Kim Young-tae, the president of Seoul National University Hospital, noted on the 2nd through his New Year address, “I will focus on improving the training environment for residents by diversifying the roles for strengthening the capabilities of clinical support personnel and securing specialized staffing.” He also expressed his ambition to prioritize enhancing the functions of educational hospitals that cultivate the best medical staff.
President Kim introduced the hospital's achievements made despite the difficulties caused by medical gaps last year. He stated, “2024 was a year in which the medical community faced unprecedented challenges,” adding, “Nevertheless, the Seoul National University Hospital Group achieved innovation and development at the group level, including the main hospital, Bundang Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul Boramae Medical Center, Gangnam Center, National Traffic Rehabilitation Hospital, and Sheikh Khalifa Specialist Hospital (SKSH).”
President Kim also pledged to strengthen essential medical services. He said, “I will spare no effort to establish Seoul National University Hospital's identity as a public medical institution,” and added, “As a regional responsibility medical institution, I will enhance information sharing and support to strengthen regional essential medical services and will play a leading role as a control tower for essential medical care and in the ultimate treatment of severe patients.”
He also shared plans for advancements in the institutional sector. President Kim emphasized, “To leap forward as a world-class research-centered hospital, I will further solidify our global research network,” and continued, “I will promote the establishment of independent research institutes so that we can concentrate our capabilities on core research areas, and through the establishment of a healthcare AI research center, we will drive the development of the national digital bio-health industry by producing world-class research achievements and supporting industrialization.”
He also unveiled the remodeling project plan for the children’s hospital, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. President Kim stated that construction would begin with the temporary ward for the pediatric annex as the first step, and pledged to create a future children’s hospital with infection control and patient safety enhanced through configurations of rooms with fewer than four beds. The hospital will also create an advanced treatment environment equipped with robot-exclusive operating rooms and hybrid operating rooms.
Seoul National University Hospital is undertaking a project to establish and operate a 250-bed general hospital in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, this year. The hospital also plans to concentrate its capabilities for the opening of Baegot Seoul National University Hospital, the Gijang Proton Therapy Center, and National Fire Hospital.