In 2012, St Andrew’s Mission Hospital (SAMH) and Singapore Anglican Community Services (SACS) – the healthcare and community service arms of the Anglican Church in Singapore – stood at a precarious crossroads.

Despite decades of dedicated service to Singapore, the two organisations, which operate as a group, were grappling with repeated financial deficits. Even paying staff bonuses had become a challenge. 

It was into this atmosphere of uncertainty that Dr Arthur Chern, 61, a veteran medical administrator from the Ministry of Health (MOH), was seconded as Group CEO of SAMH and SACS.

What followed was not a season of retreat, but a bold strategic pivot that would transform the group into a powerhouse of eldercare and active ageing.

The Silver pivot

Dr Chern’s arrival coincided with the “Silver Wave”, the rapid ageing of Singapore’s population. While traditional logic suggested scaling down during financial stress, Dr Chern argued for the opposite.

“Your sustainability must come from your service,” he told Salt&Light.

“As you look at the medical needs in Singapore, it was once about helping poor women and children, and people with tuberculosis and poliomyelitis. Today who should we serve? We exist to serve the people in need, not to serve our own needs or our own dream.”

He identified eldercare as the most pressing societal need, drawing from both demographic trends and his personal experience caring for his ageing parents.

He shared: “My father has passed away, and my mother is now about 93. In their later years, they become nearly fully dependent. The caregiving responsibility is heavy, especially when I have to juggle work at the same time. This is a challenge that many Singaporeans face and a big need in society.

“So, we set up our first nursing home in Buangkok in 2013.”

Dr Chern also advocated for scaling up to achieve economies of scale and long-term sustainability. “The way to survive is not to scale down but to scale up to what God wants you to do. Then the blessing will come,” he told Salt&Light.

“We expanded very fast into setting up of community-based centres: Active Ageing Centres (AACs) and Senior Care Centres (SCCs), where relatively healthier seniors could come for activities and interact with others.

“When the elderly go to our centres and we befriend them there. In this very relaxed environment, we may find we have opportunity to share the Christian message.”

Residents of St Andrew’s Mission Hospital engaging with Kebbi, a social companion robot, at one of the community-based centres. Photo courtesy of SAMH and SACS.

At St Andrew’s AACs, seniors are kept busy with over 100 weekly activities ranging from a tailored drone workshop for male participants, to pickleball, line dancing, crochet and calligraphy. The SCCs provide day care and rehabilitation for frail elderly and help them maintain or restore their health.

When Dr Chern began his tenure, the group had zero AACs and SCCs. Today, they operate 10 AACs and nine SCCs. The repeated deficits of the early 2010s have also been replaced by robust reserves of approximately S$240 million, allowing most services to be self-sustaining.

The strategic architect

Dr Chern’s leadership is defined by a unique intersection of three distinct callings: He is a public health doctor, a policymaker and an ordained minister.

After earning his Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) from the National University of Singapore in 1989, he pursued a six-year public health pathway. He eventually completed a Master of Public Health at Yale University and a Master of Public Administration at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government on an Ministry of Heath (MOH) scholarship.

Dr Arthur Chern (first from left) celebrating with fellow graduates at their National University of Singapore graduation ceremony in 1989.

Before leading SAMH and SACS, Dr Chern spent over two decades in the civil service, holding high-level positions such as Group Director of Health Regulation. He was awarded the National Day Commendation Medal for his leadership during the SARS outbreak.

Despite his professional success, a spiritual commitment from his university days remained latent.

Dr Chern told Salt&Light: “I became a member of St Andrew’s Cathedral when I was in medical school. My faith underwent a big transformation there. A few of us experienced the Charismatic Renewal, and we discussed how we should serve God in our medical career.

“For a season, Rev John Tay was pastoring St Andrew’s Cathedral – he was also a Professor of Pediatrics. In a sense, he was my mentor. By sharing his own example, he helped me see that I can also serve God as both a medical doctor and an ordained minister.”

Dr Chern added: “While I was still a medical student, Rev John Tay exposed me to many areas of ministry in the church – from serving in the choir, to leading a cell group, to teaching at Bible study class.”

But the door to a dual vocation didn’t fully open until much later for Dr Chern. After housemanship, he went on to pursue postgraduate studies in public health, and started working in Ministry of Health (MOH) thereafter.

He was happy in his medical administrative jobs at MOH, while also serving in church as a lay person. 

In 2012, he was seconded by MOH to lead SAMH and SACS, and by 2015, he had transitioned to full-time employment in SAMH and SACS, seeing it as a providential alignment of his skills and calling.

A promise honoured

Under Dr Chern’s 14-year tenure, the group has grown from 10 centres to 46 (51 by 2030), with a workforce of 3,000 staff. 

Dr Chern views the organisational growth not as a result of personal capability, but as the work of the Holy Spirit.

“We have grown at least five times in size these 14 years. This is the work of God,” Dr Chern told Salt&Light. 

He cited Acts 1:8 as his lifelong anchor, believing that true power for service comes through spiritual empowerment.

“If you are sensitive to where the Holy Spirit leads you, He will empower you to do the work,” he said.

As Dr Chern approached 60, he contemplated slowing down in his career. Instead, God revisited the commitment he made in his days of youth.

Archbishop Titus Chung, the Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Singapore, invited him to consider ordination in the Anglican Church, and become a non-stipendiary clergy – a dual role that Dr Chern had essentially given up on decades earlier. He initially hesitated, worried about his energy levels as he was reaching retirement age.

He told the Bishop: “I am preparing to scale down, yet you are asking me to scale up.”

However, he realised that this was a divine visitation regarding a pledge he had made in his youth.

“You may have forgotten, but God has not forgotten,” Dr Chern told Salt&Light. “So I think this is the last chance that God is giving me to honour my youthful commitment.”

He completed a rigorous two-year preparation while working full-time as CEO and, in 2025, was ordained at age 60 — possibly the oldest person ordained in the Anglican Church in Singapore.

He now serves as a minister at St Andrew’s Cathedral, supplementing the full-time pastoral team while also helming SAMH and SACS.

The vision for 2030

Rev Dr Chern told Salt&Light: “The primary challenge for SAMH and SACS is remaining relevant in a shifting landscape. As society evolves, we must constantly listen for the Holy Spirit’s guidance to understand whom we are called to serve.”

Artist’s rendering of the new nursing home facility at Bukit Purmei, slated to expand the group’s care services to 11 nursing homes by 2030. Photo courtesy of MOH Holdings.

Looking towards 2030, the group’s roadmap is one of continued expansion and technological adoption:

• Nursing home expansion: The group is on track to operate 11 nursing homes by 2030, which would make it one of Singapore’s largest operators. A key feature of its residential aged care model is its specialised capability in psychiatric nursing care. Currently, the group’s three nursing homes – at Buangkok, Taman Jurong and Aljunied – are among the few in Singapore equipped to provide integrated care for seniors with psychiatric needs.
• Integrated medical services: The group operates two community hospitals (Simei and the newly opened Bedok facility) that provide rehabilitative, sub-acute, dementia and palliative care. They have also introduced Transitional Care Facilities (TCFs) to bridge the gap between acute hospitals and home care, relieving system bottlenecks.
• Technological innovation: To further enhance clinical safety and care quality, the group is looking at implementing automated medicine sachet for its nursing homes to improve dosage accuracy and operational efficiency. The group is also improving patient safety through the strategic integration of AI-driven innovations that shift clinical focus from reaction to prevention. 
• Special Education: The group is expanding its autism services with the planned opening of a third Special Education school in 2027. This expansion is part of a broader strategy to ensure that every child on the spectrum has a place to thrive.

Rev Dr Chern’s philosophy is captured in a phrase he learned from his predecessor, Bishop Moses Tay, who was a Medical Director at the Tan Tock Seng Hospital and seventh Bishop of Singapore: “The reward for good work is more work.”

In a world that often views increased responsibility as a burden to be avoided or a stepping stone to financial gain, Rev Dr Chern views it as a signal of divine trust.

He encouraged: “We are here to serve God and serve people. So, let’s focus on doing our main job well.” 

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