Taiwan’s First: NCKU Geriatric Hospital Holds Grand Topping-Out Ceremony, Forging a New Healthcare Paradigm for a Super-Aged Society
Edited by Rainee Cheng. Image Credit to NCKU News Center
Marking a significant milestone in Taiwan’s integrated geriatric care, National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) Geriatric Hospital held a grand topping-out ceremony today on April 25. The event symbolizes the steady implementation of a “HITS” —Health, Integration, Technology, and ecoSystem—community integrated geriatric care model, poised to become a new paradigm in healthcare and caregiving for Taiwan’s super-aged society.
Taiwan’s first dedicated National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) Geriatric Hospital holds its grand topping-out ceremony today, April 25.
(Front row, from left: Prof. Chun-Yo Yang, Former Superintendent of NCKU Hospital; Chun-Hsien Lin, Legislator; Dr. Liang-Cheng Han, Superintendent of Han Internal Medicine Clinic; Wei-Che Huang, Mayor of Tainan; Meng-Ru Shen, NCKU President; Jing-Wei Lee, Superintendent of NCKU Hospital; Prof. Chun-Yen Chang, Former Dean of the College of Medicine; Hsiang-Kuo Chen, Chairman of the Taiwan Medical Association; and Ting-Fei Chen, Legislator. Back row, from left: Pai-Tsung Chen, General Manager of Takewell Inc; Peng-Chan Lin, Vice Superintendent of NCKU Hospital; Chih-Hao Lin, Vice Superintendent of NCKU Hospital; Hsiu-Chi Cheng, Dean of the College of Medicine; Keng-Fu Hsu, Vice Superintendent of NCKU Hospital; Ching-Hwa Chang, Architect at Bio-architecture Formosana; Shih-Hsien Yang, Director of the NCKU Hospital Public Works Office; Wen-Sheng Lin, General Manager of PRO-JECT Engineering Consultants Co., Ltd.; and Pei-Hung Kuo, Chairman of Formosa Builders, Inc.)
The NCKU Geriatric Hospital is located at the intersection of Dongfeng Road and Linsen Road in the North District of Tainan City. Approved by the Executive Yuan in April 2018, the project broke ground in October 2021. With a total budget of nearly NT$4.5 billion, the hospital is scheduled for completion in August 2027. The facility is designed as a modern medical building featuring 12 levels above ground and 5 levels below, providing approximately 450 beds.
The simple yet solemn topping-out ceremony was attended by a host of distinguished guests, including Mayor of Tainan Wei-Che Huang (黃偉哲), NCKU President Meng-Ru Shen (沈孟儒), Dean of the College of Medicine Hsiu-Chi Cheng (鄭修琦), Superintendent of NCKU Hospital Jing-Wei Lee (李經維), Former Dean of the College of Medicine Chun-Yen Chang (張俊彥), Former Superintendent of NCKU Hospital Chun-Yo Yang (楊俊佑), Presidential Advisor Liang-Cheng Han (韓良誠), Chairman of the Taiwan Medical Association Hsiang-Kuo Chen (陳相國), and Legislators Chun-Hsien Lin (林俊憲) and Ting-Fei Chen (陳亭妃). Together, they witnessed the blessing rituals and signed the final steel beam. Accompanied by music and salutes, the beam was steadily hoisted to the top of the structure, marking the final phase of completion of the project.
Numerous distinguished guests gathered to witness the simple yet solemn topping-out ceremony, jointly participating in the incense blessing and steel beam signing rituals.
With “holistic care for the elderly” as its core mission, NCKU Geriatric Hospital is equipped with integrated care clinic, acute general wards, post-acute care wards, hospice wards, rehabilitation center, psychiatric day care wards, hemodialysis rooms, endoscopy rooms, operating rooms, intensive care unit (ICU), health management center, and sleep center. From architectural design and environmental planning to the layout of patient circulation, every aspect is rooted in the concept of age-friendly spaces, aiming to extend medical services from the hospital into homes and communities.
NCKU President Meng-Ru Shen stated that the realization of the geriatric hospital in Tainan is the result of the collective support and assistance of many individuals. He emphasized that today’s topping-out ceremony marks a significant milestone and specifically urged the engineering team to maintain their dedication, expressing his hope to accelerate the project’s final completion and the official operations.
In the remarks, NCKU President Meng-Ru Shen reviewed the critical milestones of the geriatric hospital’s development from the initial conceptual proposal and securing funding to its official establishment and the beginning of execution. He extended his gratitude to the supportive individuals throughout the journey. President Shen noted that the realization of the geriatric hospital in Tainan was made possible by the collective efforts of many, emphasizing that the construction process was particularly challenging as it navigated geopolitical shifts, the pandemic, and the impact of inflation. President Shen highlighted that today’s topping-out ceremony marks a vital milestone, and he specifically urged the engineering team to maintain their dedication, expressing his hope to accelerate the progress toward the project’s final completion and the official operations.
Tainan Mayor Wei-Che Huang stated in his remarks that the NCKU Geriatric Hospital is highly anticipated, as it will provide Tainan citizens with better care. He added that NCKU’s vision extends further with the upcoming Shalun Children’s Hospital and Health Park projects, which aim to comprehensively care for both the young and the elderly, and the city government will fully cooperate in these endeavors.
Tainan Mayor Wei-Che Huang noted that the city’s population aged 65 and over has increased from 275,000 when he first took office in 2018 to nearly 380,000 today. This rapid aging trend highlights the increasing demand for elder care. The NCKU Geriatric Hospital is thus highly anticipated, as it will provide Tainan citizens with better care. Mayor Huang added that NCKU’s vision extends beyond the geriatric hospital; the upcoming Shalun Children’s Hospital and Health Park projects demonstrate a commitment to comprehensively caring for both the young and the elderly. He assured that the city government will fully cooperate in these endeavors.
NCKU Hospital Superintendent Jing-Wei Lee emphasized that the NCKU Geriatric Hospital aspires to go beyond merely treating illnesses; it also aims to preserve vitality and extend healthy lifespans.
NCKU Hospital Superintendent Jing-Wei Lee emphasized that the design concept of the NCKU Geriatric Hospital centers on being spacious, bright, age-friendly, and open. He stated that the goal of building this geriatric hospital goes beyond merely treating illnesses. It also aspires to preserve vitality and extend healthy lifespans. The ultimate hope is to help people prevent frailty, defy aging, and enjoy a life of both happiness and longevity.
In response to the challenges of Taiwan’s transition into a super-aged society, the NCKU Geriatric Hospital integrates contemporary smart technologies. Adopting a patient-centered approach, the hospital is driving the “HITS” integrated geriatric care model. Its core philosophy centers on “more holistic healthcare, lighter caregiving burdens, greater independence for the elderly, and greater relief for families.” Through compassionate and meticulous medical care and support, the hospital aims to help seniors achieve the ultimate goals of “staying healthy without illness, preventing frailty when ill, avoiding disability when frail, and maintaining dignity when disabled,” thereby ensuring a high quality of life in their golden years.
The construction of the NCKU Geriatric Hospital not only demonstrates the forward-looking strategic vision of NCKU and its healthcare system regarding the issues of an aging society, but it will also serve as a crucial national paradigm for promoting geriatric medicine and integrated care. Ultimately, it will lead Taiwan into a new, more comprehensive era of human-centered healthcare.
NCKU Geriatric Hospital not only demonstrates the forward-looking strategic vision of NCKU and its healthcare system regarding the issues of an aging society but will also serve as a crucial national paradigm for promoting geriatric medicine and integrated care, leading Taiwan into a new, more comprehensive era of human-centered healthcare. The hospital is located at the intersection of Dongfeng Road and Linsen Road in the North District of Tainan City, scheduled for completion in August 2027.
Provider:
NCKU News Center
Date:
2026-04-28
