Gangwon Province, Chuncheon launch AI-based remote medical platform with Hallym University hospital

Gangwon Province, Chuncheon City and Hallym University Chuncheon Sacred Heart Hospital announced Wednesday that they have been selected as one of four sites under the Ministry of Health and Welfare's Regional Healthcare Innovation Research and Development Project, launching a full-scale effort to develop locally tailored medical services.

The national research and development initiative was designed to bring together local governments, regional medical institutions and universities to address shortages in public and essential healthcare personnel and infrastructure, and to identify locally driven healthcare innovation models using advanced biohealth technology.

The research and demonstration projects carried out through the Gangwon public-private partnership will focus on an AI-based mobile remote consultation model targeting medically underserved areas, as well as public and essential healthcare services that residents can directly experience.

Among the specific initiatives is an intelligent BrainSaver platform for stroke emergency response. The platform encompasses a mobile non-face-to-face consultation system for rapid response to emergency stroke patients, AI-based high-precision diagnostic support and expanded services for medically underserved areas.

The lead research institution, Hallym University Chuncheon Sacred Heart Hospital, was designated in April last year as the first regional general hospital in the country to receive research-focused hospital status — a recognition built on its sustained collaboration with Gangwon Province.

Han Young-seon, director of the provincial industry bureau, said the selection "is expected to serve as an important foundation not only for closing the healthcare gap with the Greater Seoul area, but also for the simultaneous growth of AI-based advanced medicine and the biohealth industry." He added that the province would "continue to do its utmost to develop innovative medical technologies and strengthen the competitiveness of the digital healthcare industry, so that all residents can receive high-quality medical services."