The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University

Introduction: The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University

🏥 General Overview

• Name: The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University (苏州大学附属第一医院), also known historically as Soochow Hospital or Boxi (博习) Hospital.

• Tier & Accreditation: A premier Grade III Class A hospital, the highest classification in China’s public hospital system.

• Management & Role: Directly under Jiangsu Provincial Health Authorities, it serves as the key medical center for southern Jiangsu, affording clinical leadership and supervising regional health.

📜 Rich Historical Legacy

• Founded in 1883 by American Methodist missionaries William Hector Park and Walter Russell Lambuth as Boxi Hospital—one of the earliest Western-style hospitals in inland China.

• Become Affiliated: In 1957, it became the First Affiliated Hospital of Suzhou Medical College, evolving to its current name following the 2000 merger forming Soochow University.

• Early Innovations: Among the first in China to introduce X-ray machines, surgical techniques, and a female nursing program; expanded amid missionary support, including Rockefeller funding.

🏢 Campus & Capacity

• Dual Campuses:

  • Pinghai Road, the main campus, inaugurated in August 2015

  • Shizi Street, the original city center site.

• Infrastructure:

  • Total of approximately 1,727–3,000 beds (depending on source), with the newer campus built across ~200 acres and covering ~200,000 square meters .

• Patient Volume (2013–2018):

  • ~2.36 million outpatient/ER visits.

  • ~240,000 admissions.

  • ~24,400 surgeries performed annually

Pic: First Affiliated hospital of Soochow University Hospital admission ward

👩‍⚕️ Clinical Strengths & Staff

• Specialties:

  • 3 national key disciplines: Radiology, hematology, and Orthopaedics

  • Multiple national key clinical specialties, including Orthopaedics, Haematology, neurosurgery, and Pharmacy

• Expert Team:

  • ~3,050–4,500 staff; includes ~210–305 senior title holders and 386–592 deputy senior specialists

🔬 Research & Innovation

• Academic Integration: Serves as the teaching hospital for the 1st Clinical Medical School of Soochow University’s Medical College

• Research Achievements: The Hematology Department, led by Professor Wu and others, has garnered national awards; leaders like Academician Chi Lifeng and Professor Yang Huilin have received distinguished honors in orthopedic research and clinical work in Jiangsu province.

⚙️ Facilities & Digital Systems

• State-of-the-art equipment: PET-CT, extracorporeal circulation devices, excimer lasers, and hemodialysis units.

• Smart Hospital Technologies: Full digital infrastructure since 1999: electronic medical records, online appointment systems, and clinical pathway modules.

• IoT Integration: The Pingjiang New Hospital employs intelligent subsystem monitoring (e.g., energy, maintenance, security) with BIM-enabled digital utilities and analytics.

Pic: First Affiliated hospital of Soochow University Hospital

🌍 Collaboration & Community Role

• Regional Referral Hub: Comprehensive emergency, inpatient, and outpatient services for Suzhou and surrounding areas.

• International Outreach: Long-term partnerships dating back to the 1970s with over 30 global institutions (USA, France, Japan, Canada, Germany, South Korea, Australia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau)

The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University offers a wide range of clinical and key specialty services. Here’s a detailed breakdown:

🏥 Clinical Departments & Specialties

• 37 clinical departments, covering all major medical and surgical fields

• 8 medical technology departments and 8 laboratories.

⭐ National Key Disciplines

• Internal Hematology

• Orthopaedics (Ranked as “national key disciplines”)

🌟 National Key Clinical Specialties (8 in total)

These include, but are not limited to:

• Orthopaedics

• Hematology

• Neurosurgery

• Pharmacy

🧪 Research & Provincial-Level Centers

• 1 key Ministry of Health laboratory

• 3 Clinical Medical Centers under Jiangsu Province’s Health Promotion Project

🎓 Academic Programs & Training

• 37 clinical departments, 21 academic divisions, and 15 labs supporting education and research

• It provides postdoctoral, doctoral, and master’s programs across a wide range of specialties.

⚙️ Summary Table

🏥 Infrastructure of The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University

The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University is one of China’s leading medical institutions, boasting an impressive and modern infrastructure designed to support advanced clinical care, research, and medical education.

🏗️ Campuses & Physical Facilities

1. Pinghai Road Campus (Main Campus)

• Opened: August 2015

• Location: East Suzhou Industrial Park

• Total Area: Over 200 acres

• Built-up Area: Approximately 200,000 square meters

• Design Concept: A modern “smart hospital” integrating high-performance clinical services with advanced digital and green technologies.

• Structure: Includes outpatient departments, emergency center, inpatient towers, ICU, surgical centers, and research blocks.

2. Shizi Street Campus (Original Campus)

• Historical Significance: Original site of Boxi Hospital (established in 1883)

• Function: Primarily supports outpatient services, diagnostics, and transitional care.

🛏️ Hospital Capacity

• Total Number of Beds: Around 3,000 beds (across both campuses)

• Annual Volume (approximate):

  • Outpatients & Emergency Visits: ~2.3 million

  • Admissions: ~240,000

  • Major Surgeries Performed: ~24,000 annually

🧠 Intelligent Hospital Infrastructure

The hospital employs a wide range of digital technologies under the “smart hospital” framework, particularly in the new Pinghai campus:

• Digital Medical Records: Fully integrated EMR (Electronic Medical Record) system

• Smart Scheduling: Online appointment, registration, and billing system

• Clinical Pathways: Digitally managed treatment pathways across departments

• Medical Imaging Integration: PACS, RIS, and AI-assisted diagnostics

🔬 Diagnostic & Therapeutic Equipment

• Imaging:

  • PET-CT

  • Dual-source CT

  • MRI (1.5T & 3.0T)

  • Digital subtraction angiography (DSA)

• Surgical:

  • Minimally invasive surgery suites

  • Hybrid ORs

  • Endoscopy centers

• Support Units:

  • Hemodialysis center

  • Interventional radiology

  • Laboratory medicine with molecular and genetic testing

  • Central sterilization & supply units

🧪 Research Infrastructure

• Key Labs: National and provincial-level research laboratories focused on hematology, orthopaedics, pharmacology, and translational medicine.

• Research Facilities:

  • Dedicated academic buildings

  • Clinical trial coordination units

  • Biobank and genomic sequencing platforms

🧑‍🏫 Academic & Teaching Facilities

• Affiliated to Soochow University’s Medical School

• Postgraduate Education: Doctoral and master-level teaching in over 50 disciplines

• Simulation Labs: Advanced surgical and clinical simulation centers for training medical students and residents

🛡️ Sustainability & Smart Management

• Green Infrastructure:

  • Eco-friendly building materials

  • Waste reduction and energy-efficient HVAC systems

• Facility Management Systems:

  • Building Information Modeling (BIM)

  • IoT-enabled systems for energy monitoring, equipment maintenance, and security control

🧭 Accessibility & Amenities

• Accessibility: Both campuses are well connected by Suzhou’s public transport system, including metro and bus services.

• Patient Amenities:

  • Multilingual services for international patients

  • Cafeterias, pharmacy, rehabilitation units, and VIP wards

  • Parking facilities and family waiting lounges

✅ Summary

The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University is located across two main campuses in Suzhou’s historic Gusu District:

📍 Campus Locations

1. Pinghai Road Campus (Main Campus)

• Address: No. 899 Pinghai Road, Gusu District, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China

• Postal Code: 215006 or 215000 depending on sources

• This is the newer, larger campus—officially opened on August 28, 2015

2. Shizi Street Campus (Original Campus)

• Address: No. 188 (or 296 as per mapping services) Shizi Street (十梓街), Gusu District, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China, 215000–215005

• This site retains many outpatient and general service operations, rooted in the hospital’s 1883 origins.

🗺️ Neighborhood & Accessibility

• Situated in Suzhou’s Gusu District, known for its classical gardens and cultural heritage.

• Coordinates (Shizi campus): approx. latitude 31.3063 N, longitude 120.6303 E

• Transportation: Accessible via multiple bus routes (e.g., Nos. 2, 6, 47, 106, 116, 215, 258). The hospital also operates several free shuttle services.

✅ Summary

• Pinghai Road Campus
  ➤ No. 899 Pinghai Road, Gusu District, Suzhou

• Shizi Street Campus
  ➤ No. 188 Shizi Street, Gusu District, Suzhou

Both campuses are centrally located within Suzhou’s Gusu District, offering strong public transport connectivity and ample patient amenities.

📌 Campus Addresses

• Pinghai Road Campus (Main Campus)
  Address: No. 899 Pinghai Road, Gusu District, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China, 215006.

• Shizi Street Campus (Old / Original Campus)
  Address: No. 188 Shizi Street (十梓街), Gusu District, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China, 215006.

The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University offers a comprehensive range of modern medical, research, educational, and patient-centric facilities, making it one of the most advanced healthcare institutions in eastern China.

🏥 Clinical & Medical Facilities

🛠️ Advanced Medical Technology

• Hybrid Operating Rooms

• Minimally Invasive Surgery Units

• Digital Pathology & AI Diagnostics

• Integrated PACS, RIS, HIS systems

• Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine

🧠 Research & Innovation

• National Key Laboratories for hematology, pharmacology, orthopaedics

• Clinical Trial Units and GCP-certified drug testing platform

• Biobank & Genomics infrastructure

• Affiliated Teaching Center of Soochow University’s Medical School

• Postgraduate Education: Masters, Doctorate, and Postdoctoral fellowships

🧑‍⚕️ Specialized Clinical Departments

The hospital houses 37 clinical departments and multiple national key clinical specialties, including:

• Hematology

• Orthopaedics

• Neurosurgery

• Cardiology

• Oncology

• Endocrinology

• Gastroenterology

• Respiratory medicine

• Nephrology

• Rheumatology

• Urology

• Pediatrics

• Obstetrics & Gynecology

🧾 Digital & Smart Hospital Systems

• Electronic Medical Records (EMR)

• Online Appointments, Payments, and Results

• Smart Drug Dispensing and inventory systems

• Mobile App for patients

• IoT-based Hospital Monitoring (Pinghai Campus)

🧘 Patient & Support Facilities

🧭 Accessibility & Navigation

• Wheelchair-friendly entrances and corridors

• Information desks with navigation assistance

• Shuttle buses between campuses

• On-campus signage in Mandarin and English

✅ Summary