TAIPEI (TVBS News) — A medical network in Taiwan has launched an integrated neurology care system that deploys 132 specialists across three hospitals, allowing doctors to travel between facilities rather than requiring patients to transfer for treatment.
The Taipei Neuroscience Institute (臺北神經醫學中心), operating under Taipei Medical University (TMU, 臺北醫學大學), published a book on Wednesday (July 1) documenting 17 patient cases treated through its cross-hospital model.
The center coordinates care among TMU Hospital (北醫附醫), Taipei Municipal Wanfang Hospital (萬芳醫院), and Shuang Ho Hospital (雙和醫院), with 15 subspecialty teams covering conditions described as urgent, severe, complex, and rare.
The center operates under a philosophy its director describes as "doctors move, patients don't." Yung-Hsiao Chiang (蔣永孝), the center's director, said the approach allows patients to receive "consistent, high-quality care" regardless of which hospital they visit.
The book, titled "The Storm Within: Critical Interventions by the Taipei Neuroscience Institute" (神經風暴關鍵時刻), documents cases including stroke, meningioma, Parkinson's disease, and rare neurological conditions. It traces patients' journeys from diagnosis through treatment and return to daily life.
Among the cases featured is Christina Hung (洪德芳), a floral designer who had long suffered from migraines. She suddenly lost consciousness and was diagnosed with a ruptured meningioma — a type of brain tumor — that caused bleeding around her brain.
After cross-hospital transfer, John Chung-Che Wu (吳忠哲), a neurosurgeon at TMU Hospital, performed surgery using imaging technology to map blood vessels around the tumor. Hung had the tumor removed and returned to work.
Another case involves Liao Ching-hui (廖清輝), former chairman of Kuai Kuai (乖乖), a well-known Taiwanese snack brand. In his 80s, Liao experienced severe pain from spinal degeneration that left him unable to walk.
Chien-Min Lin (林乾閔), vice superintendent of Wanfang Hospital, performed minimally invasive spinal surgery using the ROSA robotic arm navigation system. Liao walked the day after surgery and returned to his cycling team six months later.
The center said it plans to continue cross-hospital cooperation and advance smart medical technologies. Patient volume and aggregate outcome data were not provided. ◼