The Man behind the Name

Does the man make the name, or does the name make the man?

Very few people I know in this world can rightfully claim to have truly made the name through the way they have conducted their lives. And it is an undisputed fact that the person we are nominating for the 2016 PHA Most Distinguished Fellow Award exemplifies that kind of man.

Allow me then to belabor this point, for it would be such a great travesty if I did not take few moments of your precious time to define the man.

nel·son  ˈnelsən/

a wrestling hold in which one arm is passed under the opponent’s arm from behind and the hand is applied to the neck ( half nelson ), or both arms and hands are applied ( full nelson ); the son of a champion

He may well be the son of a champion, as he, like many of us in Cardiology, considers one of esteemed mentors, Dr. Ramon Abarquez, Jr., as his “father.”  True to word, he wrestles with an idea to submission until it develops into something profound. 

abelardo  ˈnelsən/

Germanic for noble strength

Dr. Abelardo carries out each undertaking with a noble measure of strength, which consists of a healthy balance of good intentions to direct his actions, and justifiable persuasiveness to get the job done.

Although a few words will simply not encompass the true meaning of this extraordinary being, let me offer an alternate and hopefully more “real-world” definition of the man, as I inject a few of my personal insights and experiences of him:

Nobility – “A man is defined not by his appearance, but by what he stands and aspires for.”  Dr. Abelardo’s life has been studded with professional milestones, all achieved through sheer hard work and exemplary interpersonal skills. From the Cebu Institute of Medicine, he set his sights on completing both his residency training in Internal Medicine and fellowship in Cardiology at the UP-Philippine General Hospital.  Recognizing the growing need by his institution for expertise in noninvasive imaging, he pursued subspecialty training in Cardiology and Echocardiography at the Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Sweden, as well as advanced tutorials in Cardiac Ultrasonography at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, USA.  When majority would opt to linger or stay in “greener” pastures, Dr. Nelson pulled through with his promise to bring back his newfound expertise to his homeland and mother institution, UP PGH, later on becoming its Chief of Section and Head of the Noninvasive Cardiac Laboratory.  True to form, Dr. Nelson is not only a man of his word, but of his heart.

Eloquence – “It is hard enough knowing what to say, more difficult knowing how to say it, and immensely challenging knowing when to say it.”  In his chosen profession of medicine, Dr. Nelson commonly finds himself in the company of esteemed colleagues with amazing levels of intellect.  He, however, has managed to stand out because of his gift of eloquence, something that many only dream of.  His insane ability to deliver a lecture or speech extemporaneously and sometimes at such short notice, but always in a professorial manner, has made him one of the most sought-after speakers for many academic conferences and scientific symposia. Aside from the conferment of the UP College of Medicine Archie Leano Professorial Chair in Cardiology in 2004 and 2005, and the Dr. Antonio de Leon Professorial Chair in Cardiology in 2014 and 2015, probably one of the greatest testaments to Dr. Abelardo’s eloquence is his selection as the Ramon Abarquez Jr. Professorial Lecturer in 2015.

Legacy – “When you decide to make your mark, choose to make it indelible.” His leadership and executive skills have served him well, taking him to the helm as Chief of the Sections of Cardiology of two institutions – the UP-PGH (2000-2010) and Manila Doctors Hospital (2010 to present).  During his term, he steered these sections to greater heights, enabling them not only to have the training programs accredited and re-accredited, but also bringing them to the spotlight through sheer inspiration.  Beyond training, he labored tirelessly to work on hospital policies as Assistant Medical Director of the Manila Doctors Hospital.  As a founding member of the Philippine Society of Echocardiography, he helped shape the future of his subspecialty and the practice of echocardiography in the country.   Actions do speak louder than words, and his work output excellently complements his magniloquence.  To me, Dr. Nelson is not just a “Key Opinion Leader” but more importantly a “Key Outcome Leader.”

Sagacity – “Information is at the disposal of everyone.  But only a few will be able to truly recognize what, when, and how such information can potentially be life-changing.  And that may well be the beginning of wisdom.”  One of the key traits that made Dr. Nelson an outstanding student and teacher of medicine is his unquenchable thirst for knowledge, combined with his keen powers of discernment.  In terms of the academe, he has worked his way up the ladder to become one of the highest-ranking professors (Professor VII) of the College of Medicine and the UP-PGH. He jumpstarted this journey to the top by choosing his mentors and associates well.  He became a research associate of various luminaries such as Prof. Ake Hjalmarson (University of Gothenberg), Prof. Ramon Abarquez, Jr. and Dr. Yolando Sulit (University of the Philippines), as well as an indispensable ally in research collaborations with Dr. Jorge Sison (Philippine Heart Association) and Dr. Rody Sy (Philippine Lipid Society), to name only a few.  He had his lion’s share of the driver’s seat in many instances, being the lead proponent or main mover of various research efforts which include local and international trials (MIAMI, PHYTON, NNHeS, SPORTIF, ARISTOTLE, STABILITY, SOLID-TIMI, etc.) and task forces on clinical practice guidelines (hypertension, dyslipidemia).

Optimism – “The optimist is the one who makes the possible probable.” In a world full of negativity and pessimism, Dr. Nelson manages to exude a positive aura that has helped him accomplish many feats throughout his career.  When most people would ask “why,” Dr. Nelson would remark, “why not?”  He is purposefully perceptive, managing to see the hidden gems in the people he meets along the way.  As former chief of the UP PGH Section of Cardiology, he would exercise his fatherly role, highlighting the strengths and downplaying the weaknesses of his consultant colleagues and training fellows.  Not a few graduates of the section will attest to the remarkable way he has turned their lives around, defending his belief in their innate goodness and potential, sometimes almost to a fault.  As a manager, he has demonstrated his distinctive foresight and trouble-shooting skills, having successfully supervised several fundraising projects to support for the indigent patients of the UP-PGH.  He has led the Sagip Buhay Medical Foundation and the Pusong Pinoy Foundation (the charity arms of the UP-PGH Department of Medicine and the Section of Cardiology, respectively) in various capacities, allowing these outfits to generate millions of pesos to serve thousands of patients in need.

Novelty –  “Most people follow the standard; some would set it; while others dare to reinvent it.”  When most people take the common road, and some opt for the road less-traveled, Dr. Nelson does the unthinkable and creates a new path for himself.  He is not satisfied with “what is” but is constantly drawn to “what can be.”  I caught an early glimpse of his innovativeness, when we collaborated on a research endeavor on the automation of M-mode measurments in echocardiography, which incidentally garnered the PHA-Servier Most Outstanding Research in Cardiology Award during the 42nd Annual Convention & Scientific Meeting of the Philippine Heart Association. He does not just think “out of the box” but actually recognizes that the box itself can be more that what it appears to be.   Most recently, we found ourselves once again working together on the Core Curriculum guidelines for Training of Adult Cardiology Fellows as part of the Task Force commissioned by the Philippine Heart Association. 

Nobility. Eloquence. Legacy. Sagacity. Optimism. Novelty.  A fellow with such traits must surely be distinguished.

Dr. Abelardo truly embodies the pillars of our Department and Section – service, training, and research. His track record speaks for itself, having won the Distinguished Fellow Award of the Philippine College of Physicians in 1997, the PHA Distinguished Teacher Award in 2002 and the PHA Distinguished Service Award in 2010. For these and the aforementioned reasons, we humbly recommend him for the most prestigious College Award of the Philippine Heart Association.

by Jose Donato A. Magno, MD

for the UP PGH Section of Cardiology

April 2016