General hospitals, rehabilitation centers sign on: 'A solid foundation combining medicine and care'
Goyang Special City signed an MOU with eight local medical institutions Monday at Goyang City Hall to support the safe return home of discharged patients under an integrated care referral framework.
Mayor Min Gyeong-seon attended the signing ceremony along with representatives from general hospitals and rehabilitation centers across the city.
The six general hospitals joining the agreement are the National Cancer Center, Dongguk University Ilsan Buddhist Hospital, Inje University Ilsan Paik Hospital, Myongji Hospital under the Myongji Medical Foundation, Ilsan CHA Hospital under the Sungkwang Medical Foundation, and The Zain Hospital under the Zain Medical Foundation. Two rehabilitation hospitals — Ilsan Gospel Rehabilitation Hospital and Ilsan Jungsim Rehabilitation Hospital — also signed on.
Goyang had previously signed a separate agreement with National Health Insurance Service Ilsan Hospital, which was already operating under the integrated care framework. With the remaining general hospitals now added, the city has completed a public-private integrated care network covering every general hospital in Goyang.
The agreement is the second public-private integrated care partnership under the current ninth elected-term administration, following an MOU signed with a milk-delivery welfare service for elderly residents on July 16. The city said the partnerships are rapidly expanding its community cooperation network in pursuit of its core campaign pledge to build a Goyang-style integrated care system.
Under the agreement, participating hospitals will assess each patient's health condition and home care environment before discharge, identify those in need of integrated care support, and refer them to the city.
Goyang will then provide referred patients with tailored services without interruption, including daily living care after discharge and health management visits from public health centers.
Going forward, the city and the hospitals plan to share information and develop a pioneering medical-welfare cooperation model unique to Goyang. The model aims to support appropriate recovery in daily life, proactively prevent unnecessary readmissions, and help residents continue living healthy lives where they already reside.
"I am grateful to the medical institution representatives who readily joined hands to complete a tight-knit, citizen-centered care safety net," Mayor Min said. "I hope this agreement lays a solid foundation — one that combines medicine and care — so that residents returning to daily life after treatment feel no sense of isolation or anxiety the moment they walk out of the hospital."
Meanwhile, the city plans to expand cooperation with hospitals and other organizations to ensure no resident in need of care is overlooked, and to complete an integrated care system that delivers the right services to people where they live.
pjh@heraldcorp.com
