'Trust builds bridges, and bridges create hubs': CMUH

The non-capital city hospital builds regional healthcare connections.

China Medical University Hospital (CMUH) in Taichung, Taiwan, reframed its role from competing with capital-based institutions to linking patients, physicians, and governments across markets, with trust at the centre of its model.

“Trust builds bridges, and bridges create hubs. This is exactly what we experienced,” said Aichi Chou, ceo of International Center at CMUH, during the Healthcare Asia Summit 2026 in Singapore on 25 March.

She said most global medical hubs are located in capital cities such as Singapore, Tokyo and Bangkok, still a non-capital city can serve as a regional connector in international healthcare networks.

She noted that the hospital handles about 200,000 outpatient visits and performs nearly 6,000 surgeries each month, providing the clinical base for its international programme.

To expand beyond Taiwan, the hospital focused on international patients with private insurance and self-pay models. It developed a five-step approach covering niche market focus, national-level alignment, a trust-based service model, in-hospital marketing and global recognition.

Chou cited Guam as a case study, with CMUH building a partnership with the US territory over the past decade.

The programme has recorded more than 1,300 medical visits from Guam, with over 80% of those patients being government employees, she added.

“International healthcare is not built by marketing; it is built by trust. Trust is not established in one visit; it is built over time through every patient's journey,” she said.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the hospital worked with the Taiwan government to donate 200,000 medical masks to Guam in 2020 and arranged a charter flight in 2021 to transport patients to Taiwan for treatment.

The partnership later expanded to government-level cooperation as Taichung and Guam signed a sister-city agreement in 2022, and two Guam governors visited the hospital.

The hospital has extended its international programme to Southeast Asia, including Malaysia and Brunei.

In Malaysia, its healthcare engagement reached the government level from 2023 to 2025, including engagements with senior government officials.

Chou said CMUH was invited by Japan’s health ministry to share its experience in international healthcare collaboration, reflecting interest in models developed outside capital cities.

“International healthcare is not built overnight. It requires patience, relationships, and trust. This is a long-term commitment. Even a non-capital city can become an international healthcare connector,” she said.