Asan Medical Center
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| Asan Medical Center | |
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| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | 388-1, Poongnap-2dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul, South Korea |
| Organisation | |
| Hospital type | Tertiary referral hospital |
| Services | |
| Beds | 2,791 |
| History | |
| Founded | 1989 |
| Links | |
| Website | http://eng.amc.seoul.kr/ |
| Lists | Hospitals in South Korea |
Asan Medical Center(서울아산병원) is the parent of seven hospitals which are part of the Asan Foundation established in 1977 and which has non-profit operations in areas including healthcare, social work, scholarship, and R&D support.
Global Medical Complex - Asan Medical Center
With an area greater than 3 million sq. ft. and with 2,791 beds, Asan Medical Center is the largest hospital in Korea. Seoul AMC treats 10,449 outpatients and 268 emergency patients on an average day. It also performs 62,637 highly complex surgeries each year.
Asan Medical Center established Asan Institute for Life Sciences and Clinical Research Center which function as the ground for research and training, new treatments development, and clinical study for cancer treatment.
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[edit] Overview
- Total Licensed Beds : 2,791 (East Building(1,161 beds), West Building(738 beds), New Building (847 beds), Etc. (45 beds))
- Outpatients : Approximately 10,449.6/day
- Inpatients : Approximately 908,790/year - 2,506.7/day
- Emergency Patients : Approximately 97,841/year
- Surgical Operations : Approximately 62,637/year
[edit] Research and Study
In various areas of clinical and basic medicine, AMC published 567 and 825 research papers in 2005 and 2006 respectively to domestic and international medical fields, and provides integrated courses by affiliating with the University of Ulsan College of Medicine. AMC offers medical students with clinical experiences by operating a pre-internship program twice a year as well. As an affiliate medical center of Harvard Medical School, AMC runs a mutual patient advisory and referral system with Harvard Medical School and collaborates in the areas of medical treatment, education, health technology planning through the exchange of doctors, nurses, health technicians, and administrative staff with Harvard Medical School. Through the partnership contracted with Imperial College London in February 2007, AMC pursues an active clinical exchange and joint research for the areas of clinical and basic medicine.
[edit] Culture Activity
AMC provides visitors with a chance to meet the world of art by exhibiting artworks in the lobby. A concert called ‘Asan Medical Center Love Concert’ which is performed by volunteering professional musicians and music majored students is held in the main hall every month. As other endeavors to provide patient friendly environment, AMC plays a movie and offers a reading room to patients and visitors.
[edit] Affiliates
[edit] Asan Foundation
The Asan Foundation was established by the late Chairman, Ju-Yung Chung, as one of the commemoration works for the 30th anniversary of Hyundai Engineering and Construction, the parent company of Hyundai Group. The Asan Foundation has focused on medical treatment and welfare business following the foundation’s purpose, “Helping the least privileged member of our society”. From the early stage, the Asan Foundation established 8 regional hospitals in rural areas such as Jeongeup, Bosung, Youngdeok , Hongcheon , Gangneung, where there were very few hospitals existed at the time, and has provided medical benefits through the hospitals.
[edit] University of Ulsan College of Medicine
Since founded in 1988, the University of Ulsan College of Medicine has been operated in the unifications of clinical and basic medicine and runs programs to raise the student’s problem-solving ability. In December 2004, the university’s Seoul campus was moved in the Asan Education Research Center of AMC, and AMC, Ulsan University Hospital, and Gangneung Asan Hospital are its teaching hospitals. There are 450 professors working at the University and 358 undergraduate, 797 master, and 275 doctor graduates since it has been founded.
[edit] Clinical Research Center
The AMC Clinical Research Center(CRC) was opened in 2002 to support the clinical research of AMC investigators. Despite its short history, about 380 clinical trials in 2005, 480 clinical trials in 2006 and over 500 clinical trials have been conducted in 2007. The AMC CRC was designated as the Regional Clinical Trial Center by the Korean Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs in June 2006. The AMC CRC provides clinical trial services. The quality is assured by an independent unit and frequent sponsors' audits as experienced by the AMC CRC.
[edit] ASAN Institute for Life Sciences
Laboratory of National Investment Project
The laboratory is a government-financed research team. They work on identifying the causes and developing diagnosis and treatment methods of adult diseases and cancers. At present, they are working on the discovery of genes that can maximize radiation therapy effect on cancer patients, the treatment techniques of metabolic diseases accompanied by obesity and other diseases, signal-transmitting systems related to insulin, and the discovery of Korean-specific SNP in osteoporosis genes and related gene discovery/ identification studies.
Laboratory of Molecular Cell Biology
It carries out basic research in cell biology and immunology and runs the cell cultivation chamber and the flow cytometry. The laboratory is working on disease development mechanism and regulation, molecular biological and cell biological research on the function, regulation and transmission agent of cure-related various cells. It is also actively engaging in the development of treatment techniques of metabolic diseases through the study of mitochondria functions, the study on the role of leukotactin-1, a new chemokine in rheumatic arthritis, the study on the role of HVEM and 4-1BB in allergic inflammation and airway remodeling of bronchial asthma airway and therapeutic possibility, and the study on surface antigen of cells related to diseases such as osteoporosis, diabetes, pulmonary fibrosis and nephritis, the study on adhesion protein and intracellular protein, the study on hematopoietic stem cell, the study on aging, the study on super antigen and self immune antigen, and the study on various tumor cell lines.
Laboratory of Genome Research
The laboratory is involved in developing the diagnosis, treatment and prevention methods of illnesses through the research on gene functions related to the identification of genetic causes using genomic analysis methods. The Genome Research Center for Birth Defects and Genetic Disorders (www.amcgenome.org) designated by the Ministry of Health and Welfare is working on the clinical applicability and the development of prevention methods by carrying out biological research on gene discovery and genetic mutation related to various genetic disorders and congenital heart defects of human. In addition, the center is equipped with an unparallel research environment where a group of clinical researchers conduct basic genome research and clinical research at the same time and the research findings are applied to the clinical trials. Such an effort will serve as a basis for realization of the personalized medicine based on individual genetic difference.
Laboratory of Immunology & Transplantation
The laboratory is carrying out research to identify the pathophysiology of internal organs. It is also involved in the study on suppressing organ transplant rejection, insulin resistance treatment, islet autotransplantation, a single antigen synthesis of nucleroprotein, and the efficacy examination of new drugs in the animal models of heart disease and diabetes.
Laboratory of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance
The laboratory has the first 4.7T MRI/MRS System for animal in Korea and employs the human in vivo MRS, animal in vivo MRS, in vitro NMR and the 3rd phase MRS in a mutually complementary way. It not only applies MRS using the 3D localization in brain, muscles, and heart by monitoring qualitative and quantitative analysis of bio metabolism but also uses T1 and T2 Weighted MRI and Micro MRI in picturing micro-structure of live tissues.
Laboratory of Animal Research
It has a SPF section, Semi-SPF section, Clean section, animal infection test section, operating room, electrophysiology room, SPF clearing chamber, transformation lab, microbiology lab, quarantine chamber, etc. It can breed small to large-sized animals such as mice, rats, rabbits, dogs and pigs. It is working on technical support for animal tests and the study on the development and maintenance of transformed animals. It runs the animal test committee to ensure the animal welfare and the ethics of animal testing.
[edit] Asan Health Network
Gangneung Asan Hospital, Keumkang Asan Hospital, Bosung Asan Hospital, Boryeong Asan Hospital, Youngdeok Asan Hospital, Jeongeup Asan Hospital, Hongcheon Asan Hospital
[edit] International Collaboration
Since 1996, Asan Medical Center has had a relationship with Partners Harvard Medical International, an advisory services and professional consulting organization focused on improving health care around the world. Through this relationship, Asan has developed numerous international symposia and enabled dozens of physicians, nurses, and administrative staff to study in observership programs at the Harvard Medical School affiliated teaching hospitals.
