Division history and organizational structure

In July 1967 (ROC 56), the 801st Army General Hospital was renamed the Tri-Service General Hospital, and the Division of Thoracic Medicine was established. It includes the Pulmonary Function Laboratory, the Bronchoscopy Laboratory, and the Respiratory Therapy Laboratory. In June 2009 (ROC 98), the Respiratory Care Ward was established at the Ting Chou branch in accordance with the integrated system of reduced intensive respiratory care of the Taiwan Bureau of National Health Insurance. Its purpose was to train patients that could not be removed from prolonged mechanical ventilation in respiratory care and continue respiratory training for appropriate follow-up care. Thanks to the hard work of our predecessors, we currently have 12 attending physicians, 5 resident physicians, 10 nurse practitioners, three medical administrators, one full professor, two associate professor, four assistant professors, and four lecturers.

Education and research

Education: We provide complete education and training plans for medical students, interns, PGY students, residents, physicians-in-training, and nurse practitioners. Additionally, we schedule regular case studies, provide thoracic imaging education, organize journal clubs, conduct morbidity and mortality conferences, and so on. Depending on the curriculum needs and the development of external medical technologies, foreign guests and visiting professors are occasionally invited. Furthermore, regular interdisciplinary seminars are scheduled with other departments, including thoracic surgery, radiology, and pathology. 

Research:  A total of 60 SCI papers were published between 2014 and 2018 (ROC 103 and 107).

Facilities, equipment, and medical services

We have 56 general purpose beds, 39 intensive care unit (ICU) beds, four examination rooms, two pulmonary function testing instruments, three ultrasound instruments, and one set of bronchoscopy equipment. We are the only medical center in the country with a vertically integrated respiratory care system with an ICU, an RCC, and an RCW; we provide patients with continuous, integrated care during both the acute and chronic phases of disease. Our hyperbaric oxygen therapy center and ASV comprehensive respiratory therapy have been awarded the Symbol of National Quality (SNQ). We developed the multi-functional tracheostomy speaker, for which we received the National Innovation Award. All attending physicians are licensed as critical care specialists; specializations include lung cancer, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, bronchiectasis, and other pulmonary diseases. Some physicians are licensed as hyperbaric oxygen therapists or sleep specialists, allowing us to provide comprehensive care and services.

Future development goals: 

The establishment of a pleural effusion database as a basis for future prognoses is planned. Development of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for patients with brain injuries and chronic respiratory failure is also planned. Advances in preventive medicine, including genetic testing for lung cancer, are also anticipated.