Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital and Chuncheon Sacred Heart Hospital Re-Designated as Regional Emergency Medical Centers for Third Consecutive Term

Passed Ministry of Health and Welfare's Designation Assessment

Three-Year Operation as Regional Emergency Medical Centers from November 2026

Final Treatment for Critical Emergency Patients and Regional Emergency Medical System Management in Southwestern Gyeonggi and Chuncheon, Gangwon

Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital and Hallym University Chuncheon Sacred Heart Hospital, both under Hallym University Medical Center, announced on July 16 that they have passed the Ministry of Health and Welfare's Regional Emergency Medical Center designation assessment and have been re-designated as Regional Emergency Medical Centers.

From the left, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University Chuncheon Sacred Heart Hospital. Hallym University Medical Center

Both hospitals have now been consecutively re-designated for the third time, having first received their designation as Regional Emergency Medical Centers in 2016. The designation period spans from November 1, 2026, to October 31, 2029.

Regional Emergency Medical Centers are core institutions within the regional emergency medical system, responsible for the definitive treatment of critical and severe emergency patients. In addition to providing 24-hour emergency care, they collaborate with local emergency medical institutions, fire departments, and local governments to establish patient transport systems and oversee emergency care in times of disaster or calamity. This assessment focused on evaluating the hospitals' final treatment capabilities for severe emergency conditions, alongside existing criteria such as facilities, equipment, and staffing.

As the Regional Emergency Medical Center for southwestern Gyeonggi Province, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital handles the final treatment of severe emergency patients from Anyang, Gunpo, Uiwang, Gwacheon, and nearby areas. The hospital operates intensive care units and wards exclusively for emergency patients, a pediatric emergency care system, and a multidisciplinary cooperative system that links initial treatment, emergency surgery, and intensive care for critically ill patients.

Moreover, as an implementing institution for the Ministry of Health and Welfare's project to establish inter-hospital transfer systems for severe cases in the Gyeonggi region, the hospital operates a dedicated Mobile ICU. Expert medical staff are on standby 24 hours a day, utilizing ambulances equipped with ventilators and high-flow respiratory support devices to facilitate the inter-hospital transfer of critically ill patients, including those requiring ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) treatment. Last year, the hospital transferred 339 such patients and also supports prompt treatment linkage for suspected stroke patients using the BrainSaver system.

Hallym University Chuncheon Sacred Heart Hospital serves as the Regional Emergency Medical Center for the Chuncheon region in Gangwon Province, ensuring the emergency care safety net for the area. The hospital operates dedicated emergency operating rooms, intensive care units, wards, and pediatric emergency rooms, with all beds in the general emergency patient area configured as single-person rooms.

In particular, since 2023, it has been operating a telemedicine cooperation platform that connects medically underserved regions in real time with the Regional Emergency Medical Center. Specialists review CT images and patient status transmitted from local medical institutions to decide on emergency surgery and patient transfer needs, while emergency room, operating room, and intensive care staff prepare for treatment before the patient even arrives. This system reportedly reduces the diagnosis and treatment time for patients with severe cerebrovascular diseases such as cerebral hemorrhage and cerebral infarction, and enhances medical access within the Gangwon region.

Additionally, the hospital operates an acceptance system for severe emergency patients in connection with the 119 rescue service, providing care for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and major trauma patients from Chuncheon City as well as Hongcheon County, Yeongwol County, Jeongseon County, and other areas of central and southern Gangwon Province. The hospital also uses the Korean Triage and Acuity Scale (KTAS) for patient severity assessment and operates a system for managing emergency room stay times.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.