Huashan Hospital, Fudan University: A Leading International Medical Center in Shanghai

Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, was founded in 1907. Its predecessor was the Chinese Red Cross General Hospital and Medical School, one of the earliest modern hospitals established by Chinese people in Shanghai. It played an important role in training some of China’s earliest modern medical professionals.

In 1992, Huashan Hospital was among the first hospitals in China to pass the national Grade III Class A hospital evaluation. Today, it is a hospital affiliated with Fudan University, a named hospital of the Red Cross Society of China, and one of China’s most recognized medical, teaching, and research centers with strong international characteristics.

Huashan Hospital has built strong national-level medical platforms. It undertakes the construction of three major national medical centers: the National Medical Center for Neurological Diseases, the National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, and the National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases.

The hospital currently operates multiple campuses, including the main campus, Pudong campus, Hongqiao campus, and Baoshan campus. Its comprehensive specialty strength, ability to diagnose and treat difficult diseases, medical service coverage, and scientific innovation capacity are widely recognized.

Huashan Hospital has 10 national key disciplines and 20 national clinical key specialties. Its specialties cover neurosurgery, hand surgery, neurology, infectious diseases, nephrology, cardiology, general surgery, orthopedics, endocrinology, dermatology, urology, gastroenterology, oncology, rehabilitation medicine, sports medicine, and medical imaging.

In national specialty reputation rankings, several Huashan Hospital disciplines rank among the top in China. Its neurosurgery has been recognized by an authoritative international neurosurgery journal as one of the world’s outstanding neurosurgery centers.

The hospital has a strong medical talent team. It has more than 6,000 staff members, with medical professionals accounting for over 80%. Among them, there are more than 800 senior-title experts. Since its founding, the hospital has had academicians, national-level high-level talents, young talent program awardees, lifetime professors, and many leading experts serving in national and Shanghai-level academic committees.

Huashan Hospital provides high-volume medical services. In recent years, the hospital has handled more than 6 million outpatient and emergency visits annually, nearly 200,000 discharged patients annually, and more than 100,000 surgeries annually. In 2023, it recorded more than 5.94 million outpatient and emergency visits, over 180,000 discharged patients, and more than 70,000 surgeries.

Huashan Hospital was the first medical institution in Shanghai to provide foreign-related medical services. It has been designated by consulates of 10 countries as a medical service institution and has served more than 600,000 foreign patients from over 100 countries and regions.

The hospital has also provided medical support for major international events and diplomatic activities, including the China International Import Expo, World Expo, Olympic Games, APEC meetings, CICA summit, Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, and visits by international dignitaries.

The hospital is equipped with advanced medical facilities, including modern laminar-flow operating rooms, integrated operating rooms, hybrid operating rooms, PET/CT, MRI systems, robotic surgical systems such as the da Vinci surgical robot, stereotactic radiotherapy systems, and linear accelerators. These technologies support precise diagnosis and treatment for complex conditions.

Huashan Hospital has achieved strong results in medical research and innovation. Its hand surgery team pioneered a procedure involving contralateral cervical nerve transfer for upper limb paralysis after central nervous system injury, with research published in The New England Journal of Medicine. The related work later received major science and technology awards.

In recent years, the hospital has led multiple national key research and development projects, national science and technology major projects, and National Natural Science Foundation of China projects. It has published thousands of academic papers, with many indexed by SCI.

Huashan Hospital is also a teaching hospital affiliated with Fudan University. It undertakes teaching work for more than 2,000 students and trainees each year. The hospital has 21 doctoral programs and postdoctoral mobile stations, as well as a strong group of doctoral and master’s supervisors.

Since its founding in 1907, Huashan Hospital has upheld the Red Cross spirit of humanity, fraternity, and dedication. The hospital has participated in domestic and international humanitarian rescue missions, including earthquake relief, disaster response, and public health emergency support.

During the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020, Huashan Hospital sent four medical teams with 273 medical staff members to support Wuhan. The hospital has also promoted the construction of national regional medical centers and established medical alliances to expand access to high-quality medical care.

"Huashan Hospital combines a century-long medical tradition with modern clinical innovation, international service experience, and a strong commitment to humanitarian care."