Severance Children's Hospital marks 20 years, carrying forward 141-year pediatric legacy

Severance Hospital announced Monday that it held a ceremony to mark the 20th anniversary of Severance Children's Hospital.

The event took place June 20 at the Grand Ballroom of Yonsei University's Baekyang Nuri, drawing prominent guests including Minister of Gender Equality and Family Won Min-kyung, Assembly member Kim Dong-a and Yonsei University Health System President Geum Ki-chang.

Severance Children's Hospital opened in June 2006 as the first children's specialty hospital at a private medical institution in Korea, carrying on a 141-year pediatric care tradition that traces back to Jejungwon — Korea's first modern medical institution, established in 1885.

Yonsei University Health System has repeatedly set national firsts in pediatric medicine. In 1975, it became the first in Korea to establish pediatric surgery as an independent subspecialty, and in 1980 it opened the country's first dedicated pediatric endoscopy unit, building a more precise care environment for children.

In June 1999, the hospital launched a Children's Specialty Care Center on the second floor of Severance Hospital. Centered on pediatrics, the center brought together outpatient services across multiple departments — including child psychiatry, clinical genetics, pediatric surgery, pediatric orthopedics, pediatric neurosurgery and pediatric urology — ushering in a new era of comprehensive children's care.

When Severance Children's Hospital opened on June 15, 2006, it was designed with the goal of creating a space where young patients could feel at ease, shaping both its physical layout and its care model around that vision.

Child-friendly outpatient and inpatient areas, a neonatal intensive care unit, a sterile room, examination rooms and a hospital school for children were all housed under one roof to reduce the burden on patients and caregivers and to improve care coordination. The hospital also strengthened its multidisciplinary framework — including a pediatric oncology clinic — so that children with complex conditions could receive consultations from specialists across multiple fields.

Today, Severance Children's Hospital is recognized for its strengths in treating critically ill pediatric patients and managing rare diseases. It has expanded its high-acuity infrastructure, including a neonatal ICU, a pediatric ICU and a pediatric cardiac ICU, and established a division of pediatric critical care medicine to advance care systems for severely ill children.

In 2021, the hospital launched SaveKids, Korea's first pediatric rapid response team, creating a system to detect and respond early to deteriorating conditions in hospitalized children. As of last year, the hospital recorded 177,572 outpatients and 57,612 inpatients.

Public health care is another pillar of Severance Children's Hospital's mission. In 2022, it established a home care team for critically ill pediatric patients, supporting children and their families in continuing stable care at home after hospital treatment.

In addition, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) has designated the hospital a regional rare disease specialty center. Through the Hanim Precision Medicine Center, it is also strengthening its precision diagnosis and personalized treatment capabilities, drawing on genetic information and clinical data. Last year, it opened the Min Yoon-ki Treatment Center, Korea's first integrated treatment center for autism spectrum disorder.

Severance Children's Hospital plans to continue building its capacity to treat critically ill pediatric patients while developing a comprehensive pediatric care model that supports children and their families across a range of areas, including rare diseases, developmental disabilities and home-based care.

"The past 20 years have been a time when Severance Children's Hospital set new standards for pediatric medicine in Korea," said Cheon Geun-a, director of Severance Children's Hospital and a professor of child psychiatry. "Going forward, we aim to be a hospital that goes beyond treating illness — one that also looks after a child's growth and development, the recovery of the family, and the transition into adulthood."