Johns Hopkins Faculty speak on Public Health at Min-Sheng General Hospital

Saturday December 23, Min-Sheng general Hospital played host to an international symposium on Public Health Policy jointly organized with the Taoyuan County Public Health Bureau. The organizing committee had invited prominent academics from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the world’s leading institution dedicated to the training of public health professionals, to share their experience on a variety of topics.


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Dr. James Yager, Professor in Preventive Medicine at the School, spoke about environmental determinants of cancer and possible strategies for the prevention of certain types of cancer. Rapid industrialization and the life style changes resulting from economic development are contributing to make cancer a global health problem; Dr. Yager elaborated on the opportunities and challenges for prevention that this presents.

Dr. Leiyu Shi, Professor in Health Policy and Management and co-director at The Johns Hopkins Primary Care Policy Center for the Underserved, told about the benefits of advancing primary care to improve community health. The topic is particularly relevant at a time when health care costs are spiraling out of control in many countries and governments are looking for ways to rein in expenditure.

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Dr. Chiang Tung-Liang, Professor and Dean of the College of Public Health at National Taiwan University and one of the fathers of the National Health Insurance in Taiwan, presented the achievements and short comings of the universal coverage system, and looked at the future of public health in the ROC and at the challenges still laying in the way of health equity.

For Min-Sheng General Hospital the symposium was another opportunity to reaffirm its commitment towards improving the health of the population of Taoyuan County, while raising its profile and profess its international ambitions.

The Dialysis Center at Min-Sheng General Hospital serves local patients and foreign visitors alike.

When Prince Court Hospital in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, looked for a dialysis center to treat one of its patients planning a trip to Taiwan, it contacted Min-Sheng General hospital to make the arrangements. This episode underlines the plight of thousands of people with renal problems who require dialysis several times a week, whether they are at home or traveling abroad. People with such conditions should not be deterred from traveling; they just need more planning and attention.

The Dialysis Center at Min-Sheng Hospital is the perfect place for this type of travelers. The 56-bed center is equipped with the latest Fresenius machines and is staffed with four nephrologists, forty-two nurses and two technicians. The center which offers Conventional Hemodialysis, High efficiency Hemodialysis, High flux hemodialysis, and Peritoneal Dialysis is open six days a week (from Monday to Saturday) from 7:30 in the morning until 10:30 at night for the greatest convenience of the patients.
With a focus on quality care and safety, the center implements strict infection control procedures; hollow fibers membranes are single-use only, all the equipment goes through stringent daily monitoring and is maintained by a team of in-house experienced technicians. In 2009, Min-Sheng General Hospital’s Dialysis Center was surveyed by Joint Commission International (JCI), the international arm of Joint Commission the body that reviews all hospitals in the USA, and became the first hospital in the world to be awarded CCP (Clinical Care Program) Certification for its chronic kidney disease program.

Foreign visitors in need of dialysis treatment while staying in Taiwan are welcome to the center. Advance booking is required and treatment can be tailored to meet personal requirements. People interested in using the services of the Dialysis Center should contact the International Healthcare Department of Min-Sheng General Hospital that will make the necessary arrangements.

Min-Sheng General Hospital receives Gold Award for English Service

Min-Sheng general Hospital was presented with the Gold Award for English Services by the Executive Yuan, the of the government of the Republic of China (Taiwan). The award is given to Taiwanese institutions and businesses that offer English-friendly environment and service to their patrons, following a thorough investigation by the China Productivity Center that includes on-site visits by English speaking foreigners.
Min-Sheng General Hospital embarked several years ago in a program aimed at turning the hospital into an international center of excellence. An International Health care Center was established to lead and assist in the changes, and become the service platform between Min-Sheng and its international patients and partners. Foreign patients at Min-Sheng General Hospital will find English signage throughout the hospital, most documents (e.g. doctors and fees schedules, medicine instruction sheets, admission and consent forms, etc.) in English, and staff proficient in several languages ready to assist with translation if necessary. The hospital also set up an English website and two blogs to inform foreigners living in Taiwan and abroad about its services and activities.

Patients who travel to Min-Sheng General Hospital from overseas for surgical packages organized by the hospital’s International Health care Center are assigned an English speaking case manager who assists them at every step of their stay, ensuring seamless service and a comfortable experience.