Having been named the director of Kumamoto University Hospital starting April 2021, I would like to say a few words.

　I would first like to sincerely thank everyone for their support and understanding of Kumamoto University Hospital.

　The philosophy of our hospital is this: "Through advanced medical safety management, we practice patient-centered medical care, we strive to make advances in medicine and educate medical professionals, and we contribute to the welfare and health of the community." We are the only advanced treatment hospital in Kumamoto Prefecture, and we serve as the last bastion in local medical care. All of us together at Kumamoto University Hospital strive to listen carefully to our patients and their families, provide leading medical care under advanced medical safety management systems, and contribute to the health and welfare of the local population.

　In order to provide the highest levels of medical care in Japan, Kumamoto University Hospital houses a number of specialized centers, including the Organ Transplant Center, the Cancer Center, the Cancer Genomics Center, and the Advanced Medical Care Development Center, as well as a cutting-edge medical environment featuring surgery assistance robots, a hybrid operating room, and an ambulance specifically for use in transporting newborns.
　COVID-19 has been running rampant since 2020, and although vaccinations have started, the future is still uncertain. We hope to continue to work together with the government, medical associations, and medical facilities in Kumamoto Prefecture to fulfill our role as a university hospital.

　As a clinical education center for advanced medicine, we train high-level medical personnel who possess expert knowledge and skills and an international mindset, and who can actively participate in regional medical care and the society of the future. We also train medical personnel who can adapt to the swift changes in medical needs as a result of a rapidly aging society, emerging diseases, disasters, etc., and we also actively participate in personal exchange and support to aid local medicine. Kumamoto University Hospital is home to a Local Medicine Support center, a Disaster Medical Education and Research Center, and an Emerging Infectious Disease Countermeasure Donation Course, and trains and deploys not just general practitioners, but also puts effort into training medical specialists in disaster medicine and emerging diseases.

　Additionally, we hope to continue to work hard in research on diseases that are still difficult to diagnose and treat, to develop new diagnostic and treatment methods, to contribute to the advancement of medicine, and to spread new information throughout the world.

　Kumamoto was struck by earthquakes in 2016, and during the recovery, we have been hit again and again with heavy rains and flooding last year and the spread of COVID-19, making our future uncertain and difficult to predict. Even during times like this, we sincerely believe it is our mission to work hard together as a team to answer the needs of patients and their families who are suffering through the difficulties of disease and provide the best care we can.

Computer generated image of completed outdoor environment construction at Kumamoto University Hospital