How large must a hospital be to be considered good? Is it a large hospital with thousands of beds, a university hospital with hundreds of specialists, or a facility equipped with advanced medical equipment worth billions? While the scale, facilities, and expertise of medical staff are undeniably important in modern medicine, another question arises when considering the essence of a hospital: For whom does a hospital exist?
The answer is clear: for people. The purpose of a hospital is to treat the sick, prevent diseases in the healthy, and uphold the dignity of life. No matter how advanced medical technology becomes or how deeply artificial intelligence penetrates the field of medicine, this principle remains unchanged.
Located in Howon-dong, Uijeongbu, Howon Hospital is a small yet significant local hospital that prompts reflection on these questions. Compared to the massive university hospitals in the metropolitan area, its scale is modest. However, there are noteworthy aspects in the direction of healthcare that this hospital pursues. It is equipped with advanced diagnostic equipment and has adopted a digital healthcare system, while also paying attention to the warm bowl of soup served to patients after their examinations.
At the center of this initiative is Chairman Park Hyang-jin.
Previously, we explored Park Hyang-jin's long-standing friendships, love for culture and the arts, and the story behind creating a new cultural space in the hospital. This time, we will set that narrative aside and delve into another realm of healthcare and management. The theme of this discussion is how to harmonize advanced technology with human consideration within a single hospital.
128-Channel AI CT and Olympus Endoscopy: The Technological Competitiveness of a Small Hospital
The advancement of modern medicine can be described as a history of diagnostic technology. In the past, doctors often relied on patients' symptoms and experiences to diagnose diseases. However, with the advent of X-rays, ultrasounds, CT scans, and MRIs, we entered an era where the internal structures of the human body can be observed with precision. The integration of artificial intelligence has brought about yet another transformation in healthcare.
A standout diagnostic tool at Howon Hospital is its AI-enabled 128-channel CT scanner. This device reconstructs cross-sectional images of the body using X-ray information obtained from multiple angles. By utilizing AI-based image processing technology, it enhances image quality and improves the efficiency of the examination process.
However, this does not mean that AI will replace doctors in diagnosing all diseases. Advanced technology serves as an aid to medical professionals, and the ultimate responsibility for diagnosis and treatment lies with them. No matter how sophisticated the technology, the quality of healthcare cannot be guaranteed without the expertise and accountability of the personnel operating it.
Howon Hospital has also introduced the Olympus 290 series endoscopy system from Japan, which is noteworthy. This high-end equipment utilizes high-definition imaging and narrow-band imaging (NBI) technology to help observe subtle changes in the mucosa and blood vessels of the gastrointestinal tract.
Early detection is crucial for diseases such as stomach and colorectal cancer. Identifying small lesions during endoscopic examinations and connecting patients to appropriate follow-up care can be life-saving. Therefore, it is essential to ensure not only the performance of the endoscopic equipment but also the proficiency of the medical staff, the safety of the examination process, and thorough disinfection and post-care.
This is where the competitiveness of small hospitals becomes evident. Being smaller does not necessitate a lag in medical technology. Instead, by focusing expertise on specific areas of care and combining advanced equipment with skilled medical personnel, high-quality healthcare services can be provided to local residents.
The healthcare system in South Korea should not remain solely reliant on large hospitals in the metropolitan area. Residents should have access to trustworthy medical care in their local communities. The path that Howon Hospital is pursuing as a small hospital aligns with the future of regional healthcare.
RFID Healthcare System: The Core of Digital Medicine is Patient Safety
The RFID-based patient management and examination system currently in operation at Howon Hospital is also noteworthy. RFID technology uses radio frequencies to recognize information from electronic tags. It is widely used in logistics and production processes in various industries and is now being applied in healthcare for patient verification and examination management.
Patients visiting the hospital go through several stages, from registration to consultation, examination, and payment. If patient information and examination data are not accurately linked during this process, it can lead to inconveniences and even safety issues in healthcare.
By appropriately integrating RFID into the healthcare system, it helps manage patient verification and examination progress more systematically. This reduces confusion during examinations and allows medical staff to quickly access necessary information.
This digital healthcare system goes beyond merely automating hospital operations. It aims to reduce human errors through technology and alleviate unnecessary anxiety and discomfort experienced by patients.
Consider this: a hospital is where individuals go when they are at their most vulnerable. Even those who are usually confident may feel small upon entering a hospital. Everyone experiences anxiety while waiting for test results. Complicated procedures and unfamiliar medical terminology can heighten that anxiety.
Thus, a good digital hospital should not be one filled with machines but rather one that minimizes patient anxiety.
Artificial intelligence and digital technology should not be used in ways that alienate humans. Instead, they should provide medical staff with more time to care for patients and create a safer, more comfortable environment for care.
Park Hyang-jin's management philosophy reflects this important direction: technology should serve people, not the other way around.
A Bowl of Soup After an Endoscopy: Compassion in Healthcare
Among the various medical services offered by Howon Hospital, one particularly memorable aspect is the mushroom and corn soup provided to patients after endoscopic examinations.
It may seem awkward to suddenly mention a bowl of soup while discussing a 128-channel CT and high-definition endoscopy. However, this small gesture embodies a significant philosophy when considering the essence of a hospital.
Anyone who has undergone a health examination knows the discomfort of fasting before tests, the worry of potential health issues, and the anxiety surrounding endoscopic procedures.
The warm bowl of soup served to patients who have sufficiently recovered after their examinations is therefore special. Of course, food intake must follow medical guidelines based on the type of examination, sedation, and whether biopsies or procedures were performed.
However, the consideration for a patient's hunger and discomfort after a safe recovery carries a meaning that transcends mere food service.
How much could a bowl of soup cost? Yet, the value of the care it represents cannot be quantified in monetary terms.
Mencius spoke of four sprouts of the heart in humans: compassion, shame, deference, and discernment. Among these, compassion is the feeling of empathy for others' suffering and is the starting point of benevolence.
Healthcare must also begin with compassion. Doctors should understand patients' pain, nurses should empathize with patients' anxieties, and hospital managers should attend to even the smallest inconveniences faced by patients, as this is the foundation of healthcare.
While advanced CT scans allow us to look inside the human body, a warm bowl of soup enables us to look into the human heart.
This is where technology and consideration intersect. No matter how advanced modern medicine becomes, we must never forget the warmth of humanity.
Health Checkups and Preventive Medicine: A New Mission for Local Hospitals
The paradigm of healthcare is also shifting. The focus is moving from treating diseases after they occur to early detection and prevention.
As life expectancy increases and the aging population grows, the importance of health checkups and chronic disease management becomes even more significant. Early detection and ongoing management of conditions such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and hypertension play a crucial role in maintaining a healthy life.
Howon Hospital is also cultivating health checkups as a key competitive advantage. The hospital has received high ratings in health checkup evaluations from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, although the specific evaluation name and official criteria need to be verified separately.
The true competitiveness of health checkups is not determined solely by evaluation ratings or the number of tests conducted. It is essential to provide appropriate examinations considering the age, health status, family history, and risk factors of the examinee, and to have a system in place for follow-up care and treatment if abnormalities are detected.
If local hospitals can secure competitiveness in this area, residents' lives can become much more convenient. The need to travel long distances for checkups will decrease, and consultations and ongoing health management based on test results can be received closer to home.
Preventive medicine is not only the future industry of hospitals but also a responsibility to the community. Healthy residents lead to a healthy community, and a healthy community contributes to a healthy nation.
A good local hospital should be more than a place for treating the sick; it should help residents live healthily for a long time.
Park Hyang-jin's new philosophy of space emphasizes that a hospital is both a place for treatment and a place for living.
Another noteworthy aspect of Park Hyang-jin's management philosophy is his thoughts on space.
For a long time, hospitals have been functionally oriented spaces. The efficient arrangement of consultation rooms, examination rooms, operating rooms, and patient rooms has been a significant challenge in hospital architecture. The focus has been on quickly treating patients and enabling medical staff to move efficiently.
However, humans are not merely subjects receiving treatment. They are beings who experience emotions, anxieties, and the influences of their surroundings.
From the moment patients enter a hospital, they experience various emotions. Cold hallways, complicated signage, unfamiliar examination rooms, and long wait times can heighten a patient's tension. Conversely, clear guidance, comfortable waiting areas, friendly explanations, and considerate pathways can enhance the patient experience.
In this regard, hospital space is not just an architectural issue but a matter of understanding humanity.
The new direction Park Hyang-jin seeks for Howon Hospital is connected to this. He aims not only to equip the hospital with advanced medical technology but also to create a more comfortable and human-centered environment for patients during their time in the hospital.
A hospital is a place for treating diseases, but it is also a space where people reside. It is a space shared by patients, families, medical staff, and employees.
Therefore, a good hospital is not only completed within the consultation room. Respect for humanity should be evident from the entrance to the hallways, waiting areas, examination rooms, and recovery spaces.
The philosophy of the management is crucial here. No matter how good the design is, if the person operating it lacks affection for humanity, the space can easily remain a cold structure.
Conversely, even a small hospital can develop into a warm and trusted medical space if the management considers patients' perspectives and shares those values with staff.
There is meticulousness possible because it is a small hospital, and there is differentiation that can be pursued because it is a small hospital.
Park Hyang-jin has been inducted into the Uijeongbu Hall of Fame, reflecting his management in partnership with the community.
Park Hyang-jin's name has also been added to the Uijeongbu Hall of Fame. It is meaningful for the community to remember and honor an individual's contributions. The management of businesses and hospitals cannot be evaluated solely by economic performance. It is also important to consider the relationships established with the community, the actions taken for neighbors, and the values left for the community.
This is especially true for hospitals.
Even if a hospital is privately operated, its essence contains a public nature. It is an institution that deals with human life and health. Therefore, hospital managers must consider not only profitability and efficiency but also the quality of healthcare, patient safety, and responsibility to local residents.
Small hospitals cannot compete in the same way as large hospitals. Instead of relying on massive capital and scale, they must build their own competitiveness based on the trust of local residents.
Securing good medical staff, introducing appropriate advanced equipment, improving patients' minor inconveniences, and maintaining ongoing relationships with the community are the starting points for this.
The case of Howon Hospital in Uijeongbu illustrates one direction that local hospitals can pursue. Of course, like all medical institutions, the actual quality of care and patient satisfaction must be continuously verified and improved. Investment in equipment and facilities alone does not complete the evaluation of a good hospital.
However, the attempt to consider technology, humanity, healthcare, and management together is certainly worthy of attention.
Humanity, Culture, Nature: The Ultimate Purpose of Healthcare is Life
We are entering the era of artificial intelligence. AI assists in analyzing medical images, digital technology transforms hospital operations, and precision medicine expands the possibilities for personalized treatment.
In the next 10 to 20 years, the appearance of hospitals will differ significantly from today. Diagnostic technologies will become more precise, and the scope of medical information utilization will broaden. However, as technology advances, we must delve deeper into the fundamentals of healthcare.
What is the purpose of healthcare?
It is to protect human life, alleviate suffering, and help restore a healthy life.
The Tang dynasty physician Sun Simiao emphasized in his work, "Essential Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Gold Pieces," the professionalism, sincerity, and compassionate heart that a great physician must possess.
If a physician excels in medical skills but lacks love for people, they cannot be considered a true master.
This Eastern medical philosophy remains relevant today. Even in an era where AI assists in diagnosis and advanced equipment detects subtle changes in the human body, the understanding and respect for patients remain the responsibility of humans.
Laozi stated in the "Tao Te Ching" that the highest virtue is like water. Water benefits all things without competing and flows to the lowest places that people avoid.
Good healthcare should also resemble water. It should alleviate patients' suffering, wash away their anxieties, and quietly dedicate itself to preserving life.
The 128-channel AI CT and Olympus endoscopy at Howon Hospital symbolize technological advancement. The RFID healthcare system demonstrates the potential for digital innovation. Health checkups highlight the importance of preventive medicine. The warm bowl of soup served after an endoscopic examination prompts reflection on how a small act of consideration can carry significant meaning.
Ultimately, it is all connected by humanity.
The meaning of Park Hyang-jin's approach to hospital management lies here. Technology and management are means, while the preservation of human life and dignity is the goal. The hospital space is a vessel for realizing that purpose.
Humanity, culture, and nature are not separate worlds. Humans find meaning in life within culture and sustain life within nature. Healthcare is one of the most fundamental activities that protect human life.
The potential demonstrated by Howon Hospital, a small hospital in Uijeongbu, is far from insignificant.
A large hospital is not necessarily a good hospital. A good hospital is one that values people greatly.
When advanced medical technology examines patients' bodies, warm consideration attends to their hearts, and a sense of responsibility towards the community safeguards public health, the future of healthcare in South Korea will shine brighter.
The size of a hospital can be measured by its buildings and beds, but its dignity is determined by how deeply it loves people.
This is the most important message left by Park Hyang-jin and Howon Hospital's new challenge.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.