# Asan Medical Center

Asan Medical Center (서울아산병원) is a tertiary hospital and the teaching hospital of the University of Ulsan College of Medicine, located in Seoul, South Korea. With 2,432 licensed beds and a total floor area of approximately 280,000 square meters (85,000 Pyeong), it is the largest hospital in South Korea. In 2024, 47,460 surgeries were being performed per year. It is also been ranked as the best hospital in South Korea, and 22nd worldwide in 2024 by Newsweek, marking its 6th consecutive year as the best in South Korea.
The top specialties of Asan Medical Centre include endocrinology, urology, gastroenterology, cancer, and neurology. The Korea Management Association Consulting (KMAC) has also recognized it as Korea's Most Admired Hospital for 17 consecutive years.
Asan Medical Centre is the parent hospital of the eight hospitals under the ASAN foundation.

## Medical care

AMC has 56 clinical departments and divisions and 50 specialized centres and departmental specialist clinics, encompassing a range of medical fields. These include the Diabetes Center and Organ Transplantation Center. The Heart Institute is dedicated to the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, and the Cancer Institute offers multidisciplinary cancer care. The Children's Hospital caters to pediatric patients aged 0 to 18, providing specialized care.
Since 1999, AMC has implemented its own internally developed computerized systems, including PACS (picture archiving and communication system) and OCS (order communication system). In 2012, the institution launched a mobile website to provide smartphone-based services, facilitating tasks such as appointment scheduling, appointment confirmation, and access to blood test results.

## Capacity

Source:
* Total licensed beds: 2,432 licensed beds
* Outpatients: Daily average of 11,402
* Inpatients: Annual average of 624,447
* International Patients: Annual average of 19,482
* Emergency patients: Annual average of 105,491
* Surgical operations: Annual average of 47,460 surgeries

## Social contributions

AMC provides charitable medical services; every year, medical teams from AMC visit nations in Asia, including Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. The ‘Asan in Asia' project aims to elevate medical standards in Asia. One example of this project's activities is the agreement signed in 2018 between AMC and Huế Central Hospital in Vietnam that supports training for medical professionals.

## Affiliates
### Asan Foundation

In 1977, Asan, Chung Ju-yung, established the Asan Foundation with the belief of "helping the least privileged members of our society." Through personal contributions, he laid the foundation for the Asan Foundation. Until his passing in 2001, he served as the inaugural chairman and pursued various welfare projects, with a particular emphasis on healthcare initiatives.
During the late 1970s, medical facilities in rural areas of South Korea were lacking. The Asan Foundation began in 1978 by establishing the Jeongeup Hospital, followed by general hospitals equipped with modern facilities and personnel in seven different regions across the country, including Boseong, Boryeong, Yeongdeok, Keumkang, Hongcheon, and Gangneung.

### University of Ulsan College of Medicine

Established in 1988, the University of Ulsan College of Medicine is the medical school of the University of Ulsan. Asan Medical Center, the Ulsan University Hospital, and Gangneung Asan Hospital are its teaching hospitals.

### Asan Institute for Life Sciences

Asan Medical Center established the Asan Institute for Life Sciences in 1990, to enhance clinical care and foster advancements in medical science. The institute hosts researchers from institutions worldwide, including the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center, the University of Minnesota, the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, and Asan Medical Center.

### Asan Health Network

The Asan Foundation's welfare initiatives began with the establishment of a hospital in a remote area of South Korea.
* Jeongeup Asan Hospital (1978)
* Boseong Asan Hospital (1978)
* Boryeong Asan Hospital (1979)
* Yeongdeok Asan Hospital (1979)
* Asan Medical Center (1989)
* Keumkang Asan Hospital (1989)
* Hongcheon Asan Hospital (1989)
* Gangneung Asan Hospital (1996)

## Quality Control

Since 1993, Asan Medical Center has operated the Performance Improvement Team to enhance healthcare quality.
In 2011, the hospital introduced the Asan Global Standard (AGS), a comprehensive evaluation guideline implemented year-round, which was designed based on the fundamental assessment principles of the Joint Commission International (JCI).

## History

Asan Medical Centre was first established on the principles of Asan Foundation founder Chung Ju-yung. The hospital was inaugurated on June 23, 1989, originally named Seoul Jungang (Central) Hospital, and later renamed Asan Medical Center on April 27, 2002.