A new $3 million Healthcare Administrators Fund (HAF) was launched in August 2023 at the Singapore Healthcare Management 2023. The HAF, which will support professional development of healthcare administrators who play a key role in advancing the pursuit of academic medicine, was made possible by the generous support of ACE Team Foundation which donated $3 million, half of which went towards the new Fund. SingHealth Fund contributed the other $1.5 million.

ACE Team Foundation is a family foundation founded by Mr Anthony Tan, Group Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Grab Holdings, and his wife, Ms Chloe Tong. The name of the foundation – ACE – comes from the first letters of their names and their children’s names, all of which begins with ‘E’. 

 

“Healthcare is close to my heart because I lost my mother to cancer when I was 18. I remember the kindness and grace of the doctors and nurses who cared for her and supported my younger siblings and me. We feel very honoured to be able to support SingHealth and their work with healthcare professionals and administrators,” recounted Chloe in a video aired during the launch of HAF*.

Her husband, Anthony, added, "Our support is aimed at strengthening the physical and mental wellness of healthcare professionals, building a resilient team ready to tackle complex healthcare challenges."

 

The new Fund will advance the development of skills and knowledge of healthcare administrators, who form the administrative framework that supports the daily operations and management of the healthcare system. They partner clinical teams in the SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medical Centre (AMC) to improve care for patients through to research, education and innovation. There are about 4,600 administrators in SingHealth, and they form 15 per cent of the workforce across diverse domain areas such as healthcare operations, finance, human resources, research, education and communications.

 

With the establishment of HAF, healthcare administrators can look forward to more opportunities to deepen and broaden their professional knowledge, skills and experience. These include localised and customised training programmes with visiting international experts and short-term attachments at overseas AMCs. SingHealth is working with overseas AMCs and healthcare institutions to establish training and exchange programmes.

 

The remaining $1.5 million of ACE Team Foundation’s gift will be channelled to SingHealth’s Joy at Work initiatives and boost efforts in enhancing staff wellness. The Joy at Work framework adopts system-wide approaches to improve staff wellness and support as well as address and alleviate sources of stress and pain points for staff. Its initiatives focus on five wellness areas – ‘5Cs’ – that are integral to the needs of healthcare professionals. These are Career Wellness, Connect to Mental Health, Connect to Physical Health, Community & People Engagement, and Culture & Values.

 

The ACE Team Foundation’s generous support will not only benefit healthcare professionals but also patients, who lean on their unwavering support during their recovery journey.

 

Professor Ivy Ng, Group CEO, SingHealth, said: “We are excited to launch the HAF as it represents our commitment to support and advance the expertise of healthcare administrators, a core group of professionals who partner our clinical teams in managing the complexities of healthcare systems. By investing in their development, we believe that they will become catalysts for positive change in SingHealth and be empowered to lead and make a difference both in the AMC and in our public healthcare system. We are immensely grateful for the generous gift by Anthony and Chloe through the ACE Team Foundation. Their contribution towards the Fund, as well as to SingHealth’s Joy at Work initiatives, will no doubt have a tangible impact on staff development and well-being, which are fundamental to ensuring that we continue to respond effectively to the evolving healthcare landscape.”

 

Amidst an ever-evolving landscape of healthcare, the couple’s hopes remain simple and steadfast. 

 

“We look forward to fostering a healthier society and a more resilient healthcare system through this gift. ACE Team Foundation means a lot to us – it’s our mission of love, inspired by our five children. We hope to shape a future where our legacy of giving back to society inspires not only our children and grandchildren, but also the generations that follow.”

 

ACE Team Foundation was established as a donor-advised fund in December 2021 with The Community Foundation of Singapore.