Department of Community Medicine
Introduction to the Department of Community Medicine, Taipei City Hospital The target of the World Health Organization (WHO) on community medical development is to create a “Healthy Community” or a “Healthy City”. Hancock and Duhl made a clear description of a ‘Healthy City’ in 1986, and defined it as: “A healthy city is one that is continually creating and improving those community resources which enable people to mutually support each other in performing all the functions of life and in developing to their maximum potential”. In short, the Community Medical Department, under the framework of the Hospital, tries to coordinate the policies of the Hospital with those of government, and other departments in order to “Create a Healthy Community”. Seeing the individual as its center, family as its unit, and community as its category, we hope that each community will be able to coordinate with government policies and receive care from medical institutions that is aimed at health issues. Having the power to promote health together will help to achieve the final target of having a “Healthy City”!
The Community Medical Department of Taipei City Hospital is a subordinate medical department of the Hospital. Its goal is to create a healthy city by coordinating with the government policy and cooperating with other medical department such as Internal Medicine Department, Surgical Department, Women and Children Department, etc. Thus, superior medical and health service should be able to provide Taipei’s citizens with the means to keep themselves in good condition, including both physical and psychological health. The Internal Medicine Department, Surgical Department, and the Women and Children Department of Taipei City Hospital are mainly associated with emergency medicine, while medical services provided by the. Community Medical Department focuses more on preventive medicine and rehabilitation. These services are not only provided within the hospital but also extend into the various communities that make up Taipei. The Community Medical Department at present is divided into the following five departments, Community Medicine Department, Family Medicine Department, Occupational Medicine Department, Hospice Nursing Department, and Senile Medicine Department. Each has a different role and mission. Their programs are as follows: