Children and families in China’s eastern Shandong province and the surrounding area will benefit from our new partnership with Qingdao Women and Children’s Hospital. The hospital is a member of a regional network of hospitals that serves 30 million in the greater Qingdao area, and it brings our total number of partner hospitals in China to five. ConocoPhillips China is funding this new partnership.
“Qingdao Women and Children’s Hospital has built a strong pediatric program and reputation for itself, and we look forward to being a part of the program’s continuing evolution as it seeks to strengthen the quality of care delivered to children born with heart disease,” says Andreas Tsakistos, Children’s HeartLink Country Director for Brazil, China and Malaysia. “ConocoPhillips China has made a remarkable commitment to helping these children. We are very fortunate to work with partners who share our commitment to addressing this problem and the burden it places on families and their communities in underserved areas.”
Andreas Tsakistos, Children’s HeartLink Country Director for Brazil, China and Malaysia, shakes hands with Xing Quansheng, President of Qingdao Women and Chidren’s Hospital at the signing ceremony in Qingdao on January 25, 2018
Celebrating the new partnership in Qingdao on January 25, 2018
Despite the economic growth China has experienced over the last decade, many parts of the country remain largely underdeveloped and struggle with poverty. Children with congenital heart disease face a shortage of pediatric specialists and uneven access to care. In many areas of this vast country, patients and their families must travel great distances to seek treatment. There are fewer than two cardiologists per 100,000 people in China, and even fewer that have specialized training in pediatrics.
We train local medical teams to deliver high-quality care, because the problem of lack of access to care can only be solved through local treatment centers. Last year our four partner hospitals in China, including two Children’s HeartLink’s Centers of Excellence that are now trainers themselves, served more than 8,000 children. We plan to double our number of partner hospitals in China over the next five years.
“This new partnership is important to our regional strategy for growth in China,” says Children’s HeartLink President Jackie Boucher. “Entering into partnerships with the right hospitals and programs in each of the countries where we work is key to achieving our ambitious goal of reaching one million children with heart disease worldwide and achieving 50 Children’s HeartLink Centers of Excellence by 2030.”
We began working in China in 1999. Our other partner hospitals there are West China Hospital of Sichuan University in Chengdu (a Children’s HeartLink Center of Excellence), First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University in Kunming, First Hospital of Lanzhou University in Lanzhou (a Children’s HeartLink Center of Excellence), and TEDA International Cardiovascular Hospital in Tianjin.