First, I would like to express my gratitude to everyone who supports Kumamoto University Hospital.

My name is Toshinori Hirai, and I assumed the position of Hospital Director at Kumamoto University Hospital in April 2024. After graduating from the Kumamoto University School of Medicine in 1989, I worked as a radiologist for 34 years. I am now taking over as Hospital Director with the intent of giving back to the hospital that trained me.

Kumamoto University Hospital has a long and storied history, beginning as Saishunkan, a medical training school of the Kumamoto domain established by Lord Hosokawa Shigekata in 1756. It later became the Furushiro Medical School & Hospital in 1871, which was where Dr. Kitasato Shibasaburo, the father of modern medicine in Japan, received his education in medicine. In 2024, as a tribute to Dr. Kitasato, we put on display a relief statue in our outpatient clinic building of Dr. Kitasato and his mentor, the Dutch physician Dr. Constant George van Mansvelt. We hope you take a moment to view it when you visit our 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 actively engage in personnel exchanges and provide support to train medical professionals who can respond to rapidly changing medical needs, such as a quickly aging society, emerging infectious diseases, and serious disasters. We are the only designated advanced treatment hospital in Kumamoto Prefecture, and we serve as the last bastion in local medical care.

Kumamoto University Hospital continuously strives to provide the highest level of medical care in the country by maintaining a state-of-the-art medical environment. We offer advanced medical services such as minimally invasive treatments (via robot-assisted surgery, interventional radiology (IVR), and nucleology treatments), organ transplantation, highly complex surgeries, and comprehensive cancer treatments. We will continue to develop these fields, while also promoting prospective future treatments, such as immunotherapy and genomic medicine, so as to deliver the best possible care to our patients.

We here at Kumamoto University Hospital will continue to work together to meet the expectations of our patients, the community, and society. We appreciate your continued support of Kumamoto University Hospital.