Gachon University Gil Hospital Mobile

Gachon University Gil Medical Center(GUGMC) has received medical device manufacturing approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) for its self-developed artificial intelligence (AI) gastric cancer prediction software (SW). The medical center is participating in the “Dr. Answer 2.0” project, part of the “AI Precision Medical Solutions (Dr. Answer 2.0)” initiative led by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the National IT Industry Promotion Agency. Within the gastric cancer segment of Dr. Answer 2.0, the project is divided into two parts: software for predicting gastric cancer using AI, and AI-assisted early diagnosis during endoscopy. Of these, the software that predicts the possibility of developing gastric cancer using electronic medical records (EMR) and patient questionnaires (AI-Doctor for Gastric Cancer) has recently received medical device certification from the MFDS.

This software calculates an individual’s risk of developing gastric cancer based on blood test results, Helicobacter pylori test outcomes, health screening data, EMR data, and lifestyle survey responses. Utilizing more than 30,000 cases of EMR big data—including lifestyle factors, health screenings, endoscopy, and biopsy results—it conducts multifaceted analysis for gastric cancer prediction. It enables individuals who hesitate to undergo screening due to reasons such as “Do I really need to get tested?” or “Endoscopy is too burdensome” to assess their risk level using only their EMR data and survey responses, and to receive a visualized report of the results.

A North Korean defector who was pregnant with twins gave birth prematurely, facing yet another hardship. Moved by her story, Gachon University Gil Medical Center(GUGMC) decided to support the mother and her babies, offering heartfelt assistance.

Soo-Yeon Kim (alias, 37 years old) defected from North Korea last October and discovered her twin pregnancy during a medical checkup at a designated hospital for North Korean defectors. On the night of the 3rd, about a month before her due date, her water broke unexpectedly. She rushed to a nearby hospital, but due to the late hour and her high-risk status (including gestational diabetes), she was unable to receive care there.

Eventually, on the morning of the 4th, she was transferred to GUGMC with help from a 119 emergency medical team. Under the care of OB/GYN Dr. Suk-Young Kim, she gave birth to twin girls weighing 1.68kg and 1.64kg. The mother was discharged four days later, while the twins, born at 33 weeks of gestation, remained in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for treatment and were discharged on the 18th.

Kim currently receives basic living subsidies but will need to earn an income to raise and educate her children. However, with no family in South Korea, raising the twins on her own is expected to be a significant challenge.

Her story was conveyed to Unification Ministry officials and Gachon University President Dr. Gil-Ya Lee through a missionary who has long supported North Korean defectors. President Lee, known for her compassionate care—including past support for a mother of quadruplets—personally visited the NICU on July 11 to meet the twins. She encouraged Kim, saying, “It must be difficult to raise twins on your own, but if the children fall ill or you need help, come to Gil Medical Center anytime.” She also gifted the mother with baby care supplies.

In addition to the national medical support programs for mothers and premature babies, GUGMC covered all medical expenses not supported by the government and provided the mother with a women’s comprehensive health screening voucher. The hospital also pledged to offer partial discounts on the children’s medical fees until they reach adulthood so they can grow up healthy.

Gachon University Gil Medical Center(GUGMC) has developed an Accelerator-Based Boron Neutron Capture Therapy system (A-BNCT), completed its Phase 1 clinical trial, and taken a step closer to overcoming glioblastoma—a malignant brain tumor with a 5-year survival rate of only 8.9%. Glioblastoma accounts for approximately 42% of gliomas, which comprise the majority of neuroepithelial tumors. It is the most common malignant brain tumor, known for its rapid growth and invasive nature, spreading into nearby brain tissues. The 1-year survival rate is about 47%, and the 5-year survival rate is only 9%, making it one of the most challenging cancers to treat.

GUGMC became the first in Korea to complete a Phase 1 clinical trial of A-BNCT, a fourth-generation “dream cancer therapy,” securing the safety of the treatment. The development process and clinical outcomes were presented at the recent World BNCT Congress held in Poland, where the center was recognized as a global leader in the field.

A-BNCT works by injecting boron compounds into the body, which are selectively absorbed by cancer cells. When neutron beams are directed at these boron-loaded cells, a nuclear reaction occurs that destroys only the cancer cells, leaving normal tissues unharmed. This makes it a highly targeted treatment suitable for malignant brain tumors, recurrent cancers, or invasive tumors that are difficult to surgically remove. Unlike conventional radiation therapy, which often requires multiple sessions, A-BNCT can be completed in a single treatment.

GUGMC plans to finalize the Phase 1 trial by completing the case study reports (CSRs) and will continue monitoring and treating patients. Based on follow-up outcomes, the hospital aims to proceed with Phase 2 clinical trials. In addition to glioblastoma, A-BNCT is expected to expand its indications to other difficult-to-treat cancers such as head and neck cancer, malignant brain tumors, and melanoma.

Gachon University Gil Medical Center(GUGMC) Women's Cancer Hospital consists of three cancer specialization centers, including breast cancer, gynecological cancer, and thyroid cancer, as well as specialization centers such as a cancer prevention center, a cancer knowledge information center, and a palliative care center. Women's cancer hospitals are responsible for cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and education. In addition, multidisciplinary treatment tailored to each patient is provided in collaboration with various specialists such as surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, oncology, hematology, radiology, radiology and oncology, radiology, radiology, radiology, radiology, radiology, endocrinology, endocrinology, psychiatry, and plastic surgery.

It provides a "one-stop" treatment service from diagnosis to treatment to reduce the risk of tumor growth or metastasis, and also reduces the physical and psychological burden of cancer patients. Another advantage is that the medical system, which existed separately in the main building and cancer center, gathers in one place centered on women's cancer to minimize treatment lines, while constructing a space in consideration of the privacy protection of female patients. In addition, it is equipped with advanced cancer diagnosis equipment such as the latest MRI and CT, and is all located in women's cancer hospitals.

Gachon University Gil Medical Center and Gachon University(GUGMC) Brain Science Research Institute have succeeded in acquiring the world's first living monkey brain images.

Such achievements by GUGMC and others are the result of Korean researchers presenting a paradigm for overcoming brain diseases in the competition of countries around the world to reveal the mechanism of occurrence of neurodegenerative brain diseases such as dementia and Parkinson.

Using 11.74T MRI, the researchers even acquired a three-dimensional image of 0.125mm pixel resolution (the smaller the pixel unit, the higher the resolution) on living Cynomolgus macaque. The obtained image shows that the contrast between gray matter where many nerve cells are gathered and white matter where many nerve fibers are present has been significantly increased compared to 3T and 7T MRI images. This means that it detected cell signals more sensitively, which were not confirmed in existing MRIs.

The meaning of this brain image acquisition is that it has reached a level where the substance responsible for dementia can be directly identified. Toxic proteins such as beta-amyloid, tau, and Louissoce, which have been identified as causative agents of dementia and Parkinson, could not be identified by 7T MRI images with only 0.05mm of toxic proteins, so they had to indirectly confirm the surrounding cell death caused by toxic substances.

As the researchers succeeded in acquiring 0.125mm images using 11.74T, they are conducting research with the aim of acquiring 0.05mm images in the future.

Cardiac rehabilitation treatment aims to minimize the aftereffects of heart disease while restoring patients to a healthy life physically, emotionally and socially. Patients who need rehabilitation in motor skills in parallel with heart treatment, such as acute coronary artery disease (acute myocardial infarction, unstable angina, coronary intervention and stent implantation), heart failure, patient waiting for heart transplant surgery, coronary artery bypass, valve and left ventricular assistive devices, and heart transplant, are eligible.

The Cardiac Respiratory Rehabilitation Center at Gachon University Gil Medical Center is led by Professor Yu Myung-eun of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, and physical therapists and nurses team up to provide customized prescriptions to patients. Accurate evaluation of the patient's cardiopulmonary endurance and 1RM (the strength that can be exercised against the resistance of weight with maximum effort at a time) is conducted, and aerobic exercise such as treadmills and fixed bicycles, flexibility and muscle exercise treatment are performed. During exercise, medical staff check the patient's electrocardiogram, heart rate, and oxygen saturation in real time using Cardiac Telemetry to prevent cardiovascular accidents that can occur during exercise.

Cardiac rehabilitation should be started as soon as possible as the patient's acute treatment is performed and the cardiovascular life signs are stabilized and chest pain and myocardial enzyme levels are stabilized. Experiencing monitoring exercise during hospitalization and starting rehabilitation treatment within 10 days after discharge can increase the effectiveness. Respiratory rehabilitation is also carried out with the aim of accurately determining the patient's motor ability using various techniques and instruments and maintaining stable breathing through treatment.

Patients who have undergone pulmonary lobectomy due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), neuromuscular disease, spinal cord injury, and lung cancer are eligible for respiratory rehabilitation treatment. Evaluate respiratory functions such as maximum respiratory pressure, maximum air pressure, lung capacity, maximum injection capacity, and maximum air flow rate, oxygen saturation and carbon dioxide partial pressure, and other respiratory distress indices, and conduct aerobic, muscle strength, flexibility exercise and respiratory rehabilitation training according to the results.

President Lee Gil-ya received the award at the 54th Korea Management Awards hosted by the Korea Efficiency Association at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Seoul.

President Lee ran Gachon University, Gachon University Gil Medical Center, and Gachon Gil Foundation, contributing to university innovation and medical science development, and practicing service and patriotism.

President Lee, who graduated from Seoul National University Medical School in 1957, was the founder of Gil Hospital and established the first non-profit medical corporation as a female doctor since the opening of Igil Girls' Obstetrics and Gynecology in Incheon in 1958.

In addition, he took the lead in innovating hospital management by introducing the first ultrasound device in Korea, computerizing hospitals, operating doctor helicopters and regional trauma centers, and introducing artificial intelligence Watson.

It was also highly praised for its consistent practice of volunteering, including hospitals without deposits, free screening for uterine cancer, medical services in Muuichon, operation of hospitals in vulnerable areas, and free surgery to invite overseas heart disease patients.

President Lee said, "I decided to become a doctor after seeing poor people die without proper treatment, and I have been working hard to develop basic medicine by taking care of marginalized patients and nurturing good talents all my life."

GUGMC is currently dispatching cardiologists and infectious disease specialists to Incheon Medical Center and Incheon Veterans Hospital. This initiative is part of its role as a regional public medical center to help address physician shortages at local public hospitals in the Incheon area.

These hospitals have been experiencing a shortage of specialists, particularly in cardiology. Incheon Medical Center has been without a cardiologist since 2022 and has yet to fill the vacancy despite active recruitment efforts. Similarly, Incheon Veterans Hospital has no cardiologist on staff. To help resolve this, GUGMC has dispatched cardiologists to both hospitals, as well as one infectious disease specialist to Incheon Medical Center. GUGMC initially began supporting Incheon Medical Center in August 2020 at the request of the hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This collaboration is part of a Ministry of Health and Welfare initiative aimed at dispatching medical professionals to key public hospitals. As a designated Regional Public Health Institution since February 2021, GUGMC plays a central role in the local public health system. It supports nearby community medical centers through clinical cooperation, patient referral, and technical assistance across a broad range of services.

 

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GUGMC has opened a CAR-T (Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell) Cell Therapy Center to provide personalized immunotherapy for patients with hematologic cancers using their own immune cells. The center is the first in the Gyeonggi and Incheon regions to be certified by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. Located on the 18th floor of the hospital’s AI building, the center is equipped with facilities for cell extraction and storage.

The center is led by Dr. Kwai-Han Yoo from the Department of Hematology, with support from specialists in hematology, infectious diseases, and neurology, who collaborate with the intensive care unit to treat blood cancer patients.

CAR-T cell therapy involves extracting a patient’s T cells from their blood, modifying them by attaching a CAR that enables them to recognize cancer cells, and then re-infusing them into the patient. Unlike conventional chemotherapy or targeted therapies that introduce external substances, CAR-T therapy uses the patient’s own cells, which significantly reduces side effects and enables selective targeting of cancer cells. This treatment can be especially effective for patients who do not respond to conventional cancer treatments.

 

https://v.daum.net/v/20240422142639388

Gachon University Gil Medical Center(GUGMC) received its 4th cycle healthcare institution accreditation and held a plaque-hanging ceremony in the main lobby on February 5. The event was attended by hospital president Dr. Woo-Kyung Kim, along with key executives and staff members, to reflect on the significance of the accreditation and to reaffirm their commitment to providing top-quality medical services.

The healthcare institution accreditation system is a government-led evaluation program, conducted every four years by the Korea Institute for Healthcare Accreditation under the Ministry of Health and Welfare. It objectively assesses whether medical institutions are continuously making efforts to improve patient safety and the quality of healthcare services.

GUGMC underwent the 4th cycle accreditation evaluation from September 12 to 15 last year. The hospital was assessed in four major areas—patient safety, clinical care systems, and organizational management—across 92 criteria. It successfully met the required standards in all categories and achieved high scores, earning the accreditation.

 

https://v.daum.net/v/20240207093151403