students

Ladies and Gentlemen

Introduction

1.          Good Morning, it gives me great pleasure to welcome all of you to the Think Health Seminar 2025 and the signing of an MOU between ITE and NHG Health, witnessed by our Guest-of-Honour, Senior Minister of State Mr Tan Kiat How. We also warmly welcome Professor Chua Hong Choon and his colleagues, who will be signing the MOU on behalf of NHG Health.

About the Event & Aim of the Seminar

2.          The Think Health Seminar Series is College West’s signature platform for collaboration and thought leadership in preventive and population healthcare. Biennially organised by our School of Business & Services, the seminar brings together leaders from healthcare, social care and fitness to share best practices and align education with Singapore’s preventive health initiatives.

3.          At the inaugural Think Health Seminar in 2023, two MOUs were signed with KKH and Exercise is Medicine Singapore, laying the foundation for our journey into health and wellness education. Two years on at this Think Health 2025 Seminar, themed ‘Empowering Youths, Transforming Health’, we take this narrative further, celebrating a new milestone in partnership with NHG Health.

4.          Crucially, this partnership reflects a shared commitment to expand student opportunities, strengthen training and professionalisation of patient-facing roles, as well as empowering and upskilling the next generation of Health Coaches and Patient Service Associates. We are talking about you, students, all of you seated here. You are our future to serve Singapore’s evolving healthcare landscape.

Significance of the NHG Health Partnership

5.          Our partnership really began in 2019, when NHG Health stepped forth as one of ITE’s pioneer partners. For that, we are deeply appreciative. They were our first partner for the Work-Study Diploma (WSDip) in Patient Management and Services.

6.          One inspiring example arising from this partnership and diploma programme is Ms Berlinda Tan, a 2024 graduate from the WSDip in Patient Management and Services. She joined the WSDip in 2022 with KTPH as a Patient Service Associate. She was promoted to Patient Service Associate Executive in 2024 upon her graduation from WSDip programme.

7.          Berlinda had this to say about her experience, “The WSDip opened the door for me to start my career in healthcare right after graduating from ITE. The WSDip programme with its on-the-job training component, helped me learn the ropes faster and gave me the confidence to grow in my role as a healthcare practitioner. NHG continues to develop me through guidance and mentorship at work, essentially supporting me to build my career in the healthcare space.”

8.          Her growth exemplifies how the WSDip collaboration between ITE and NHG Health creates meaningful career pathways and progression opportunities for ITE graduates – it is a win-win proposition. Besides providing the hospitals with a steady pipeline of skilled professionals to meet their manpower needs, it also offers our ITE graduates a clear pathway for career progression and lifelong learning.

9.          The job retention rate for Patient Service Associates in hospitals following a year after their graduation from our WSDip programme remains well over 90%. To date, we also have some Patient Management and Services graduates furthering their studies at the Singapore University of Social Sciences to advance their careers in allied healthcare. So there are progression and career development opportunities for students when they embark on this pathway.

10.      Through Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, Tan Tock Seng Hospital and NHG Polyclinics, this partnership has provided authentic learning opportunities for our students and meaningful attachments for our lecturers. Together, we have not only created structured internships and industry exposure for Higher Nitec students, but also co-developed microlearning content and digital tools for Patient Service Associates, as well as introduce – this is our latest collaboration – AI-enhanced learning through NHG’s PSA Academy.

11.      These initiatives built a strong culture of shared learning between our organisations, as well as promote innovation and mutual growth, further extending our collaboration into Health & Exercise Coaching and Preventive Health Services.

12.      With the launch of the Technical Diploma in Health & Exercise Coaching in April 2025, ITE has created a new pipeline of accredited Health Coaches skilled in exercise science, behavioural change and community engagement. With an ageing society placing increasing pressure on healthcare resources, having dedicated professionals to coach and nudge Singaporeans towards adopting a healthier lifestyle is assuming greater importance. These health coaches will help individuals ensure sustained changes to their lifestyles and keep themselves well and fit, thereby ensuring the sustainability of our healthcare ecosystem.

13.      With the support of healthcare partners, we are hopeful and confident that our Technical Diploma graduates will be able to find meaningful careers and be readily absorbed into the healthcare ecosystem beyond internship and practicum roles as students.

Closing

14.      As we advance our collaborations with NHG Health, we also look forward to strengthening this nexus between education and the wider healthcare community towards a better future for all Singaporeans.

15.      This morning, we are very privileged to have three distinguished speakers from the healthcare industry gracing our seminar panel. First, we have Ms Fatimah Moideen Kutty. Ms Fatimah, Director of Operations at KTPH. She leads over 300 PSAs across both hospitals and brings with her deep expertise in hospital operations and people development. She will be sharing on a key tenet of the healthcare industry: ‘Evolving with Heart: The Transformative Journey of Patient Service Associates’.   

16.      Our next speaker is Ms Yen Tan, CEO of The National Kidney Foundation. She has under her belt 25 years of experience and expertise in public healthcare, and is all set to lead NKF to champion the key pillars of Prevention, Peritoneal Dialysis, People, and Sustainability. She will be sharing on something very close to our hearts as well: ‘Youths as Changemakers in Kidney Health Prevention’.

17.      We also have with us, Associate Professor Michael Thaddeus Tan, Dean, Research & Knowledge Exchange, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, University of the Arts Singapore, and his forte, of course, is in bridging the arts with medicine, mental health, and patient care. His topic today again is of great relevance: ‘Beyond the Walls: Art Participation as a Health Resource’.

18.      I am sure all of you are looking forward with such as esteemed panel. We are all set for a vibrant space of continual learning, exchange of ideas, and expansion of perspectives. A heartful thank you again to our Guest-of-Honour, our guests, our speakers and our partners. We appreciate your setting aside precious time this morning for us, for sharing your expertise, for contributing to this very important conversation. I trust today’s discussion will spark inspiration, deepen connection and help us collectively elevate the future of healthcare for the sake of Singapore.

19.      Thank you.