Taipei City Hospital

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”.
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:

1. Community Medicine Department: This department provides primary preventive work by promoting a healthy community, executing community health screening activities, assisting schools in organizing health protection promotions related to medical supports activities, integrating the community health care system, executing public health plans, etc.
2. Family Medicine Department: This department runs family medicine clinics, provides health examinations (including physical check-ups for military enlistment), carries out regular visits to nursing homes, provides medical support in the form of home care, and controls the community medical group.
3. Occupational Medicine Department: This department runs occupational disease clinics, gathers individual information on reported occupational diseases, carries out visits and health examinations at the work place, and is planning a center that models a healthy working place.
4. Hospice Nursing Department: Providing hospice hospitalization (18 beds at present) and provide hospices service at the patient’s home and at clinics. To meet future demand, Jen Ai Hospital is currently planning for new hospice wards.
5. Senile Medicine Department: At present 9.6% of the population in Taiwan is over 65 years old. Maintaining their health is becoming an important issue. It is important to emphasize wellness planning in terms of preventive medicine as well rehabilitation because these will reduce medical expenses and allow the elderly to remain healthy.

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”!