Chonnam National University Hospital Director Jung Shin: "A New Era Without Long-Distance Trips for Treatment Through the New Hospital"

Jung Shin, Director of Chonnam National University Hospital.

Jung Shin, Director of Chonnam National University Hospital, said on February 8, "Building on the achievement of passing the preliminary feasibility study for the new hospital, we will complete its construction without setbacks and open an era in which there is no need for 'long-distance trips to the Seoul metropolitan area for treatment'."

In a press release distributed to mark the second anniversary of his inauguration, Director Jung stated, "Beyond the symbolic significance of being the first newly built main hospital among national university hospitals, the new hospital will become the core of a regional accountable care system that also takes charge of severe, emergency, and high-difficulty treatments."

Reflecting on the past two years, Director Jung said, "If the past two years were a time when we managed crises and 'held out,' I believe we have now entered a phase of 'designing the future' based on the stronger cohesion we have built," adding, "In particular, the fact that the long-cherished 'New Smart Hospital' construction project has passed the preliminary feasibility study has become a decisive inflection point for our hospital as it advances toward the next 100 years."

The new hospital, which Chonnam National University Hospital has defined as a "New Smart Hospital," is scheduled for completion in 2033 with a capacity of 1,070 beds on a 220,000-square-meter site encompassing the current location in Hak-dong, Dong-gu, Gwangju, as well as the sites of Chonnam National University College of Medicine and College of Nursing.

Having finally passed the Ministry of Economy and Finance's preliminary feasibility study last year, the project will move into basic planning this year. Design work will begin next year, with construction scheduled to commence in 2029.

Director Jung said, "We will establish a specialized care system in the new hospital centered on seven advanced disease-specific centers," and emphasized, "By strengthening patient-centered care in which specialists from multiple fields participate simultaneously, integrating research and clinical practice, and expanding information and communications technology (ICT)-based care, we will enhance our capacity to respond to severe, rare, and high-difficulty diseases."

He went on to say, "One of Chonnam National University Hospital's greatest competitive strengths is its research infrastructure and achievements officially recognized by the government," stressing, "As the only hospital in the Honam, Chungcheong, and Jeju regions to be designated as a research-driven hospital, our research personnel and organizational performance have been objectively verified through national evaluations."

He explained, "As a leading tertiary general hospital in the Gwangju-Jeonnam region in the age of AI, our hospital has the infrastructure to systematically collect and manage patient data across a wide range of disease groups," adding, "In particular, due to the regional characteristics of a high proportion of older adults, it is highly noteworthy that we possess abundant clinical resources for research on geriatric diseases, cancer, and chronic diseases."

As for his ambitions for the remainder of his term, he stated, "We will significantly strengthen our smart medical infrastructure and our pool of specialists in severe and high-difficulty diseases so that the quality of our medical services surpasses that of the Seoul metropolitan area."

Director Jung stressed, "Through a specialization strategy for each branch hospital, such as the Hwasun branch for cancer and the Bitgoeul branch for geriatric diseases, and through the organic linkage of the dental hospital and children's hospital, we will ensure that all treatments can be completed within the region."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.