Only One Selected Nationwide...A "Golden Hour Command Center"
The medical map of Suncheon City has been redrawn. Seonggarolo Hospital has been finally designated as a Regional Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Disease Center this year, the only one selected nationwide, after previously serving as a Local Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Disease Center. It is now set to leap forward as a regional hub hospital responsible for treating severe cardiovascular and cerebrovascular patients across all of Jeollanam-do, beyond the local area.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare carried out an open call last year targeting Jeollanam-do, which is vulnerable in the treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, and up to February 2026 conducted document reviews, oral evaluations, and on-site inspections to thoroughly verify the completeness of the project plan, treatment capabilities, and the expertise of facilities, organization, and personnel. After intense screening, Seonggarolo Hospital was finally selected.
This designation is not a simple "name change." It marks the starting point of a "regional-level integrated response system" in which everything is connected within a one-stop framework, from the moment a patient enters the emergency room through surgery, intensive care, rehabilitation, and preventive management. In particular, for conditions such as myocardial infarction and stroke, where responses measured in minutes determine life or death, the center will serve as a control tower to protect the "golden hour."
Seonggarolo Hospital has already been preparing. Since being designated as a Local Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Disease Center in January 2025, it has held expert forums and worked to advance its operations. After the center opened on July 1, 2025, the number of severe cardiovascular and cerebrovascular cases treated in the region increased by about 7 percent. This reflects growing on-the-ground trust that "there is no need to go far."
With its designation as a regional center, the hospital will reinforce cutting-edge medical equipment, including the latest angiography systems, and expand its pool of specialists to strengthen a 24-hour on-call specialist system. As a result, instead of transferring severe and emergency patients to the Seoul metropolitan area, the pathway has widened for them to complete their definitive treatment within Jeollanam-do.
The center will operate based on four specialized pillars: a Cardiovascular Center, a Cerebrovascular Center, a Cardio-Cerebrovascular Rehabilitation Center, and a Prevention and Management Center. It will establish a "full-cycle management system" that goes beyond treatment to include rehabilitation, relapse prevention, and education on improving lifestyle habits. Coordination with local medical institutions and the 119 fire and emergency services will also become much tighter, and the time from patient onset to transport and treatment is expected to be dramatically reduced.
An official from the city said, "The designation of this Regional Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Disease Center is an opportunity to substantially strengthen the medical safety net in Jeollanam-do," adding, "We will further solidify a locally self-sufficient medical system so that citizens can receive rapid and specialized treatment within the region even in critical moments."
The change that began in Suncheon is now becoming a robust medical safety net, equipped with a strong system to protect lives throughout Jeollanam-do.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
