Hwasun County Establishes Nation's First "Integrated Care Division" Among Local Governments

Integrated Care Administration System in Full Operation

Hwasun County Office Exterior View

On January 7, Hwasun County in South Jeolla Province announced that it has established the "Integrated Care Division," becoming the first basic local government in the country to do so, in order to proactively respond to the government's national agenda item No. 78, "Integrated Care Enjoyed Where You Live." The county will now fully implement integrated care administration focused on residents' quality of life.

The establishment of the Integrated Care Division aims to address the rapid aging of the population and the increasing demand for complex care services. It also seeks to integrate welfare, health, medical, and care services-which were previously managed separately by different departments-into a single platform for unified planning, coordination, and connection. In particular, it is significant that Hwasun County has taken the lead in implementing the central government's integrated care policy at the basic local government level.

The newly established Integrated Care Division consists of the following teams: Integrated Care Planning Team, Care Support Team, Independent Living Care Team, and Hope Welfare Team. These teams will systematically manage the entire process of integrated care policy, from planning and identifying recipients to service linkage and post-management.

The Integrated Care Planning Team is responsible for policy planning and establishing the institutional foundation for integrated care. The Care Support Team handles the development of individualized integrated support plans and service linkage. The Independent Living Care Team supports daily life recovery and independence for people with disabilities, while the Hope Welfare Team is in charge of identifying households in crisis and strengthening the welfare safety net.

The Integrated Care Division plans to provide customized integrated care services tailored to the individual needs of seniors and people with disabilities who have difficulties in daily life. Through the organic connection of health care and welfare, it aims to help residents maintain healthy and stable lives in their own communities.

With the launch of this new division, Hwasun County intends to build a care system centered on residents' lives rather than administration, to eliminate gaps in care, and to minimize issues of overlapping or missing services, thereby increasing the effectiveness of care. The county also plans to strengthen cooperation with local medical institutions, welfare facilities, and private organizations to develop an integrated care model tailored to the characteristics of the region.

Yang Bonam, head of the Integrated Care Division, stated, "The establishment of the Integrated Care Division is the starting point for looking after all aspects of residents' lives, not just providing individual care services. We will continue to promote field-oriented integrated care policies so that residents in need of care can lead dignified lives where they have always lived."