On June 24, 2018, a celebration was held in Qingdao United Family Hospital to mark its third anniversary and also the 21st anniversary of United Family Healthcare in China. Dr. Jeff Staples, United Family Healthcare’s Chief Operating Officer, and Dr. DJ Hamblin-Brown, United Family Healthcare’s Vice President for Medical Affairs, together with Mr. Wang Ao, Qingdao United Family Hospital General Manager attended the event and together announced some new directions for future development.
They indicated that in keeping with United Family Healthcare’s continuous healthcare service system, Qingdao United Family Hospital will provide the full lifecycle of systematic healthcare and healthcare services from birth to old age to assist in obtaining an all-round elevation in health levels of both individuals and their whole family. In addition, Qingdao United Family Hospital’s online mall and pre-paid card were also formally launched. This marks the coming into being of the off-line experience and on-line purchasing model, which brings greater convenience to our patients and their experience in seeking high-quality medical care.
Since United Family Healthcare first entered the Chinese market as a high-end maternity hospital, it has consistently strived to bring internationally advanced treatments and medical concepts to Chinese patients. Over the past 21 years, it has persisted in developing the scope of its health services, gradually becoming a comprehensive hospital with international standards combining prevention, care, treatment, and rehabilitation. Qingdao United Family Hospital follows United Family Healthcare’s concept in opening multiple departments including Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pediatrics, Dermatology, and Dental in order to provide “cradle to rocking chair” medical services, which cover the full life cycle, to patients and their families.
It is worth stressing that since it was established, Qingdao United Family Hospital has had a Family Medicine department providing one-stop services. Family Medicine physicians can treat many commonly seen and frequently occurring diseases. Where there is a need for specialist consultation, the internationally popular multi-department combined diagnosis and treatment is provided where patient-centered service is given by the whole medical team. An all-round treatment plan is set from the beginning to avoid patients making detours and to ensure that “patient-centered” treatment is achieved. The Family Medicine consultation model also perfectly matches the “Healthy China Strategy” proposed by the Communist Party of China’s 19th National Congress in which a major step forward has been taken in providing a high-quality treatment and healthcare service system and perfecting a modern hospital management system.
The World Health Organization has previously shown that for every one yuan spent on preventative healthcare, eight yuan is saved in the cost of medical treatment. Medical treatment is a continuum, seeking diagnosis for examination once cannot solve the actual problems. Qingdao United Family Hospital’s Family Medicine starts with preventative healthcare with active prevention and continuous intervention in the health of patients. For example, a patient with a chronic disease such as diabetes requires long-term blood sugar monitoring on a daily basis. The patient must regularly “report” to the attending doctor who will give rational advice on life-style and medication based on the patient’s actual circumstances. Qingdao United Family Hospital has already rolled out its High Blood Pressure Management Package, Diabetes Management Package and the Kidney Stone Management Package to provide patients with health management and services and achieve a medical services model which shifts its focus from “treatment” to “prevention”.
In addition, during the third anniversary celebration of Qingdao United Family Hospital, General Manager Mr. Wang Ao announced the official launch of the online store and United Family pre-paid card. Through the online store, patients can directly purchase treatment products or pre-paid cards which they can then use in the hospital when undergoing consultations. This is a new payment method which follows on from United Family Healthcare’s insurance, social medical insurance and commercial insurance, and it allows patients greater convenience in seeking treatment.
United Family Healthcare’s Chief Operating Officer Dr. Jeff Staples mentioned when talking of social responsibility that during United Family Healthcare’s 21 years of operation in China in addition to providing medical services, it has also continuously shared management and medical experience with everyone to promote the advancement of healthcare in China. In addition, United Family Healthcare is one of the key donors to the United Family Charitable Fund, a not-for-profit institution for public interest. Through the launch of diversified public interest healthcare projects, assistance and treatment are given to orphaned and disabled children and vulnerable adults with congenital disease. As a member of United Family Healthcare, Qingdao United Family Hospital is active in practicing its social responsibility. In September last year, Qingdao United Family Hospital became the first private institution in China to have a non-profit breast milk bank, thus giving help to newborns during their most vulnerable period. In May 2018, Qingdao United Family Hospital became a member of UNICEF’s 10sq Meters of Love program, working in concert with other institutions and groups to create a social environment in support of breast feeding. At present, both Qingdao United Family Hospital and the whole of United Family Healthcare are actively developing a general medicine treatment model. Through the integration of international and comprehensive medical resources, we believe that in the future patients will increasingly have a more superior health management experience.
In the past 21 years since its establishment, United Family Healthcare has provided medical services to patients from more than 80 countries and regions across the globe, first obtaining JCI accreditation and then accreditation from the College of American Pathologists. Since its establishment, Qingdao United Family Hospital has provided healthcare services to patients from 69 countries. It is patient-centered and aims to provide Chinese citizens and foreigners in Qingdao City a more humanistic healthcare experience in order to meet diversified needs for treatment and enable patients to acquire all-round and full life cycle medical services from preventative healthcare diagnosis and treatment to postnatal rehabilitation.
