Hospital-university
collaboration to deepen healthcare coverage, medical research capabilities of
central Taiwan

To
strengthen the medical coverage and healthcare access of all those who reside
in the central Taiwanese township of Puli, National Chi Nan University signed a
memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Puli Branch of Taichung Veterans
General Hospital (臺中榮民總醫院埔里分院) on March 19 to
attract more medical resources through industrial and academic collaboration.
NCNU
President Dong-sing Wuu (武東星) explains that areas of cooperation
shall include developing artificial intelligence and smart devices for medical
care and treatment, exploring biotechnology, finding better solutions for
long-term caretaking and nursing demands, and utilizing big data and deep
learning in clinical studies and digital healthcare analysis.
By
pool together resources and talent from both the hospital and the university,
this new partnership achieves three core objectives: enhancing the quality of Taiwan’s
medical research and development, strengthening the healthcare coverage of
Puli, and opening the door for NCNU students to partake in hospital projects
and social outreach.
Hsu
Wei–tzu (徐慰慈), superintendent of the Puli Branch
of Taichung Veterans General Hospital, added that there are two main frontiers
to consider. One, a long-running partnership aimed at ushering in a new era of
biotech and smart medical care for central Taiwan; and two, a joint network of
resources that can leverage economies of scale by aggregating the hospital’s
extensive clinical experiences and applying the university’s academic and big
data analysis capabilities.
Summarizing
the partnership’s mission statement as “medical advancement through joint
research,” Dr. Wuu reiterated the commitment of all four participating NCNU
colleges, which are respectively dedicated to the fields of science and
technology, business and management, education, and the liberal arts.
The
endless possibilities include intelligent healthcare systems, health
supplements and graceful aging, interactive VR technology in care facilities,
social work training for students, dementia research on the benefits of the Mediterranean
diet, big data analysis of clinical results, and green care like horticultural
and forest therapy.
Superintendent
Hsu also spoke of his high hopes for matching NCNU’s academic and management
expertise with the hospital’s medical knowledge, explaining that the joint
research, talent training, instructional collaboration, and shared teaching
resources can only spur on Taiwan’s educational and industrial advancements.
Removing barriers to learning through the co-development of classroom and
medical innovations will also pave the way for further hands-on training and professional
experience for more NCNU students, Hsu added.
The
Puli Branch of Taichung Veterans General Hospital has been operating a
dedicated outpost at NCNU for a full decade, providing essential health
services to all members of the campus community. On behalf of the university’s
students and staff, Dr. Wuu thanked the Puli Branch for its dedication and
called on Puli residents to rely on the clinic for their health needs.
The
NCNU clinic operated by the Puli Branch of Taichung Veterans General Hospital
is open from Mondays through Fridays (9am to noon and 2pm to 5pm), offering
preventive care to adults, vaccination services, and other consultations.
Treated by doctors and pharmacists trained by the Taichung Veterans General
Hospital, visitors only need to cover treatment costs; appointment fees are
waived.