Severance Children's Hospital Celebrates 20th Anniversary as Korea's First Private Pediatric Hospital

Severance Children's Hospital has marked its 20th anniversary, having opened as Korea's first private pediatric hospital and continuing a 141-year tradition of pediatric care.

According to Severance Hospital, the anniversary ceremony held on June 20 at Yonsei University's Baekyangnuri Grand Ballroom was attended by Minister of Gender Equality and Family Won Min-kyung, National Assembly member Kim Dong-ah, and Yonsei Medical Center President Geum Ki-chang.

The children's hospital opened on June 15, 2006, continuing the pediatric care tradition that began in 1885 with Korea's first modern medical institution, Jejungwon. Jejungwon treated various childhood illnesses, including abdominal pain, whooping cough, and cholera-related diarrhea, and also conducted smallpox vaccinations.

Yonsei Medical Center has set several domestic firsts in pediatric medicine. It established a pediatric surgery department as an independent division in 1975, opened a pediatric endoscopy unit in 1980, a neonatal intensive care unit in 1982, and a child specialty care center in 1999.

When it opened, Severance Children's Hospital was designed with the goal of being a place where young patients feel comfortable. It features child-friendly outpatient and inpatient areas, a neonatal intensive care unit, sterile rooms, testing facilities, and a school for hospitalized children, all located in one space to reduce the burden of movement.

Today, the hospital has 280 beds spread across 10 floors, specializing in the treatment of severe pediatric patients and rare diseases. It has expanded its advanced intensive care infrastructure, including a neonatal intensive care unit, pediatric intensive care unit, and pediatric cardiac intensive care unit.

In 2021, it established Korea's first pediatric rapid response team, SaveKids, to address the deterioration of hospitalized patients' conditions promptly. Last year, the hospital recorded 177,572 outpatient visits and 57,612 inpatient admissions.

The hospital is designated by the Ministry of Health and Welfare as a public specialty care center for children, fulfilling a public role in treating severe pediatric cases, and supports home care through its pediatric home care team. It is also recognized as a regional specialized institution for rare diseases by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. Last year, it opened Korea's first integrated treatment center for autism spectrum disorders.

Cheon Geun-ah, the director of Severance Children's Hospital and a professor of child psychiatry, stated, "We aim to be a hospital that not only treats diseases but also supports children's growth and development, family recovery, and the transition to adulthood."

Meanwhile, Gangnam Severance Hospital has partnered with the Korea Association for Children with Rare and Intractable Diseases to provide support for children suffering from rare and intractable diseases. Recently, it held a donation ceremony for supporting children with rare and intractable diseases, contributing a total of 6.07 million won to the association. The event was organized to provide practical assistance to patients and families facing long-term treatment and high medical costs, while also conveying a message of emotional support and solidarity.