Previously situated on the 22nd floor of Chung-cheng Building (中正樓), the Taipei Veterans General Hospital (臺北榮民總醫院, TVGH) History Hall had not been open to the public. Considering space, accessibility, and the hospital's special history, the hall was moved to a refurbished conference room (about 165 square meters) on the first floor of Jie-shou Memorial Hall (介壽堂) and re-inaugurated on January 9, 2017. The hospital's administration adopted a livelier approach to presenting this diversified exhibition area, which is now available to all. Multi-media technologies and interactive touch screens are used for visitors to more easily learn about the hospital's old collections.
A brief introduction to the themed zones:
1The Hospital and Its Visions
Founded on November 1, 1959, the hospital has the following main buildings: Chung-cheng Building, Shih-yuan Building (思源樓), Outpatient Clinic Building (門診大樓), Chih-teh Building (致德樓), Center for Neural Regenerative Medicine (神經再生中心), Center for the Physically Challenged (身障中心), and Power Center (動力中心). In the beginning, 500 beds were installed, and services were provided to the nationalist veterans in Taiwan. Later on, the hospital gradually became available to veterans' families, public servants, physical laborers, farmers, fishermen, and the general public. Now the hospital is equipped with 2,808 beds (as of September 2020), receiving more than 8,000 people at outpatient clinics daily. TVGH has 6,846 staff members (as of October 2020) who work together as strong medical teams. Using advanced medical facilities, they provide the most effective medical treatments to patients.
TVGH's core values are: treating patients as family, achieving excellence through quality, attaching priority to medical ethics, and abiding by the laws and our convictions. Customers (patients) being our priority, we are devoted to developing new medical technologies and improving service quality, so as to provide comprehensive medical care. The hospital aims to provide convenient, tailored medical services, which is one of our three biggest missions, other than teaching/training and medical research. We want to be the best hospital for the public when they need treatment, and a top-grade international hospital. As a national medical center, we have three main missions in mind: providing medical care, cultivating medical professionals through teaching, and doing research. In compliance with the country's medical care policies, we do our best to make the public healthy. We have won awards at home and abroad. We are the best hospital to our people when they need medical care, and we are a top-grade medical center in the world. TVGH's goal is to provide patient-centered safe and high-quality medical care, and to become an outstanding center for cultivating international medical talents and carrying out top-grade medical research. We make sure to rejuvenate management and administer in a sustainable way.
2Honorable TVGH
Awards are symbols of high quality research and services. This section showcases our medals and trophies in glass cabinets with soft lighting. They demonstrate our achievements in medical technologies, medical services, and operations and management acknowledged home and abroad. A highlight is the National Biotechnology & Medical Care Quality Awards (國家生技醫療品質獎), known as the Oscars in biotech and medical care. To win a gold prize, the candidate has to perform beyond international standard. To win a silver prize, the candidate has to reach international standard. As to winning a bronze prize, the candidate has to get near to international standard. It is the laureate in Taiwan's biotechnology and medical care sectors, as well as a pivotal indicator for any global company wanting to find an outstanding institution in this field in Taiwan!
In 2018, TVGH won gold and silver prizes of the 21st SNQ Biotechnology & Medical Service Awards.
In 2018, TVGH won a gold prize for renal anemia clinical treatment which helps patients regain a functional lifestyle.
3Organization
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1958
Taiwan Veterans General Hospital under Veterans Employment Council, Executive Yuan was established in Shipai, Taipei.
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1982
The hospital's Taichung branch was established.
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1990
The hospital's Kaohsiung branch was established.
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2011
Su'ao and Yuanshan Veterans Hospitals were incorporated as TVGH's branches.
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2012
Taoyuan Veterans Hospital was incorporated as TVGH's branch.
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2013
The three veterans hospitals in Yuli, Fenglin and Taitung were incorporated as the TVGH's branches.
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2013
Zhudong Veterans Hospital was incorporated as TVGH's branch.
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2019
Main building of Taipei Veterans General Hospital.
1959
In 1949, the R.O.C. central government moved to Taiwan. To take care of veterans and their families as a central policy, in 1959, “Taiwan Veterans General Hospital, Veterans Employment Council, Executive Yuan” (行政院國軍退除役官兵就業輔導委員會臺灣榮民總醫院) was established in Shipai (石牌), Taipei.
1963
The hospital was renamed as "Veterans General Hospital, Veterans Employment Council, Executive Yuan" (行政院國軍退除役官兵就業輔導委員會榮民總醫院) from "Taiwan Veterans General Hospital, Employment Affairs Council, Executive Yuan."
1966
The hospital was renamed as "Veterans General Hospital, Veterans Affairs Council, Executive Yuan" (行政院國軍退除役官兵輔導委員會榮民總醫院) from "Veterans General Hospital, Veterans Employment Council, Executive Yuan."
1982
The hospital's Taichung (臺中) branch was established.
1988
The hospital's Taichung branch became independent and was renamed as "Taichung Veterans General Hospital (臺中榮民總醫院)." Also, TVGH was renamed as "Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Veterans Affairs Council, Executive Yuan (行政院國軍退除役官兵輔導委員會臺北榮民總醫院)."
1990
The hospital's Kaohsiung (高雄) branch was established.
1993
The hospital's Kaohsiung branch became independent and was renamed as "Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital (高雄榮民總醫院)."
2011
Su'ao (蘇澳) and Yuanshan (員山) Veterans Hospitals were incorporated into TVGH as our Su'ao and Yuanshan branches.
2012
Taoyuan (桃園) Veterans Hospital was incorporated into TVGH as our Taoyuan branch.
2013
Zhudong (竹東) Veterans Hospital was incorporated into TVGH as our Hsinchu (新竹) branch.
2013
The three veterans hospitals in Yuli (玉里), Fenglin (鳳林) and Taitung (臺東) were incorporated into TVGH as our local branches.
2013
TVGH was renamed as "Taipei Veterans General Hospital (臺北榮民總醫院) " from "Veterans General Hospital, Veterans Affairs Council, Executive Yuan."
4The Three Promoters that Helped Build the Hospital
Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國)– Determined to establish the hospital
While the hospital was being built, former president Chiang Ching-kuo who was the minister of the Veterans Affairs Council at the time (1956) asked the construction team to achieve the following: "the latest facilities, the most outstanding doctors, the highest medical ethics, the most beautiful environs, and the best management."
Superintendent Lu Chih-te (盧致德)– Setting up the hospital's organizational structure, devoting to the founding of the hospital
Former president Chiang Ching-kuo entrusted principal of the National Defense Medical Center Lu Chih-te who was also an army general to establish Taiwan Veterans General Hospital. Lu then gathered up nearly 30 of the center's medical professionals to be the hospital's founding team, actively carrying out the project. Lu was key to the foundation of the hospital.
Superintendent Tsou Chi-hsun (鄒濟勳) – Enhancing hospital management, emphasizing staff member expertise, and cultivating new talents for the future
Superintendent Tsou recruited experts only for the hospital. He brought the hospital forward immensely and set up an open vision. Many reforms and innovations were completed during his term. The hospital improved a great deal with his assistance, becoming a top-grade medical center in Taiwan.
5Hallway of the Past
Stories of Our Medical Experts
Stories of our medical experts are presented in the form of digital multi-media, instead of paper copies or physical exhibition space. Here, the hospital's superindentents, vice superindentends, and department and division heads are introduced.
TVGH Chronology
"TVGH Chronology" is presented on a large touch wall with a nostalgic aura. It systematically leads visitors to explore the hospital in different times.
6A Hospital that Looks after National Leaders
Since its foundation, the hospital has looked after many national leaders, such as late president Chiang Kai-shek (蔣中正) and his wife, late president Yen Chia-kan (嚴家淦) and his wife, late president Chiang Ching-kuo and his wife, late president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝), former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), late vice president Lee Yuan-tsu (李元簇), and former vice president Vincent Siew (蕭萬長). We provide medical care and health care to these important figures.
7Achievements and Innovations
Research being one of the hospital's three missions, this section shows our medical skills and services, as well as our research and innovations. Other than showcasing the facilities we have used throughout the years, here, push notifications are used to explain the exhibited objects in detail, including their years of use. Somatosensory technology is also used to present our high-tech innovations for medical treatment and medical research, many of which have broken domestic/international records. We take pride in our variety of items displayed here – we are the best!
8Education & Training
We are the first medical teaching hospital in the country which established a medical research department. Our high-quality clinical teaching is the key to cultivating medical professionals. The department has been there to improve the quality of clinical teaching at our hospital, even inspiring other hospitals to do the same.
9International / Domestic Aid
We see international / domestic medical aid as one of our main missions. In 2008, we went to Sichuan (四川), China after a severe earthquake took place there. In 2010, we quickly arrived in Haiti to help, also after a major local earthquake. In 2015, we offered medical aid in Nepal. Domestically, we provided assistance to victims of the 921 Earthquake, SARS, and a waterpark explosion. In all, we have provided much humanitarian medical aid and post-disaster reconstruction to disaster-stricken countries and our own country.
2015 Press coverage on our post-disaster aid in Nepal (watch our YouTube video in a new window)
10CSR
We take initiatives to participate in CSR work, contributing ourselves actively. In early years, we were already giving back to society. For instance, in 1970, we assisted Saudi Arabia. In 1979, we helped out Vietnam. Recently in 2006, we held free clinics in Papua New Guinea. In 2010 and 2013, we also held such clinics in northern Thailand. We have been going out of our ways to do good to society, bringing care from Taiwan to the needed corners of the world.
