The Southern Theater Command Air Force Hospital (formerly PLA No. 458 Hospital)

The Southern Theater Command Air Force Hospital (formerly PLA No. 458 Hospital) was established in 1952 and is located at No. 801 Dongfeng East Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou City, covering an area of 94,213 square meters with 800 available beds. Its predecessors include the Second Central South Air Force Hospital, Air Force No. 17 Hospital, Air Force Guangzhou Hospital, and PLA No. 458 Hospital. After more than 60 years of development, the hospital has evolved into a modern, comprehensive, tertiary-level A hospital with complete medical specialties, advanced equipment, strong technical capabilities, and high-quality services. It integrates medical care, teaching, scientific research, prevention, health care, rehabilitation, and psychological services. The hospital currently operates 40 departments and specialties, including one military-wide medical specialty center, one key laboratory, and five key disciplines or specialties designated by the former Guangzhou Military Region. The hospital has developed distinct technical strengths and advantages in areas such as liver disease prevention and treatment, hepatobiliary surgery, functional neurosurgery, clinical aviation medicine, organ transplantation, comprehensive cancer prevention and treatment, interventional therapy, oral medicine, ultrasound medicine, psychological counseling, cell therapy, drug development, and health management. The hospital’s medical staff continues to grow in size and quality. After over six decades of development, it has cultivated a large number of outstanding specialists who are well-known both within and outside the military. Among them are: 1 National Outstanding Young Expert with Special Contributions, 2 individuals receiving special government allowances, 3 experts at level three or above in technical rank; 5 doctoral and master's degree supervisors; 73 senior medical professionals; and 47 personnel serving as committee members, standing committee members, or deputy chairpersons in provincial, military region, and national specialty associations. There are also 81 doctors holding master’s degrees or higher. The hospital maintains a fair and rigorous talent promotion system, ensuring the selection of high-caliber technical personnel while emphasizing personal development and continuing education. This approach ensures that state-of-the-art facilities are matched with highly skilled professionals, enabling the hospital to make its strongest commitment to patients’ health. Equipped with advanced medical and research devices such as PET/CT, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), linear accelerators, 16-slice spiral CT, digital subtraction angiography (DSA), digital X-ray machines, color Doppler ultrasound, and flow cytometers, the hospital’s total equipment value amounts to approximately 190 million RMB. The hospital currently serves as a clinical teaching hospital and joint postgraduate training base for multiple medical institutions, including Southern Medical University, Sun Yat-sen University, South China University of Technology, and Guangzhou Medical College. It currently undertakes four major long-term national projects under the "11th Five-Year" and "12th Five-Year" plans. The hospital has won one National Invention Award Second Prize, one Army Science and Technology Progress First Prize, eleven Army Science and Technology Progress and Medical Achievement Second Prizes, three Guangdong Provincial Science and Technology Progress Second Prizes, over eighty Army Science and Technology Progress and Medical Achievement Third Prizes, and three Class I New Drug Certificates issued by the state. Adhering firmly to its mission of "serving the military and the troops," the hospital focuses on enhancing combat effectiveness and maintenance, aiming at personalized health management and disease treatment management. It actively develops a health promotion and clinical service model tailored for military personnel. The hospital has reorganized the layout of military patient areas, moved service windows forward, implemented "one-stop" services, established a military triage room, added coordination positions dedicated to serving troops, created a military personnel service station, reconfigured military inpatient wards, provided free drinking cups and toiletries to hospitalized military patients, set up separate dining areas for high-ranking officers and air crew members, strengthened quality nursing care, established a three-tiered nursing management system, and rigorously and thoroughly carried out services for the armed forces. The hospital has been commended by the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee as an "Advanced Grassroots Party Organization in Fighting SARS." It has received honors from headquarters and the former Guangzhou Military Region, including "Advanced Hospital Serving the Armed Forces," "Advanced Unit in Fighting SARS," "Advanced Unit in Responding to Ice and Snow Disasters," "Advanced Unit in Earthquake Relief," and "Advanced Unit Supporting Asia." It was awarded the "Bethune Cup" for the National Military Quality Service Competition. During the "11th Five-Year" period, it was recognized as an "Advanced Unit in Medical Science and Technology Work" at both the military and former Guangzhou Military Region levels. In recent years, the hospital has received numerous accolades, including "Advanced Unit for White-Bethune Cup Quality Service" from headquarters, "Advanced Unit in Logistics Management," "Advanced Hospital," "Advanced Unit in Activities Promoting Satisfaction Among Injured and Sick Personnel," "Advanced Unit in Disability Support and Assistance" from Guangdong Province, "Advanced Greening Unit," "Garden-style Unit," "Top 100 Units in Guangzhou's High-Quality Service Competition," and "Advanced Unit in Social Security and Comprehensive Management." The hospital adheres to the guiding principles of "caring for health, saving lives, pursuing excellence, and combining virtue with medical skill." [Southern Theater Command Air Force Hospital] takes "patients' needs are our pursuit" as its development philosophy. By strengthening spiritual civilization construction and continuously improving medical service quality, the hospital has earned high praise from both military units and the broader society. While fulfilling its mission of providing medical care for military personnel, the hospital is also committed to offering high-quality healthcare services to the local community. It is a designated hospital within Guangzhou's "120" emergency medical network, responsible for pre-hospital emergency care for approximately 350,000 residents across seven police districts in the city. The hospital annually rescues over 1,000 critically ill patients, handles more than 250,000 outpatient visits, and admits over 10,000 inpatients each year. Actively participating in Guangzhou's public hospital comprehensive reform, the hospital has successfully implemented zero-profit drug sales and adjusted medical service pricing. It has established two-way referral agreements with nearby subdistricts and community hospitals, developed a mobile patient service platform featuring intelligent triage, appointment scheduling, online payment, and report inquiry functions, thereby optimizing service models and processes to provide greater convenience for patients seeking medical care.