[Person of the Month] Dr. Yoonsung Kim of Kimbell Skin Hospital

“Aiming to become the role model for dermatology hospitals”

Dr. Yoon-sung Kim had planned and strived for years to achieve his dream of opening Korea’s first hospital that specializes in dermatology.

The area of Kimbell Skin-Plastic Hospital is over 1,300m² and it boasts state-of-the-art facility rarely seen in private practices. There are an inpatient ward with 31 beds, a radiation room for X-ray imaging and an ambulance. There are also two Excimer laser machines along with other latest devices. Despite the impressive facilities, Dr. Kim is still working hard to improve the hospital from inside out.

“I worry that our large-scale hospital may appear money-driven. As this is the very first dermatology hospital in Korea, many dermatologists are watching us with high expectations as well as concerns. However, my goal is to provide patient-centered medical service. We focus only on treatment and do not advertise. I also feel socially responsible for the hospital license that we earned from the government. That is why I work even on weekends and holidays to care for ER patients.”

Dr. Kim explained the reason for the past lack of dermatology hospitals in Korea.

“I thought about establishing a large-scale dermatology hospital for 5-10 years but it was a difficult decision as nobody had ventured to do so. Hospitals have tough requirements such as the number of beds and facilities, etc. The Korean government does not approve hospitals with less than 30 beds in the inpatient ward. The difficulty is that a dermatology department in large teaching hospitals rarely fill 10 beds. Except for patients with pus, blisters, herpes zoster, acute urticaria, and systemic disease, etc., there are very few inpatients. This is the reason for the low demand of hospitals in the field of dermatology. Also, to obtain government approval, the hospital had to be equipped with a restaurant, X-ray machine, ambulance, and electricity generator, equipment not necessary in dermatology.”

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Despite such hardship, Dr. Kim decided to establish a dermatology hospital because he wanted to focus on treatment rather than aesthetic procedures and provide specialized care for patients with insurance coverage.

“Currently, dermatology has focused more on aesthetic procedures than disease treatment. As most private practices perform botulinum toxin, filler and laser procedures, patients with real conditions such as acne, atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, vitiligo, etc. have difficulty finding a specialist. Tertiary medical institutions have long lines and are more costly. I thought there had to be a secondary institution that connects the gap between private practice and a tertiary hospital.”

Dr. Kim has realized his dream of establishing a hospital but is preparing for even a bigger plan.

“Dermatology hospitals of our scale are unprecedented. But I hope to manage Kimbell Skin-Plastic Hospital successfully for a long time. I hope our hospital sets an example for future dermatology hospitals by providing quality medical and aesthetic treatment, as well as expertise in oriental and western medicine. I hope those planning to open dermatology hospitals in the future will be encouraged by our example.”