Ajou University Hospital Regional Trauma Center: 10 Years of Achievement and Challenge for Hub Trauma Center Construction

On the 8th, Ajou University Hospital Regional Trauma Center held the '10th Anniversary Commemoration Ceremony of Regional Trauma Center Opening' at the Annexe Grand Hall of Ajou University Hospital.

The commemoration was organized to look back on the footsteps and achievements of the Regional Trauma Center, which has protected the lives of severe trauma patients in the southern Gyeonggi region over the past 10 years, and to share the future direction of development in severe trauma treatment systems.

At the event, Kim Sun-yong, Chairman of Daewoo Academy Foundation; Kim Sung-joong, Vice-Governor of Gyeonggi Province; Suh Gil-jun, President of National Medical Center; Lim Jae-hyun, Standing Director of Daewoo Academy Foundation; Han Sang-wook, President of Ajou University Medical Center; and Jo Jae-ho, President of Ajou University Hospital, were in attendance.

Severe trauma treatment at Ajou University Hospital began in 2002 by establishing the country's first severe trauma treatment system. In 2011, it successfully treated Captain Park Hae-kyun, the 'Hero of Aden Gulf,' bringing widespread awareness to the importance of severe trauma treatment, and in 2016, opened the nation's first standalone trauma center building, establishing a systematic foundation for severe trauma treatment.

Over the past 10 years, the Regional Trauma Center has safeguarded the lives of severe trauma patients 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, establishing itself as a critical trauma medical safety net in southern Gyeonggi. Currently, it operates a trauma treatment system covering all processes from patient transport to emergency surgery, intensive care treatment, and rehabilitation, treating approximately 4,000 trauma patients annually. Among these, approximately 1,300 are severe trauma patients.

Additionally, it operates a 24-hour air transport system using doctor helicopters and firefighter helicopters, and recently launched the '119 Medic One Ambulance Squad' in cooperation with the Gyeonggi Province Fire and Disaster Management Headquarters, with medical personnel directly boarding 119 ambulances to treat severe trauma patients, strengthening on-scene response systems to secure the golden hour for trauma patients.

Treatment outcomes have also improved significantly. Through continuous improvement of the treatment system and expansion of specialized personnel, the preventable mortality rate has been lowered to 2.6%. Additionally, the center participates in the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Trauma Quality Improvement Program (TQIP), continuously evaluating and managing treatment outcomes according to international standards. In the 2024 American College of Surgeons presentation, it recorded excellent treatment outcomes at the top 1% level among approximately 500 trauma centers in the United States.

Taking the 10th anniversary as an opportunity for new growth, Ajou University Hospital Regional Trauma Center plans to further strengthen its severe trauma treatment capacity and infrastructure. Going forward, it will seamlessly pursue renovations of the Regional Trauma Center and expansion of trauma-exclusive beds, and strengthen support for specialized personnel and facilities and equipment. Through this, it plans to establish a treatment environment capable of providing more rapid and systematic treatment to severe trauma patients.

In addition, the center will take on the government-promoted hub trauma center construction project. It plans to enhance specialized treatment capacity for critically severe trauma patients and expand linkages with medical institutions and related agencies such as firefighting within the region, firmly establishing its position as the hub of a wide-area trauma medical system and a national key trauma center.

Medical Center President Han Sang-wook stated, "Over the past 10 years, medical professionals, the government, local governments, firefighting, and emergency medical institutions have come together to protect the lives of severe trauma patients," adding, "Based on experience and achievements accumulated so far, we will continue to fulfill our mission as a Regional Trauma Center protecting the lives and safety of the people, and contribute to the development of Korea's severe trauma medical system."