NTU Yunlin Branch's Chen Ruo-bai honored for 18 years of rural cancer care

Chen Ruo-bai, director of the Department and Center of Oncology at National Taiwan University (NTU) Hospital's Yunlin Branch, has been honored with the Ministry of Education's Model Civil Servant award for his 18 years of dedicated service in rural cancer care.

Since 2007, Chen has been instrumental in developing oncology services at the Huwei campus. Even after returning to the main hospital, he continued to visit Huwei every two weeks to care for his existing patients. Since taking over as director in 2012, he has focused on enhancing the quality of cancer treatment.

Chen has built a comprehensive cancer care system, offering "one-stop" holistic care from screening and diagnosis to treatment, rehabilitation, palliative, and home care. He pioneered integrated, cross-disciplinary care for head and neck and breast cancer patients, ensuring continuous support from admission. His initiatives also include innovative services like dental care for cancer patients, fertility preservation, and genetic counseling, bringing medical center-level care to rural residents.

Chen emphasizes that cancer care extends beyond treating the disease to supporting patients' physical, psychological, and familial well-being. He believes that geographical limitations should not prevent rural residents from accessing quality healthcare. The hospital aims to advance its vision of "humanistic, innovative, intelligent, resilient, sustainable, and exemplary" care, further strengthening its cancer treatment and integrated care capabilities.