Chosun University Hospital: On to Become a “Global Smart Hospital”

By the CSUH Department of External Cooperation and Public Relations

The Fourth Industrial Revolution has brought about various changes in the medical service industry. Chosun University Hospital (CSUH) is also expanding its scope by expanding its International Medical Center with the motto of becoming a “global smart hospital.”

The hospital is directed by Kim Kyung-jong, who graduated from the Chosun University College of Medicine as a surgeon and has held various major positions at Chosun University Hospital, such as research support team leader, education research department head, external cooperation office head, and cancer center head. He is recognized for his research achievements, such as publishing a number of excellent papers in the field of basic research on the occurrence and progression of colorectal cancer, which was listed in Marquis Who’s Who. He has also been active in academic activities as an executive director of the European Society of Coloproctology, Korean Surgical Society, the Korean Society of Coloproctology, and the Korean Society of Surgical Metabolism and Nutrition.

International Medical Center

The International Medical Center’s treatment system has several very important features. First, there is accessibility. The hospital is establishing various channels to maximize accessibility for foreign patients. In addition to the Center’s homepage and email, there are channels such as social media, training medical staff from overseas, and cooperative base institutions. In addition, services beyond time and space are provided through online consultation sites and metaverses tailored to smart global hospitals.

Second, is the Center’s impressive service. When welcoming foreign patients, CSUH does a lot of information research for trust and stability. Things considered include cultural differences and religion. While traveling from Incheon to Gwangju, a one-to-one customized concierge service is provided, staff provide excellent protection and one-stop services while the patient is in the hospital, and a personalized local day tour program is provided in cooperation with Medi-Well Gwangju (Gwangju Medi Tour Center).

Third, there is an online consultation service with the International Cooperation Advisory Group. Prior to visiting CSUH, such non-contact consultations with medical staff are provided to introduce the hospital, information on diseases, and the medical staff, minimizing the anxiety of foreign patients and providing a decisive role for selecting medical tourism areas. Through the International Cooperation Advisory Group, medical staff teams are formed for foreign patient treatment and counseling, and doctors work hard to provide quick, safe, careful, and warm treatment for foreign patients.

New Hospital Construction

Since its opening in 1971, CSUH has reached its present state through two expansions in 2007 and 2017. As the main building has been maintained and renovated over more than 50 years, patients and guardians have been inconvenienced in their movement inside the hospital. It became apparent that a new hospital space was needed to improve the quality of medical care and medical services.

In December last year, the board of directors of Chosun University finally decided to build a new hospital building on the site of the funeral hall next to the hospital, considering its connection with existing medical facilities, accessibility by subway, and cost reduction. The goal is to build a facility that patients and guardians can easily and conveniently access directly from Namgwangju Station. Although the timing and size of the new hospital are a bit tight, it will be built with 700 beds, 12 floors above ground, and four underground floors, with the goal of completion in 2027 or 2028, and a bed total that will increase to 849, and later to 1,000. The site of the building additionally created due to the construction of the new hospital is planned to be eventually be used as a medical research and support facility.

In addition, the new hospital building will be reborn as a state-of-the-art smart hospital through transition to a digital medical environment with state-of-the-art medical equipment and facilities based on artificial intelligence. Planners expect to actively consider introducing cutting-edge systems such as the Internet of Things, robots, and digital twins, focusing on areas that can help improve the quality of medical services. In addition, there are plans to link Mudeung-san with the Chosun University campus to create the world’s only nature-friendly hospital.

“Real with the Universe at Chosun” Virtual Space

CSUH has built a digital twin space linking real and virtual spaces to overcome the geographical accessibility limitations of Gwangju with the “Real with the Universe at Chosun” virtual space (https://zep.us/play/2Q9wwr). In this virtual space, one can experience the process of visiting CSUH from Incheon International Airport, and they can access real-time information such as transportation, hospitals, and Gwangju tourism information. In addition,  the boredom of travel time can be reduced while traveling to Gwangju by enjoying various contents developed in the virtual space.

“Chosun Trend Marketer” Civilian Diplomatic Mission

CSUH formed a civilian diplomatic mission, “Chosun Trend Marketer,” with international students living in the region. Together these marketers who love Korea lead the medical “Korean Wave” trend by serving as a bridge to inform and connect Korean medical care, culture, and tourism to foreigners at home and abroad as a private diplomatic mission.

In particular, this civilian diplomatic mission helps develop the international sense of the local people through promotional activities. Through this, Gwangju is creating a beautiful city that embraces various nationalities, races, and cultures, all living together as a global human rights city. In the future, the hope is to expand the scope of this civilian diplomatic mission to include exchange activities between Korea and various countries in various fields, not just medical care.

Overseas Medical Service and Emergency Relief Activities

CSUH has been steadily carrying out volunteer medical activities for the poor and other low-income groups suffering from diseases by visiting medically vulnerable areas and emergency disaster areas in underdeveloped countries, such as transfers of advanced medicine to local medical staff, visits to poor villages for treatment, quarantines in villages, and patient invites to Korea for free surgery when they cannot receive needed surgery abroad.

CSUH provided international medical care in the form of free eye surgery to a Cambodian patient with economic difficulties who learned of the hospital’s free offer through participation in overseas medical service in October last year. CSUH has also been steadily conducting volunteer medical activities since the opening of the Gwangju Clinic in Cambodia in 2014 and has invited patients in need of emergency treatment to CSUH for free treatment and surgery.

In addition, CSUH is conducting disaster relief activities in the Philippines, Nepal, and Ukraine. In the event of an overseas disaster, emergency relief teams are dispatched to the affected countries to carry out activities at the forefront of relief efforts, including emergency disaster recovery support. CSUH has thus been selected by the Ministry of Health and Welfare as an Overseas Emergency Relief Unit Cooperative Agency.

Foreign Doctor Training Program

From 2015–2019, CSUH operated the Korean–Mongolian and Korean–Russian doctor training programs under the Korea Medical Project in agreement with the Korea Health Industry Development Institute to promote the excellence of Korean medical care and to transfer advanced medical technology to medical personnel in other countries. Through this project, training opportunities were provided at CSUH to transfer advanced medical knowledge, medical technology, and training to Mongolia and Russia. CSUH also developed a standard model for training and education for medical personnel in Southeast Asia and other developing and underdeveloped countries.

In addition, CSUH was selected for the Middle East Doctor Training Cooperation Medical Institute project under the Ministry of Health and Welfare in September 2018 and has operated the project for five years. This project’s medical training is characterized by applying for limited medical practice to the Ministry of Health and Welfare at the end of the three-month pre-training portion of the project, and after the limited medical practice is approved and a doctor’s license is issued, medical practice can be conducted under the guidance of a CSUH doctor. CSUH is currently the only hospital in Honam that has opened and operated a Middle East clinic. As a new target region for CSUH, it plays the role of an intermediary for entering the Middle East market, which is seen as a potential growth market for medical services.

CSUH’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

CSUH has agreed to cooperate in various fields such as support and education for the healthy lives of Gwangju’s immigrants through an agreement with the Migrant Women’s Association. For example, CSUH operated a booth where medical staff were dispatched and provided medical support for visitors who participated in the Naadam Festival held at the Chosun University Gymnasium for Mongolian students, migrants, and workers. They also conducted “Human and Earth Reformation” through social media posts to spread a positive influence with the theme of environmental protection by reducing the use of disposable products.

“Smart Hospital” Based on Advanced Medical Care and Digital Transformation

CSUH is also accelerating the establishment of a state-of-the-art “smart hospital” equipped with futuristic medical equipment and systems based on artificial intelligence. In order to do so, CSUH introduced the latest fourth-generation robotic surgical instrument last year, the da Vinci Xi, as well as establishing a robotic surgery center. In the future, CSUH will utilize information and communication technology in medical care to build a leading model that can enhance patient safety and improve the quality of medical care.

CSUH’s Robot Surgery Center Leading the Way with Advanced Medical Care

CSUH introduced the fourth-generation da Vinci Xi robot system for the first time in Gwangju, unveiling it at the Robot Surgery Center on February 23 last year. It has since been operating mainly in surgery, urology, and otolaryngology since its first surgery the following April.

Robot surgery refers to minimally invasive surgery in which only a small opening is made in the patient’s affected area without an incision. Then the robotic arm is remotely adjusted, inserted, and operated at the adjustment booth by the surgeon. It is mainly used for sophisticated and complex, high-level cancer surgery, and it minimizes skin incision, reduces pain and bleeding, and decreases the incidence of scars and complications so that patients can recover quickly and experience improved treatment results. With the introduction and vitalization of robotic surgical instruments, it is expected that they will provide the best medical services to local residents by performing high-level surgeries that incorporate cutting-edge technology.

Becoming the Best Institution in Korea for Multidisciplinary Cancer Treatment

Since the Chosun University Hospital Cancer Center introduced multidisciplinary integrated treatment for the first time in the region in August 2014, it surpassed 1,400 cases in the region in November last year, making it the top institution in Korea for multidisciplinary cancer treatment. At the Center, specialists from various fields gather in one place to provide customized treatment services for patients by planning schedules for diagnosis, examination, treatment, and surgery. In particular, patients and their guardians can participate in the integrated medical care, as well as in their own treatment, by listening to the pros and cons and effects of each treatment method from experts in various departments, asking questions and listening to answers in the process.

Currently, CSUH classifies major cancers into 13 types and has the following specialized treatment teams to treat each of them: the colorectal cancer team, gastroesophageal cancer team, breast cancer team, lung cancer team, thyroid cancer team, urinary cancer team, head and neck cancer team, hepatobiliary cancer team, blood cancer team, gynecological cancer team, skin cancer team, musculoskeletal cancer team, and central nervous system cancer team. For one patient, specialists from various departments, including the Departments of Hematology, Radiation Oncology, and Radiology, as well as the department in charge of the cancer treatment, establish a step-by-step treatment plan and provide effective treatment. The teams have the policy of taking full responsibility for patients by monitoring them from diagnosis to treatment and complete recovery.

Chosun University Hospital

• Address: 365 Pilmun-daero, Dong-gu, Gwangju
• Direction:
• – Bus stops: Chosun University Hospital Entrance/ Chosun University College of Engineering
• – Subway: Namgwangju Station Exit 5
• Customer Service: 1811-7474
• Health Promotion Center: 062-220-3030
• International Health Care Center: 062-220-3770
• Emergency Care Center: 062-220-3119
• Website: https://hosp.chosun.ac.kr/

Photographs courtesy of CSUH.

Translated by Karina Prananto.