Siheung City Launches Full-Scale "Siheung-type Integrated Care" to Closely Safeguard Citizens' Daily Lives

Siheung City to Strengthen "Dedicated Division and Public-Private Collaboration"
with Implementation of Integrated Care Support Act
Announces Plan for "Client-Centered" Integrated Care

With the government set to implement the "Act on the Integrated Support for Local Care Including Medical and Nursing Care" (hereinafter referred to as the Integrated Care Support Act) on March 27, Siheung City will begin its integrated care project in earnest.

Yoon-sik Shim, Director of Welfare, is explaining the plan to promote the 'Siheung-style Integrated Care' at the briefing room of Siheung City Hall on the 10th. Provided by Siheung City

Yoon-sik Sim, Director of Welfare, held a press briefing at the city hall briefing room on the 10th and announced the "Siheung City Integrated Care Promotion Plan," which focuses on client-centered operations, identifying beneficiaries through public-private partnership, and promoting regionally specialized care.

Integrated care support is a system that provides medical, nursing, and care services in a comprehensive manner so that people experiencing difficulties in daily life can maintain a healthy lifestyle in their familiar environment. Since all services are bundled and provided together without the need to apply for each one separately, the city expects significant improvements in both convenience and service quality for its citizens.

Since 2019, Siheung City has been laying the groundwork for operations by implementing the "Local Community Integrated Care Model Pilot Project." This was followed by the enactment of the "Siheung City Ordinance on Local Community Integrated Care" in 2021, the establishment of the "Siheung Care SOS Center" in 2022—the first of its kind in Gyeonggi Province—and, in January of this year, the formation of the Siheung City Integrated Support Council, which consists of public and private sector experts. The city has also established a dedicated Integrated Care Division, proactively responding to government policy.

First, Siheung City plans to provide tailored care by dividing the 21,408 top-priority integrated care recipients into separate groups for more attentive support. Based on local outreach and surveys, "general beneficiaries" are identified and supported, while "patients scheduled for discharge" are provided with preemptive care in coordination with hospitals at the time of discharge. From preliminary assessment to integrated evaluation, the establishment of individualized support plans, service provision, and monitoring, the city will offer integrated care through a one-stop system, building a client-centered operational structure.

Above all, to provide timely care, the city will strengthen public-private collaboration for identifying beneficiaries. High-risk individuals will be regularly selected using health and nursing data from the National Health Insurance Service and regional diagnostic big data. The city will also share information about patients scheduled for discharge with local general and nursing hospitals to facilitate care linkage. Additionally, it will collaborate with community hubs such as senior centers, pharmacies, and religious facilities, as well as with honorary social welfare officials and other human safety networks, with the goal of not missing any warning signs among care recipients.

Currently, Siheung City provides 49 integrated care services across five sectors: healthcare, health management, nursing care, daily living support, and housing assistance, with plans for further expansion. The city is also working on regionally specialized integrated care projects by analyzing service blind spots and support cases, and conducting demand surveys to reflect the unique characteristics and needs of Siheung.

Notable examples include the "Visiting Care Medical Center" and the "Siheung-type One-Stop Health and Medical Care Service," which provide home-visit medical services so that mobility-impaired citizens can continue living at home. The "Community Return Linkage Project for Discharged Patients" helps patients who require care after discharge successfully return to their residence. In response to the sharp increase in welfare-vulnerable groups, the city is also actively promoting projects such as the "Siheung-type Senior Citizen Primary Care Physician Project" and the "AI-based Project for the Prevention and Response to Solitary Deaths."

Yoon-sik Sim, Director of Welfare, stated, "The goal of Siheung-type Integrated Care is to protect the daily lives of each and every citizen and to establish a citizen-centered care system that ensures everyone can receive all necessary care in their own community. We will continue to strengthen the foundation for sustainable integrated care so that citizens can enjoy happy and safe lives within their neighborhoods."

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