Jen-Ai Hospital - Dali launches the first International Patient Center in Taiwan

2003/08/29
BY MARK K. CHAN
TAICHUNG, JEN-AI HOSPITAL - DALI

　　 Jen-Ai Hospital - Dali has launched the first International Patient Center (IPC) in Taiwan to accommodate the growing medical needs of the foreign communities in Taichung. This program is dedicated to meeting the needs and requirements of the international patients who receive medical care at Jen-Ai Hospital - Dali, which offers a wide variety of services designed to make patients from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds feel welcome.

　　 With the help provided by bilingual volunteers found all over Taichung, Jen-Ai Hospital - Dali intends to provide free interpreter services to patients who do not speak Chinese or have difficulty understanding Chinese. The hospital will make every effort to provide interpreting services in various languages, including English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Portuguese, Polish, Dutch, Afrikaans, Japanese, Thai, Malaysian / Indonesian, Tagalog, Burmese, Cantonese, Taiwanese, Hakka Dialect, etc.

　　 These volunteers will be available during regular hospital hours to accompany international patients to medical appointments and assist them in communicating with all the staffs throughout the hospital. For urgent situations or emergencies, International Patient Center is also able to arrange telephone interpretation by 3-way calling or conference calls. However, the hospital strongly suggests that international patients call at least 3 days in advance of their appointment, so that the specific interpreter which may be needed for the patient's particular appointment can be arranged.

　　 "We understand the difficulties of international patients trying to manage their healthcare needs in a foreign country and our special program tries to change all of that by assigning an interpreter to help ease our patients through the complicated medical care process in Taiwan," says Dr. Daniel Chan Liao, the Superintendent of Jen-Ai Hospital - Dali. "It is important that our foreign communities understand that they have the same rights as the local communities, to be assured that their visit to the hospital goes as smoothly as possible," adds Chan Liao.
　
　　   In order to help the foreign communities become more familiar with the Taiwan's medical care process, the hospital has especially designed the International Patient Center website (http://www.jah.org.tw/english/international.asp), an extension of the English website (http://www.jah.org.tw/english.asp), which is one of the most comprehensive of its kind for hospitals in Taiwan. The IPC website offers process flow diagrams of patients seeking medical attention at the hospital, introduction of the program, physician schedules and appointment request form to make appointment on-line. In addition, bilingual versions of the floor maps, along with new bilingual signs were designed so that the international patients will not have a difficulty finding various locations within the hospital.

　　 Among other benefits, International Patient Center provides the following services: scheduling medical appointments including follow-up care and health examinations; providing interpreters for communicating with doctors and hospital staffs; assisting with admissions and discharges; preparing diagnosis and certification documents; translating medical documents for use after returning back home; simplifying financial transactions; and arranging delivery of meals catered to Western taste.

　　 Jen-Ai Hospital is a not-for-profit organization with two separate branches located in Taichung, the central part of Taiwan; and it has been in operation for more than 57 years. Jen-Ai Hospital - Dali is a 746-bed, tertiary care community hospital; while Jen-Ai Hospital: Taichung is a 146-bed, secondary care hospital. Jen-Ai Hospital - Dali is recognized as the biggest regional teaching hospital in the Dali area; whereas, Jen-Ai Hospital: Taichung is known as one of the hospital with a long tradition in Taiwan, located in the heart of Taichung city.

For additional information about the program, please contact:
Mark K. Chan, Project Manager
Jen-Ai Hospital - Dali
International Patient Center / Management Center
483 Dong Rong Road, Dali City, Taichung County, Taiwan
Tel: (04) 2481-9900 ext. 1995
E-mail: mchan@mail.jah.org.tw