Gachon University Gil Medical Center's Regional Hospice Center opened on Monday.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare has designated Gil Medical Center as the operating institution for the Regional Hospice Center to more efficiently support specialized hospice institutions in Incheon and Gyeonggi Province and establish an integrated care system based on a network.
Gil Medical Center began its palliative care services with the establishment of a palliative care ward in 2009, followed by participation in a pilot project for consultative palliative care in 2017 and the Regional Hospice Program in 2022. Building on this experience, Gil Medical Center said the hospital plans to strengthen its cooperative framework with specialized hospice institutions in the Incheon-Gyeonggi region, provide specialized training for practitioners, establish a network, and systematically promote public awareness campaigns.
In addition, the hospital will provide regular mandatory education (standard theory education and practical training), on-site consulting for new institutions, customized advisory support for each institution, and network building within the region to enhance the quality of field-oriented services through the center. It also plans to raise awareness of hospice services through publicity campaigns and public education for local residents and strengthen coordination with the life-sustaining treatment decision-making system.
“Through this designation, we will fulfill our responsibilities and roles as a regional center to ensure that terminally ill patients and their families in the Incheon and Gyeonggi region receive more dignified and stable care,” said Dr. Hwang In-cheol, director of the Regional Hospice Center and a professor of family medicine.
Regional hospice centers aim to improve the quality of life and enhance access to services within the region for patients receiving hospice and palliative care, including those with terminal cancer and other terminal illnesses, by providing specialized personnel training and education, consulting and on-site support for hospice institutions, service quality management, public awareness campaigns, and research and policy support.
Currently, 11 regional hospice centers have been designated and are operating nationwide.