History and current status of the hospital
Taipei Medical University Hospital was founded in 1976. After 16 years of trailblazing, we became the first affiliated hospital to provide a place for cultivating resident doctors, education and research. In the beginning, we were a 220-bed facility providing medical services. Then with developing fields, service loads and public need for treatment of severe illnesses, the Second and Third Medical Buildings were constructed. To provide integrated services, the Second Medical Building was reconstructed as the Cancer Treatment Center in 2010. It is now an important 800-bed medical facility for Taipei’s East District.
At the Taipei Medical University Hospital, we aim to fulfill our mission of education, research and services based on the philosophy of innovation, excellence and respect for life. We hope to become a world-class University hospital. Our hospital is located at the heart of Taipei’s financial and business district. We have a comprehensive range of specialties and advanced facilities. Through a one-university-three-hospitals integration, a complete foundation for international medical quality was laid. Besides having a complete organizational structure, 12 centers, 39 committees and a special medical quality department were established to inculcate a “patient-centered” organizational culture. We continue to improve our medical quality to provide the public with world-class and best medical services.
Features of Medical Treatment
(Innovative Medical Services--Reproductive Medical Center)
Our Center for Reproductive Medical has outstanding results including a 20% pregnancy rate through artificial insemination and a 34% pregnancy rate through in-vitro fertilization. The Reproductive Medical Center has set the records for many leading achievements. We are the first reproductive medical center in the nation to pass the ISO 9002 Health Mark, Asia’s first case where live twins were born from semen that had been frozen for 13 years, and also the world’s first case in mitochondria transfer.
(Comprehensive Weight Management Center)
Using exercise, nutrition, medication, traditional medicine and surgical procedures, our weight loss treatment program is an integrative, interdisciplinary approach that provides an All-in-One treatment. In bariatric surgery, we provide overweight patients with surgical procedures such as gastric balloon and gastric banding. At the same time, we are also the only teaching and training hospital in Asia.
(Information Utilization)
In terms of information utilization, our hospital is the first to pass the test for electronic medical records. Coordinating with PACS systems and electronic medical record, we strive toward a paperless and film-less goal. We passed the ISO27001 Information Safety Management certification, followed by the ISO 20000 Information Service certification, both of which ensure quality information service and information safety control. Furthermore, in 2011, we introduced the smartphone mobile appointment service. We became the first hospital in the nation to integrate IOS and Android to provide a hospital mobile appointment AP to the public for free download so that making appointments is more convenient and flexible.
(Cancer Hospital)
The Cancer Hospital is an all-in-one cancer center that provides cancer information service to the public, integrates interdisciplinary treatment and offers multi-dimensional hospice care. We were awarded the Cancer Treatment Class A Quality Assurance by the Executive Yuan Department of Health. Our hospital is striving to work with the government to promote cancer screening. We have established an integrative screening center, and brought in many advanced cancer treatment facilities, including IGRT, IMRT, and 3-D VMAT. In 2010, we even brought in a 360° Tomotherapy, and established a DNA sequencing center to pinpoint the defective gene in an individual to select the most appropriate chemotherapy, and ushered in an era of individualized medical treatment. Our hospital is the first in the nation to originate E-Chemotherapy. From physician’s prescription, filling of prescription by pharmacists, picking up and signing for the prescription to medication management, the whole process is e-managed to ensure drug safety in a patient’s chemotherapy. We have even established the biggest hospice ward in the whole of Taipei City.
(Patient-Centered)
Our hospital continues to promote patient-centered services. Our nutrition department passed the Department of Health’s new 2010 HACCP Food Safety Control Accreditation. We also have been granted the Executive Yuan English Services Emblem- Gold Award. Moreover, multi-function touch control appointment machines provide the public with convenient appointment services. The entire hospital is also barrier-free, and we have service call buttons situated over more than 11 locations so that patients can receive the most considerate and total-person care.
Since 1976, our hospital has been deeply involved in the community and growing together with it. To implement preventative medicine and promote community health, we established the Community Medical Center, striving to accomplish a mission that is community based, service oriented and preventative medicine guided. We took the initiative to care for the living and health needs of disadvantaged populations within the community, and successfully fulfilled our role as health guardians of the community.
Medical Teaching and Research
Our hospital is affiliated with Taipei Medical University. We are a very important teaching and research base for TMU, providing teaching and practicum. Since our founding, we have cultivated countless outstanding medical talents for Taiwan’s society. We received the highest honor in accreditation evaluation for teaching hospitals. We have a comprehensive framework for teaching and research. By regularly organizing international seminars in clinical teaching, we also keep on par with top rate international university hospitals. We emphasize teaching medical humanity. We espouse admirable humanity and follow the exemplary footsteps of those before us, fulfilling the philosophy of “first be human, then learn medicine.”
Research makes medicine infinite while teaching cultivates endless streams of excellent talents. With the complete research environment and teacher resources of Taipei Medical University as our support, we have produced outstanding results. For example, we found that in late-stage liver cancer, combining tracer drugs with image guided treatment improved responses by 70%. This is a new treatment for late stage liver cancer, and the result is published on the cover page of Cancer Biology and Therapy.
IV. International healthcare services.
The distance between people is measured by the barrier of the heart. A doctor should not be influenced by distance, race or region, and should view all patients as kin. The Taipei Medical University led a medical team to aid Swaziland and other allies by providing training for their medical personnel, and conducted youth exchanges with domestic and overseas medical institutions. We hope that through such exchanges of medical services and academics, we can convey Taiwan’s involvement and concern for the world.
In the meantime, we also promote various international medical services. We have established the International Patient Center to provide complete and world-class medical services to international patients, foreigners living in Taiwan and returned overseas Chinese. Our personnel have been trained in international standards and procedures, and have passed the Joint Commission International Accreditation.
V. Valuing Social Responsibility
Since its founding, the Taipei Medical University Hospital has grown strong with the support of the society. We will continue to assume social responsibility in order to continue developing, and will embrace being the cutting edge for the future.
Remaining on par with societal growth, expanding community involvement and responding to social expectation in a timely manner are not only practical social responsibilities, but are critical to sustainable management.
VI. External Validation
Since our hospital set up a medical quality evaluation committee in 1996, we have gradually built and advanced our medical quality. Practice makes perfect, and we have received countless outside validation. We have comprehensively passed the ISO standardized operational procedure management. We passed with flying colors the hospital accreditation evaluation newly instituted by the Department of Health, and passed the JCI United States International Hospital Evaluation. We even attained the 21st National Quality Award. Having been confirmed as having the highest standard of quality both domestically and internationally, we continue to cultivate a culture of excellence in quality, practice patient-centered service, and pursue being a world class university hospital. |