Two Months After Opening, Ulju County Hospital Moves Quickly to Address Local Healthcare Gaps

[Financial News] Ulju County Hospital, a public hospital in Ulju County, Ulsan Metropolitan City, has been making efforts to establish itself quickly as a key public healthcare institution in the region as it enters its second month since opening.
According to medical-sector sources on the 5th, figures show that patient numbers at Ulju County Hospital, which opened on September 4 and began providing full-scale care, have risen markedly.
Since opening, outpatient visits have at least doubled in a month, rising from 960 in September to 2,467 last month.
Inpatient numbers also at least doubled, increasing from 43 in September to 91 in October.
The number of surgeries rose from 9 in September to 16 in October. From opening through November 3, the hospital recorded a cumulative total of 3,639 outpatient visits and 141 inpatients.
The hospital attributes this to the deployment across the board of veteran medical staff with experience at the level of university hospitals.
The hospital said that, led by proven specialists—including Lee Jang-seong, head of orthopedics and a renowned joint-replacement surgeon with at least 30 years of clinical experience in the capital region (formerly a department head at the Armed Forces Capital Hospital), and Kim, Young-Chan, head of surgery, who previously worked in the colorectal surgery department at Hanyang University Hospital—they successfully completed 54 essential and high-complexity surgeries in a short period, including 36 orthopedic and 18 general surgery procedures. These included fracture operations and surgeries under local anesthesia.
Deputy Director Song Pil-o, a specialist in anesthesiology and pain medicine who oversees daytime emergency care and pain-management services as well as anesthesia in the operating room, said, “Being able to perform even surgery under general anesthesia at Ulju County Hospital has made it possible to greatly ease the burden on local residents, who until now had to travel to large hospitals in downtown Ulsan or elsewhere for late-night emergencies or complex treatment.”
The emergency room, which began full operations last month, has filled the gap in nighttime emergency care that arose after Boram Hospital in the southern region closed, treating 361 emergency patients in just over a month of operation, an average of 10.6 a day.
Visits are concentrated on weekends, public holidays and at night, when general hospitals and clinics are closed, allowing the hospital to effectively meet unmet local healthcare needs. One on-site physician, three other emergency-room doctors and nurses working in three shifts maintain a year-round, 24-hour response system. Ulju County Hospital plans to hire one additional physician dedicated to the emergency room to meet statutory requirements and be formally designated a Regional Emergency Medical Institution.
Ulju County Hospital has already filled 11 of the 14 allocated physician positions across its eight departments at the 100-bed facility.
The hospital has confirmed the hiring of a neurologist who will begin treating patients next month for conditions including stroke and dementia. It is also reportedly in the final stages of talks with a gastroenterologist able to perform gastroscopies and colonoscopies.
The hospital is also making a final push to recruit a nephrologist for hemodialysis patients, now called “dialysis refugees” as they shuttle between Ulsan, Busan and other areas for treatment.
The hospital’s rapid stabilization from the outset is seen as the result of synergies from its contracted operation, which combines the specialized medical network of its operator, On Hospital Group Medical Foundation.
The hospital also quickly adopted the proven operating systems of its operator, On Hospital Group, including in procurement. This lowered purchasing costs, reduced the hospital’s substantial operating expenses and greatly strengthened its financial footing for an early return to normal operations.
The hospital stands out not only for the quality of its medical facilities but also for its efforts to engage closely with the local community.
Operations Director Kim Jeong-bu and the public relations team personally visited village-head meetings, sports events and senior citizens’ banquets throughout the southern region, including Onyang, Onsan and Seosaeng, listening to residents’ requests and sharing information about using the hospital.

On the 22nd of last month, officials including International Religious Union Chairman Jeong Yeo, head monk of the Geumjeong Chongnim at Beomeosa Temple, visited Ulju County Hospital in Onyang-eup, Ulju County. The incorporated association was formed by Buddhist, Protestant and Catholic leaders in Busan to promote world peace across religious and racial lines. The visitors also included Pastor Im Yeong-mun of the National Federation of Christian Organizations (Busan Peace Church), Chief Priest Shin Yo-an of Anrak Catholic Church in Busan, and Jeong Geun, an elder at Nuga Church and founder of On Hospital. They toured the examination rooms and wards and encouraged the medical staff and employees.
The hospital is also drawing a strong response with its tailored health education program, “Ulju County Hospital Health Academy,” which runs from October 17 to December 19 for a total of 10 sessions, with around 50 residents attending each week.
Specialists from Ulju County Hospital give lectures on managing chronic conditions such as hypertension and diabetes, preventing arthritis and spinal disorders, and detecting dementia early. The lectures also lead naturally to tours of the hospital’s facilities and tailored health screenings, helping the hospital successfully meet potential medical needs.
Hospital Director Jeong Jong-hun, a family medicine specialist, said, “In just two months since opening, we have earned the strong trust of local residents faster than expected and established ourselves as a key public healthcare institution in southern Ulju.” He added, “We will continue to faithfully serve as guardians of residents’ health through thorough 24-hour emergency care and tailored medical services.”
[email protected] Byun Ok-hwan Reporter