[Hospital News] St. Peter's Hospital introduces the Medical Fee Hi-Pass system
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Gangnam St. Peter's Hospital 26-01-19 00:00Main content
[Hospital News] Seoul National University Bundang Hospital opens a ‘Moyamoya Disease Center’, and more
Healthcare Posted: 2026/01/19 17:26
Reporter Cho, Min Kyu Subscribe to reporter page See other articles by this reporter
Seoul National University Bundang Hospital has begun full operation of its ‘Moyamoya Disease Center’. The opening of a dedicated center for the diagnosis and treatment of moyamoya disease is said to be the first of its kind in Korea or abroad.
Moyamoya disease is a rare cerebrovascular disorder in which the main blood vessels supplying the brain narrow and abnormal vessels develop around them. On cerebral angiography these abnormal vessels look like smoke rising into the air, which is why the condition was given the name 'moyamoya (もやもや)', the Japanese word for ‘billowing’. If appropriate treatment is not provided in time, it can cause serious complications such as stroke or cerebral hemorrhage, so early diagnosis and treatment together with continuous management are important.
According to National Health Insurance Service data, diagnoses of moyamoya disease in Korea have been rising, and the number of adult moyamoya disease patients in particular increased by 97.6% over the 11 years from 2008 to 2019.
(Courtesy of Seoul National University Bundang Hospital)
Seoul National University Bundang Hospital treats about 23% of newly diagnosed moyamoya disease patients in Korea (children and adults combined) and handles about 36% of adult moyamoya surgical patients, steadily expanding its clinical volume. To provide systematic, precise care for a continually growing number of patients, it has now opened a dedicated moyamoya disease center.
According to the hospital, the first dedicated moyamoya disease center came about in part because of the regional distribution of the disease: moyamoya patients are concentrated in East Asia, including Korea and Japan, which allowed the hospital to build up a sufficient patient volume and clinical experience. Lee Si-un, Director of the Moyamoya Disease Center at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital (Neurosurgery), explained, “Because this is a complex disease for which multidisciplinary collaboration is essential, building an integrated care system demands considerable organizational capacity and investment. Seoul National University Bundang Hospital meets these conditions with dedicated staff and, in particular, a finely subspecialized system of collaboration among specialists, and that is what produced the first dedicated center.”
The Moyamoya Disease Center has a multidisciplinary collaborative system spanning seven departments — neurosurgery at its core, together with neurology, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, radiology, anesthesiology and pain medicine, and nuclear medicine. Based on patient-centered, tailored care, it has established a standardized decision-making framework for cases where the diagnosis is unclear or the treatment plan is difficult to determine, and it provides one-stop care from diagnosis through treatment and long-term follow-up.
In addition, through a ‘moyamoya disease hotline’, the hospital plans to support safe and rapid response not only for its own patients but also for critically ill emergency patients from general hospitals nationwide.
Professor Bang Jae-seung of the Department of Neurosurgery at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital said, “The first dedicated moyamoya disease center will be a new milestone in the care of rare and intractable diseases,” adding, “Building on world-class research, we will present optimized diagnostic and treatment guidelines and grow into a specialized center that leads global standards in education and academic work.”
Song Jung-han, Director of Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, said, “With the opening of the Moyamoya Disease Center we can now provide patients with more specialized and systematic medical services,” adding, “We will spare no investment or support, not only to improve the quality of care but also to establish standardized treatment protocols and invigorate research.”
Seoul St. Mary's Hospital newly designated a specialized pediatric emergency medical center… due to open in the second half of the year
Seoul St. Mary's Hospital of the Catholic University of Korea announced that, having been newly selected in the Ministry of Health and Welfare's ‘additional 2025 call for specialized pediatric emergency medical centers’ held late last year, it will expand its role in earnest as a new hub for pediatric emergency care in the Seoul metropolitan area.
Even as the number of pediatrics and emergency medicine specialists declines, severe and rare pediatric conditions are instead increasing, and social demand for specialized treatment is growing. Despite the rising importance of the pediatric emergency care system, southwestern Seoul and the neighboring metropolitan area have had a structural gap in care because of insufficient specialized pediatric emergency medical center capacity.
A considerable share of the children and adolescents treated at the pediatric emergency center of Seoul St. Mary's Hospital are residents of that area, so the hospital is understood to have been highly rated for having, in practice, already served as a hub hospital.
Building on this center designation, the hospital plans to expand its capacity to respond even more rapidly to critically ill emergency patients by widening its hotline and fast-track services, in addition to the existing system in which pediatric specialists provide care in person 24 hours a day, and to fulfil its role and responsibility as a pediatric emergency care institution. To this end it will expand advanced care infrastructure, including dedicated treatment for critically ill emergency patients, linked care with the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) and the operation of negative-pressure isolation beds for responding to infectious diseases, with an opening scheduled for the second half of the year.
(Courtesy of Seoul St. Mary's Hospital)
Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, which plans to complete a major facility remodeling in the first half of the year, is reported to be building advanced infrastructure — including negative-pressure isolation beds, a dedicated pediatric intensive care unit and dedicated inpatient rooms — that will ensure a safe care environment even during future infectious disease outbreaks.
It also plans to complete a safety net in which critically ill pediatric patients can receive optimal treatment without missing the golden hour, by linking with differentiated pediatric care infrastructure such as Korea's largest pediatric hematology-oncology center and a 50-bed neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), one of the largest in the country.
Professor Lee Ji-yeol, Director of Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, said, “With a commitment to protecting Korea's future, we will do our utmost to serve as a medical safety net so that children and adolescents in our region do not miss the golden hour.”
Meanwhile, in December, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital opened the ‘St. Nicholas Children’s Hospital’ with the aim of restoring the ecosystem of the specialized pediatric care system. Building on the way experience in treating severe, rare and intractable diseases is concentrated in tertiary general hospitals, it has set out the goal of serving as an incubator that trains future pediatric and adolescent specialists through rich clinical experience and a systematic education system, while establishing itself as a key hub driving the sustainable development of pediatric care in Korea and strengthening its expertise.
Hanyang University Hospital selected as an ‘Acute Psychiatric Intensive Care Hospital’
Hanyang University Hospital announced that it was recently selected as an ‘intensive care hospital for acute mental illness’ under a Ministry of Health and Welfare program.
An acute psychiatric intensive treatment hospital is a medical institution that provides intensive treatment for patients with acute mental illness, including those at risk of harming themselves or others, first-episode patients for whom treatment is most effective and a high priority, and patients requiring emergency admission. Following a public call and review of tertiary general hospitals and national psychiatric hospitals, the Ministry of Health and Welfare designated 26 institutions nationwide in a first round.
Under this designation as an intensive treatment hospital, Hanyang University Hospital will operate 10–20% of its intensive treatment unit beds as beds for emergency admissions. This gives it a care system capable of rapid admission and early treatment when a psychiatric emergency arises.
(Courtesy of Hanyang University Hospital)
It will also draw up individual discharge plans so that treatment is not interrupted after discharge and provide hospital-based case management services including home visits and telephone counseling, enabling continued treatment after inpatient care.
Hanyang University Hospital aims to play a pivotal role across the entire treatment system for people with mental illness — from initial psychiatric emergency response through acute-phase intensive treatment to continued care after discharge.
Lee Hyung-joong, Director of Hanyang University Hospital, said, “Our hospital has worked hard to treat psychiatric emergency and acute-phase patients, and we will continue to provide a treatment environment and systems so that patients with acute mental illness can be treated at the right time and return to daily life as soon as possible.”
Kyung Hee University Hospital opens a multidisciplinary ‘pressure ulcer clinic’… from prevention to post-discharge care
Kyung Hee University Hospital recently opened a multidisciplinary ‘pressure ulcer clinic’ and has begun full operation.
Pressure ulcers are common in patients on long hospital stays or with limited mobility, but if they are not managed properly or treatment is delayed they can lead to infection and readmission, which makes prevention and systematic treatment all the more important.
The Pressure Ulcer Clinic at Kyung Hee University Hospital brings together a multidisciplinary team — led by Professor Park Jun of plastic surgery and including dedicated clinical support nurses and dietitians — in a structured system that provides ‘one-stop treatment and management’ from admission through post-discharge care.
(Courtesy of Kyung Hee University Hospital)
At discharge in particular, it provides standardized educational materials and video-based guides, and supports continued treatment after discharge through outpatient follow-up, home nursing and community linkage. On the day of an outpatient visit, counseling, assessment and treatment are all carried out in a single visit, which the hospital says improves patient convenience.
Professor Park Jun of the Department of Plastic Surgery at Kyung Hee University Hospital said, “Pressure ulcers occur frequently in elderly and long-stay inpatients, so prevention and post-discharge management matter as much as treatment,” adding, “Through the Pressure Ulcer Clinic we will do our best to offer patients the most effective treatment options, minimize unnecessary readmissions and improve their quality of life.”
St. Peter's Hospital introduces the Medical Fee Hi-Pass system
St. Peter's Hospital announced on the 19th that it has introduced a Medical Fee Hi-Pass system to make patient services more convenient.
The Medical Fee Hi-Pass system is a service that automatically settles and pays medical fees with a payment card registered in advance. Once your consultation and tests are finished, payment proceeds automatically without a visit to the payment desk, so you can go straight home with no waiting. Register a card once and you can keep using it on later visits, which is even more convenient.
The hospital decided to introduce the system in view of the many outpatients it sees. Simplifying the payment process reduces repeated waiting and unnecessary walking for patients and their families, providing a smoother, more comfortable care experience. Easing congestion within the hospital is also expected to help build a more stable care environment going forward.
To use the service, register a credit card in your own name at the payment desk; it can be used from the same day. If a family member other than yourself needs to make payments, additional family registration is available.
(Courtesy of St. Peter's Hospital)
Personal and card information is handled securely through a separate financial information storage provider, and use for any purpose other than paying hospital medical fees is strictly restricted, the hospital explained.
St. Peter's Hospital is actively building a smart care environment for greater patient convenience. It recently renovated the first floor of the new building, adjusting consultation room locations to suit patient flow, renewing waiting areas and kiosks, and reorganizing its wayfinding system.
It also plans to introduce a mobile application-based administration and care system to make hospital visits even more convenient for patients.
Yoon Min-ha, Administrative Director of St. Peter's Hospital, said, “We introduced the Hi-Pass system to minimize the inconvenience patients face during payment and to provide a better care experience.” He added, “We will continue to improve the in-hospital care environment with patients closely in mind, and further strengthen our role and standing as a general hospital in the community.”
Healthcare Posted: 2026/01/19 17:26
Reporter Cho, Min Kyu Subscribe to reporter page See other articles by this reporter
Seoul National University Bundang Hospital has begun full operation of its ‘Moyamoya Disease Center’. The opening of a dedicated center for the diagnosis and treatment of moyamoya disease is said to be the first of its kind in Korea or abroad.
Moyamoya disease is a rare cerebrovascular disorder in which the main blood vessels supplying the brain narrow and abnormal vessels develop around them. On cerebral angiography these abnormal vessels look like smoke rising into the air, which is why the condition was given the name 'moyamoya (もやもや)', the Japanese word for ‘billowing’. If appropriate treatment is not provided in time, it can cause serious complications such as stroke or cerebral hemorrhage, so early diagnosis and treatment together with continuous management are important.
According to National Health Insurance Service data, diagnoses of moyamoya disease in Korea have been rising, and the number of adult moyamoya disease patients in particular increased by 97.6% over the 11 years from 2008 to 2019.
(Courtesy of Seoul National University Bundang Hospital)
Seoul National University Bundang Hospital treats about 23% of newly diagnosed moyamoya disease patients in Korea (children and adults combined) and handles about 36% of adult moyamoya surgical patients, steadily expanding its clinical volume. To provide systematic, precise care for a continually growing number of patients, it has now opened a dedicated moyamoya disease center.
According to the hospital, the first dedicated moyamoya disease center came about in part because of the regional distribution of the disease: moyamoya patients are concentrated in East Asia, including Korea and Japan, which allowed the hospital to build up a sufficient patient volume and clinical experience. Lee Si-un, Director of the Moyamoya Disease Center at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital (Neurosurgery), explained, “Because this is a complex disease for which multidisciplinary collaboration is essential, building an integrated care system demands considerable organizational capacity and investment. Seoul National University Bundang Hospital meets these conditions with dedicated staff and, in particular, a finely subspecialized system of collaboration among specialists, and that is what produced the first dedicated center.”
The Moyamoya Disease Center has a multidisciplinary collaborative system spanning seven departments — neurosurgery at its core, together with neurology, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, radiology, anesthesiology and pain medicine, and nuclear medicine. Based on patient-centered, tailored care, it has established a standardized decision-making framework for cases where the diagnosis is unclear or the treatment plan is difficult to determine, and it provides one-stop care from diagnosis through treatment and long-term follow-up.
In addition, through a ‘moyamoya disease hotline’, the hospital plans to support safe and rapid response not only for its own patients but also for critically ill emergency patients from general hospitals nationwide.
Professor Bang Jae-seung of the Department of Neurosurgery at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital said, “The first dedicated moyamoya disease center will be a new milestone in the care of rare and intractable diseases,” adding, “Building on world-class research, we will present optimized diagnostic and treatment guidelines and grow into a specialized center that leads global standards in education and academic work.”
Song Jung-han, Director of Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, said, “With the opening of the Moyamoya Disease Center we can now provide patients with more specialized and systematic medical services,” adding, “We will spare no investment or support, not only to improve the quality of care but also to establish standardized treatment protocols and invigorate research.”
Seoul St. Mary's Hospital newly designated a specialized pediatric emergency medical center… due to open in the second half of the year
Seoul St. Mary's Hospital of the Catholic University of Korea announced that, having been newly selected in the Ministry of Health and Welfare's ‘additional 2025 call for specialized pediatric emergency medical centers’ held late last year, it will expand its role in earnest as a new hub for pediatric emergency care in the Seoul metropolitan area.
Even as the number of pediatrics and emergency medicine specialists declines, severe and rare pediatric conditions are instead increasing, and social demand for specialized treatment is growing. Despite the rising importance of the pediatric emergency care system, southwestern Seoul and the neighboring metropolitan area have had a structural gap in care because of insufficient specialized pediatric emergency medical center capacity.
A considerable share of the children and adolescents treated at the pediatric emergency center of Seoul St. Mary's Hospital are residents of that area, so the hospital is understood to have been highly rated for having, in practice, already served as a hub hospital.
Building on this center designation, the hospital plans to expand its capacity to respond even more rapidly to critically ill emergency patients by widening its hotline and fast-track services, in addition to the existing system in which pediatric specialists provide care in person 24 hours a day, and to fulfil its role and responsibility as a pediatric emergency care institution. To this end it will expand advanced care infrastructure, including dedicated treatment for critically ill emergency patients, linked care with the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) and the operation of negative-pressure isolation beds for responding to infectious diseases, with an opening scheduled for the second half of the year.
(Courtesy of Seoul St. Mary's Hospital)
Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, which plans to complete a major facility remodeling in the first half of the year, is reported to be building advanced infrastructure — including negative-pressure isolation beds, a dedicated pediatric intensive care unit and dedicated inpatient rooms — that will ensure a safe care environment even during future infectious disease outbreaks.
It also plans to complete a safety net in which critically ill pediatric patients can receive optimal treatment without missing the golden hour, by linking with differentiated pediatric care infrastructure such as Korea's largest pediatric hematology-oncology center and a 50-bed neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), one of the largest in the country.
Professor Lee Ji-yeol, Director of Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, said, “With a commitment to protecting Korea's future, we will do our utmost to serve as a medical safety net so that children and adolescents in our region do not miss the golden hour.”
Meanwhile, in December, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital opened the ‘St. Nicholas Children’s Hospital’ with the aim of restoring the ecosystem of the specialized pediatric care system. Building on the way experience in treating severe, rare and intractable diseases is concentrated in tertiary general hospitals, it has set out the goal of serving as an incubator that trains future pediatric and adolescent specialists through rich clinical experience and a systematic education system, while establishing itself as a key hub driving the sustainable development of pediatric care in Korea and strengthening its expertise.
Hanyang University Hospital selected as an ‘Acute Psychiatric Intensive Care Hospital’
Hanyang University Hospital announced that it was recently selected as an ‘intensive care hospital for acute mental illness’ under a Ministry of Health and Welfare program.
An acute psychiatric intensive treatment hospital is a medical institution that provides intensive treatment for patients with acute mental illness, including those at risk of harming themselves or others, first-episode patients for whom treatment is most effective and a high priority, and patients requiring emergency admission. Following a public call and review of tertiary general hospitals and national psychiatric hospitals, the Ministry of Health and Welfare designated 26 institutions nationwide in a first round.
Under this designation as an intensive treatment hospital, Hanyang University Hospital will operate 10–20% of its intensive treatment unit beds as beds for emergency admissions. This gives it a care system capable of rapid admission and early treatment when a psychiatric emergency arises.
(Courtesy of Hanyang University Hospital)
It will also draw up individual discharge plans so that treatment is not interrupted after discharge and provide hospital-based case management services including home visits and telephone counseling, enabling continued treatment after inpatient care.
Hanyang University Hospital aims to play a pivotal role across the entire treatment system for people with mental illness — from initial psychiatric emergency response through acute-phase intensive treatment to continued care after discharge.
Lee Hyung-joong, Director of Hanyang University Hospital, said, “Our hospital has worked hard to treat psychiatric emergency and acute-phase patients, and we will continue to provide a treatment environment and systems so that patients with acute mental illness can be treated at the right time and return to daily life as soon as possible.”
Kyung Hee University Hospital opens a multidisciplinary ‘pressure ulcer clinic’… from prevention to post-discharge care
Kyung Hee University Hospital recently opened a multidisciplinary ‘pressure ulcer clinic’ and has begun full operation.
Pressure ulcers are common in patients on long hospital stays or with limited mobility, but if they are not managed properly or treatment is delayed they can lead to infection and readmission, which makes prevention and systematic treatment all the more important.
The Pressure Ulcer Clinic at Kyung Hee University Hospital brings together a multidisciplinary team — led by Professor Park Jun of plastic surgery and including dedicated clinical support nurses and dietitians — in a structured system that provides ‘one-stop treatment and management’ from admission through post-discharge care.
(Courtesy of Kyung Hee University Hospital)
At discharge in particular, it provides standardized educational materials and video-based guides, and supports continued treatment after discharge through outpatient follow-up, home nursing and community linkage. On the day of an outpatient visit, counseling, assessment and treatment are all carried out in a single visit, which the hospital says improves patient convenience.
Professor Park Jun of the Department of Plastic Surgery at Kyung Hee University Hospital said, “Pressure ulcers occur frequently in elderly and long-stay inpatients, so prevention and post-discharge management matter as much as treatment,” adding, “Through the Pressure Ulcer Clinic we will do our best to offer patients the most effective treatment options, minimize unnecessary readmissions and improve their quality of life.”
St. Peter's Hospital introduces the Medical Fee Hi-Pass system
St. Peter's Hospital announced on the 19th that it has introduced a Medical Fee Hi-Pass system to make patient services more convenient.
The Medical Fee Hi-Pass system is a service that automatically settles and pays medical fees with a payment card registered in advance. Once your consultation and tests are finished, payment proceeds automatically without a visit to the payment desk, so you can go straight home with no waiting. Register a card once and you can keep using it on later visits, which is even more convenient.
The hospital decided to introduce the system in view of the many outpatients it sees. Simplifying the payment process reduces repeated waiting and unnecessary walking for patients and their families, providing a smoother, more comfortable care experience. Easing congestion within the hospital is also expected to help build a more stable care environment going forward.
To use the service, register a credit card in your own name at the payment desk; it can be used from the same day. If a family member other than yourself needs to make payments, additional family registration is available.
(Courtesy of St. Peter's Hospital)
Personal and card information is handled securely through a separate financial information storage provider, and use for any purpose other than paying hospital medical fees is strictly restricted, the hospital explained.
St. Peter's Hospital is actively building a smart care environment for greater patient convenience. It recently renovated the first floor of the new building, adjusting consultation room locations to suit patient flow, renewing waiting areas and kiosks, and reorganizing its wayfinding system.
It also plans to introduce a mobile application-based administration and care system to make hospital visits even more convenient for patients.
Yoon Min-ha, Administrative Director of St. Peter's Hospital, said, “We introduced the Hi-Pass system to minimize the inconvenience patients face during payment and to provide a better care experience.” He added, “We will continue to improve the in-hospital care environment with patients closely in mind, and further strengthen our role and standing as a general hospital in the community.”