Inside SinoUnited Hospital: A 'Physician-Driven' Oasis of Healthcare at the Bund

Shanghai’s favorite and most reliable doctor founded and doctor led clinic chain SinoUnited Health celebrated a new milestone to start 2023: the opening of their first dedicated 24-hour urgent services (and then some) hospital, currently offering bilingual inpatient services in the Huangpu District.

Already with eight clinics in just six years of operations, the opening of the hospital represents SinoUnited Health’s internationally credited, innovation-oriented, and patient-centered approach to healthcare.

Long story short: if you’re looking for international standards in medical care — from check-ups, to surgeries, to emergency situations — it’s one to keep in your contact list.

SmartShanghai took a tour of the new hospital to learn more about the new state-of-the-art facility and how they’re breaking new ground in their approach to healthcare in Shanghai.  

A Note from Dr. Kathy Shi, Founder and CEO of SinoUnited Health and President of Shanghai SinoUnited Hospital

Dr. Kathy Shi: "The new hospital is a conclusion to the past six-year of experience and a full upgrade. We opened eight clinics (six in Shanghai, one in Hangzhou and one in Suzhou). The hospital is a reflection of all these experiences. We also conducted almost 100 discussions with the expert team from Mayo Clinic to learn from international counterparts with regard to China's own situation.

The hospital is more than just a medical facility. Its concept manuscript is designed by world-famous designer Benjamin Wood, who designed Xindianti, who introduced Art Deco style. We wanted to build the hospital into a place of hope and healing, giving all patients a warm and hearty feeling."

Not Like Any Other Hospital

With its mosaic tile Shanghai skyline mural, chic art deco lines and design, and warmer wood tones, the first impressions that hit you when you enter the lobby is that it doesn’t look like a hospital at all.

Well, it does... but it has some style. 

Healthy Aesthetics, Warm Welcomes

Eschewing the typical glass and linoleum utilitarianism of a stereotypical hospital, SinoUnited Health’s checks Shanghai cultural heritage with an art deco style, imported, hand-chosen artwork on the walls, and plush lounge areas and waiting rooms spread on onto six floors of medical care. The attention to aesthetic elements and the motivation to make their facility more approachable underscores their philosophy of healthcare: providing a patient-centered experience -- from intake to procedure to recovery and post-care.

For the supporting teams, not only do they have physicians, nurses and other ancillary departments, they only have special customer service support staff staff to improve patient experience, emphasizing comfort and individual needs. 

Surgical, Orthopedic, Cardiovascular, and Gastrointestinal Departments: Comprehensive Services for International Patients

Covering six floors, SinoUnited Hospital houses a lobby center and cafe on the first floor; outpatient and emergency on the second floor; a comprehensive and dedicated digestive diseases and treatment center on the third floor; inpatient wards on the fourth floor; and operating theatre on the fifth floor; and the Executive Health Screening Center on the sixth.

They provide medical services for Chinese and expat patients, accepting direct billing from numerous local and international medical insurance companies. For patients without medical insurance, they accept self-funded payment.

Their services include digestive, heart, and vascular treatments; orthopedics, sports, and rehab services; women’s and children’s health; men’s health; mental health; dermatology, optometry, cosmetology; as well as the all-important COVID-19 vaccination services.

A Full Network of Healthcare Service All Over Shanghai

In a space that’s just six floors, SinoUnited Hospital offers the full range of emergency and surgical service in an environment that is imminently stress-free and accessible. In just six years of operations, they already have eight clinics in Shanghai, Hangzhou, and Suzhou. While most healthcare providers consist of a large central facility, SinoUnited offers a network of smaller clinics and this new central hospital, able to provide a highly diversified and patient-focused service, in environments that feel personal and approachable.

To these ends, and taking cues from their ongoing partnership with the Mayo Clinic in the United States, SinoUnited has dedicated their entire sixth floor of their facility to their Executive Health Screening Center. 

Executive Care for Resident and Traveling Patients

Building on ideas adopted from the Mayo Clinic in the US and unique in Shanghai, the Executive Health Screening Center represents SinoUnited Hospital embracing a new trend in medical care, which places patient service and mental well-being at the forefront. In a traditional hospital, getting a check-up — whether it’s for yearly maintenance or for a specific inquiry — means going to a room in a floor of rooms to wait for a doctor... 

At the Executive Center, after clients book appointments, they receive an itinerary of the morning’s testing schedule (i.e. ultrasounds and blood tests), and have access to private changing rooms, lounges, and accoutrements in an warm and cozy experience that is almost like a spa visit. Depending on individual needs, doctor consultation encompasses equal emphasis on diagnosis, treatment, and extensive outpatient recovery available in different packages.

The Executive Center also caters to out-of-town clients, who even have the option of staying the night if they require the service.  

International Level Care from SinoUnited Health and the Mayo Clinic

From procedure to workflow to the emphasis on recovery plans, tertiary care, and accommodating destination medicine travelers, the approach at SinoUnited Hospital is very much inspired by their ongoing partnership with the number one hospital in the US, the Mayo Clinic. In addition to frequent professional placement exchanges with their doctors going abroad to the States, SinoUnited also hosts in training sessions for their staff with the latest research from Mayo Clinic doctors. The partnership ensures that the staff at SinoUnited stay abreast of the latest medical knowledge coming out of the world’s leading research hospital and are able to offer an internationally vetted analysis.

At the patient level, SinoUnited Health offers a secondary diagnosis option, in which after receiving a prognosis from a SinoUnited physician, a patient can ask that a specialist from the Mayo Clinic review the case and offer their opinion as well.  

The Rooms...

On the third and fourth floor, SinoUnited Hospital has 27 private rooms equipped with their own bathrooms. Spacious, comfortable, and private, there's even a few Bund-views to be had. 

... and VIP Suites

 VIP suites are also available for patient use, replete with separate living rooms, personal bathrooms, and studies. Tasteful and understated, these rooms are more like hotel suites than hospital rooms, servicing patients looking for extra privacy and comfort while they recover. 

Always There in an Emergency

When you’re out there living your life in the world, it's always wise to keep in mind a medical facility you can go to 24 hours a day, seven days a week should the need arise. Whatever the emergency — be it an accident, a pediatric emergency, or the result of a pre-existing condition — SinoUnited Hospital offers 24-hour English-language walk-in service to all that might require it. For the uncertainties in life, SinoUnited Hospital offers peace of mind, security, and dependability, and can be relied upon should the situation arise.

Trial By Fire: SinoUnited Health Rises to the Task

Opened on December 9, from December 12 to December 30, in the most dramatic two weeks of Shanghai’s COVID resurgence, SinoUnited Hospital received nearly 1,500 patients, with more than 50% of them at-risk elderly patients. During this period, the hospital surgery center was also officially launched, presenting logistical problems with the influx of new patients in the newly launched facility.  Adapting to the need, the Hospital operated under the 'all receivables' policy and continued to admit patients, adjusting the reception area and in-patient process to carry out the treatment of all kinds of fever patients.

1000 Reasons to Continue...

Some of SinoUnited Hospitals staff worked more than 15 hours a day, running on just a few hours a night. Dr. Lily Yan, Director of the hospital outpatient department, maintained this pace for more than two weeks to treat people in need, getting up before dawn every day to receive patients. Dr. George Lu, Director of the emergency outpatient and intensive care unit, lived at the hospital and worked around the clock and many worked in difficult and stressful conditions for 16 days straight.

A clinic department manager said: "Maybe, we have 1000 reasons to give up; But we have 10,000 reasons to continue the good fight of faith. Faith that we can be of help to our patients, that this hardship is just passing through, not permanent, and faith that everything will go back to normal."

Contact SinoUnited Health

Shanghai SinoUnited Hospital provides 24-hour bilingual medical service.

Both consultations and treatments are available on-site and online. You can book an appointment via any of the following tools: 

Information and Appointment hotline: 400-186-2166

Scan below to follow the SinoUnited Health Official WeChat Mini Program:

Scan below to contact the SinoUnited Health online customer service:

Scan to download the SinoUnited Health APP:

The virtual clinic can be accessed by following these instructions.