On December 23, 2017, the First Affiliated Hospitalat the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), also known asAnhui Provincial Hospital and hereinafter referred to as the First AffiliatedHospital at UTSC, was established. "The hospital is an important place forUSTC to explore and practice new medical science and to benefit and serve thepeople of Anhui. It is also an important driving force for USTC to develop intoa world-class university with first-class disciplines." Thewords from academician Bao Xin, president of USTC, filled the people of Anhuiwith expectations.

On October 2018, Liu Lianxin, a Chinese tophepatobiliary expert, together with his team, travelled more than 2,000miles from the bank of the Songhua River to the land of Jianghuai and joinedthe First Affiliated Hospital at USTC. His arrival boosted the development ofthe hepatobiliary surgery division of the hospital and Anhui province.

Liu Lianxin is the First Prize winner ofthe Natural Science Award and the Science and Technology Progress Award fromthe Ministry of Education. He is also the chief scientist for the majorprojects of "Transformational Technologies" administered by theMinistry of Science and Technology. Liu Lianxin currently serves as the PartyCommittee Secretary of the Department of Bioscience and Medicine and the FirstAffiliated Hospital at USTC. Relying on his rigorous academic attitude, superbmedical competence, innovative ideas, good hands, and benevolence, Liu Lianxinhas perfected his virtue and skill throughout his 30-year career as a doctor.In the meantime, the turning point of the First Affiliated Hospital at USTC hasoccurred.

From a Straight-A Student to a Doctor

Like other kids, Liu Lianxin dreamed aboutexploring the mysterious planets in the vast universe when he stared atthe quiet and starry sky.

When he was a child, Liu Lianxin wanted tobecome an astrophysicist when he grew up. As he grew older, Liu Lianxin, bornin the home of ordinary factory workers, gradually changed his mind. Hebelieved that being a doctor to save and cure patients could help more ordinarypeople. He applied to medical schools after graduating from high school and wasaccepted into Harbin Medical University.

In the early 1990s, Peking Union MedicalCollege Hospital recruited interns from ten national scientific researchinstitutions. Each institution had only one or two spots.  Through hard work, Liu Lianxin passed the examswith good results and successfully earned the opportunity to intern at PekingUnion Medical College Hospital.

As an intern, Liu Lianxin received twobooks that enlightened him on a doctor’s duty to heal thewounded and rescue the dying. One book is “The Biography of Wu Yingkai: 60-YearDedication to Medicine,” and the other one is “The Biography of Zhang Xiaoqian.”

“I can bestappreciate medical workers’ kindness through reading their biographies. We findit meaningful and worthwhile to save a single life or even slow the pace ofdeath.” Liu Lianxin could not conceal his excitement after eachsuccessful surgery and mentioned that “the sense of accomplishment is the prideof being a doctor.”

Liu Lianxin also experienced the benefitsof "library, medical records, and experienced professors," collectivelyknown as the "Three Treasures" of the Peking Union Medical CollegeHospital. Immersed in an environment of rigor, continuousimprovement, diligence, and devotion, he became more determined to practicemedicine. After studying even harder, he passed the exams and was finallyadmitted to the combined master and doctoral degree program at Harbin MedicalUniversity.

Academically successful and referred to asa “trophy child” by other parents, Liu Lianxin possessed important learningskills. He shared that “besides being busy as a student association officer, Ihave my own hobbies. Therefore, I cannot allocate all my time to studying. Itis impossible for students to learn everything teachers teach.  Therefore, it is important to pay attentionto key points. It is ineffective to try to memorize the textbook from thebeginning to the end since humans’ memory capacity is limited. It’s better tocombine short-term memory with long-term memory and focus on key points.”

Liu Lianxin was also good at learning fromother students' mistakes. “One should not fall again where others have fallen.We can only turn our limited experience into unlimited knowledgethrough continuous learning and reflection."

After graduating with his doctoral degreein 2000, Liu Lianxin became a surgeon at the First Affiliated Hospital atHarbin Medical University. He was lucky enough to have the opportunity to studyin Australia the following year. Liu Lianxin said that while studying inAustralia, he obtained the qualification certificate to practice medicine.However, since he was on a student visa, he could only receive a temporarymedical license. Consequently, he could not gain the trust of Australians. Allhis patients were Chinese.

Barriers among races, which continuouslybruised his self-esteem, existed not only in medical practices, but also indaily life. At the end of his studies, Liu Lianxin decided to returnto China to pursue a post-doctoral degree at the Chinese Union MedicalUniversity (now Peking Union Medical College).

As he dived deeper into the fieldof medicine, Liu Lianxin fell deeply in love with the medical profession.He said: “When you have done an operation that no one else could, you have agreat sense of accomplishment.”

A “Talented Surgeon” in the Eyes of Colleaguesand Patients

Liu Lianxin's hands are thick and powerful.Due to the long-term use of scalpels, the index finger of his right hand issomewhat deformed. This is a pair of hands that can meticulously handle complexsurgeries, perform operations steadily with clear layers, and stop bleedingcompletely. In clinical practices, Liu Lianxin is known for his exquisite anddelicate surgery skills and is known as an "academician." In the eyesof colleagues and patients, he is a true "surgical genius."

A 62-year-old patient from Dangshan, Anhuiwas admitted to the hospital for liver cancer. After listening to Liu Lianxin'sadvice, his family decided to wait instead of surgically remove the tumor andsaid: "We originally thought that surgery was necessary. However, Dr. Liutook multiple factors into consideration and suggested further observations. Wetrusted him.”

Liu Lianxin often says that “Surgeonshave a moral obligation to avoid needless surgeries.” He alwaysselects appropriate treatments based on patients’ conditions and symptoms andnever performs unnecessary surgeries and treatments.

Many hospitals were unwilling to operate onan 80-year-old patient with colon cancer due to his age and overall healthcondition. After examining the patient carefully, Liu Lianxin made thedefinitive decision to surgically remove the caner and patiently communicatedit repeatedly with his family. Although the surgery was successful, the patientdeveloped complications, such as heart failure and lung infection due to his coronaryheart disease. He was admitted to the ICU.

Liu Lianxin went to the ICU and insisted onparticipating in follow-up diagnosis and treatment every day until the patientrecovered and was discharged. “Surgeons should devote themselves to theirpatients. They should pay scrupulous attention to the details of surgeries andtreatments. They should not only be meticulous and rigorous during theoperation but also pay attention to details in every aspect of the treatmentafterwards.” Liu Lianxin has made tremendous strides in liver operations thatbenefited patients, including irregular hepatectomy, regular hepatectomy, andbleeding-free surgeries.

Human organ transplants,recognized as the peak of modern medical science, reflects thecomprehensive strength of a country, region, and hospital. LiuLianxin is a man who has courageously climbed the pinnacle of medicine. Foryears, via his healing hands and professional spirit of both morality andskills, Liu Lianxin has helped Chinese medical community to accomplish the leapfrom a follower to a leader in liver transplants and resection surgeries in theworld.

The First Affiliated Hospital at USTC isthe only medical establishment in Anhui province that has all thequalifications for organ transplants. Liu Lianxin has participated in almostevery organ transplant surgery performed at the hospital. Under his leadership,the hospital has successfully performed about 40 liver transplant operationssince 2019. It has brought the hope of life to end-stage organ failure patients.

To achieve ideal surgical results and helppatients recover quickly, Liu Lianxin led his team to overcome obstacles and tomeet the challenges of cutting-edge surgical technologies in the treatment ofhepatobiliary diseases. The hospital was the first to perform precise liverresection, laparoscopic liver resection, fluorescence-guided surgeries, and 3Dlaparoscopic surgeries in China. His team has so far performed thousands oflaparoscopic liver resections, leading the country in this field.

"This is an important part ofminimally invasive technology in hepatobiliary surgery. It has small incisions,and patients can recover faster. It can not only reduce patients’ pain aftersurgeries and shorten the hospital stay but also save medical resources."Liu Lianxin plans to promote this surgical technique to become a standardizedtreatment procedure.

With a passion for being a surgeon, LiuLianxin has moved up the ranks. In 2001, he was promoted to the rank ofassociate professor. In 2003, he was appointed as a full professor due to hisoutstanding achievements. He earned the qualification to advise doctoralstudents at the age of 33 and served as the department head at the age of 35.At the age of 36, he was promoted to vice president.

While succeeding in ranks, Liu Lianxin hasalso achieved dazzling results in the professional field. He is the chiefscientist for the "Revolutionary Technology" major projectscommissioned by the Ministry of Science and Technology. He has been named aYoung and Middle-Aged Science and Technology Innovation Leader by the Ministryof Science and Technology. He is the recipient of special allowances from theState Council and has been honored as a “National Famous Doctor withOutstanding Demeanors.” He has also undertaken and administrated six projectsfunded by the National Natural Science Foundation, three national key researchand development programs awarded by the Ministry of Science and Technology, andmore than twenty major projects associated with the Innovative Research TeamDevelopment Plan and the New Century Outstanding Talents Support Program fromthe Ministry of Education. He has published nearly 200 professional academicpapers as the first author and corresponding author, of which more than 60 ofthem were cited by the SCI.

In addition, Liu Lianxin serves as a memberof the Surgery Branch of the Chinese Medical Association and deputy director ofthe Experimental Surgery Group. He also serves as the vice president of theGeneral Surgeon Division of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association, theProfessional Committee of Hepatic Surgeons, the General Surgery ProfessionalCommittee of Chinese Research Hospital Association, and the ProfessionalCommittee of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery. He is a member of the InternationalHepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association (IHPBA) and the InternationalAssociation of Surgeons, Gastroenterologists and Oncologists (IASGO), afounding member of International Laparoscopic Liver Society (ILLS), and anhonorary member of the Great Britain and Ireland Hepato Pancreato BiliaryAssociation (GBIHPBA).  He is theexecutive editor of the World Chinese Journal of Digestion. He is also aneditorial board member of the Chinese Journal of Surgery, the Chinese Journalof Digestive Surgery, the Chinese Journal of Practical Surgery, and the ChineseJournal of Experimental Surgery. In addition, he is a member of the reviewcommittee for the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Scienceand Technology Progress Award.

During its 105th annual meeting held fromOctober 27 to October 31, 2019, the American College of Surgeons (ACS) selectedLiu Lianxin as a member. He was the first general surgeon in the Anhui provinceto become an ACS Fellow.

Established in 1913. ACS has extremely highstandards for membership. Only those who have a good reputation in theinternational surgery community and make positive contributions to surgerytreatment can be accepted as members. Professor Liu Lianxin’s membershipaffirms his achievements, efforts to promote the overall progress of thediscipline, and influence in the surgery community at home and abroad.

Predominant Disciplines Establish GoodReputations

Liu Lianxin assumes managementresponsibilities in addition to his clinical and teaching responsibilities. Hehas introduced advanced technologies into the hospital and promoted theimprovement and transformation of disciplines.

“The personwho excels in learning can be an official” is a saying that has been thetradition in China for thousands of years. Liu Lianxin, who showcasesoutstanding performance in his work, has gradually transitioned from a doctorto an administrator. Liu Lianxin recalled that he joined the First AffiliatedHospital at USTC since he was attracted by its profoundhistorical and cultural background and broad potential forfuture development.

He believes that even top hospitals likePeking Union Medical College Hospital and 301 Hospital cannot achieve toprankings in every discipline in China. Thus, the First Affiliated Hospital atUSTC should understand its strengths and weaknesses and pursue a differentiateddevelopment strategy by leveraging its strengths and advancing its strongdisciplines to build its reputation.

Liu Lianxin introduced that in recentyears, the hospital has seized opportunities and worked hard to focus on itsgoal to become a world-class university with first-class disciplines. To this end,the hospital has promoted the “USTC New Medicine” innovative practice, whichpromotes the assimilation of science, engineering, and medical practice,collaborative innovation of medical treatment, teaching and research,and integrated development of life science and medical science.Therefore, the ability of the hospital to diagnose and treat difficult diseasesand its overall service level has improved continuously. In accordance with thediscipline development direction to provide step-by-step support, make dynamicadjustments, focus on key areas, and employ targeted effort, the hospital hasfollowed the implementation strategy to advance sub-specialties vertically,collaboratively develop multidiscipline horizontally, and establish a showcasecenter multidimensionally. Thereupon, the hospital has formed a series ofincentive measures and performance policies to promote discipline developmentand improve professional skills.

The First Affiliated Hospital at USTCvigorously implements the initiative for each discipline to become the best,with a five-year cycle and an annual investment of more than 60 million yuan.Six “peak subjects”, twelve “plateau subjects”, and eight “highland subjects”were selected in the first phase to promote the development of leadingdisciplines, actively support emerging disciplines and influence weakdisciplines. In 2019, the hospital focused on implementing the special actionplan to shorten the average length of hospital stays and increase the CMIvalue. It encouraged disciplines and subspecialties to earnestly diagnose andtreat difficult and intractable diseases, apply advanced technologies tobenefit patients, and enhance the overall service level and reputation of thehospital. Consequently, the disciplines and sub-specialties developmentatmosphere is getting stronger, and the hospital has cultivated professionaltalents and established specialized disciplines and featured departments.

The hospital is the only medicalestablishment in Anhui qualified to perform organ and tissue transplants of theheart, lung, liver, kidney, and cornea. Utilizing its organ transplantcompetence, it has established an organ transplant center to vigorously promoteorgan transplant discipline groups. Each group’s distinctive characteristics andstrengths complement that of the others.

At the same time, the hospital advocatedtwo programs to improve the diagnosis and treatment of intractablecerebrovascular disease and cancer in China. As the only National DemonstrationCentre for Strokes and five-star stroke center in Anhui Province, the hospitalhas engaged in the work of preventing, screening, diagnosing, and treatingcerebrovascular diseases. Its ability to diagnose and treat cerebrovasculardiseases has improved continuously. According to the 2019 quality andprevention comprehensive ranking released by the Stroke Prevention ProjectCommittee of the National Health Commission, it ranked first in the countryamong the screening and preventing programs for high-risk stroke patients.

As the only accredited Chinachest pain center and the Chest Pain Demonstration Base in Anhui province, itis the only hospital that can provide emergency interventional treatment foracute myocardial infarction of coronary heart disease 24 hours a day withoutwaiting.

Till now, the First Affiliated Hospital atUSTC has cultivated many predominant disciplines and made the followingremarkable achievements:

Its rheumatology department was includedin the first rare disease precision medicine group and participated in the raredisease cohort research project, leading the domestic front in the basicresearch and clinical treatment of diseases, such as Sjogren’s syndrome andgout.

The hospital has performed more than 1,000umbilical cord blood stem cell transplant operations, leading the world in thenumber of such operations performed by any hospital.

Its research and treatment of diabetes wonthe Scientific Contribution Award, the highest academic award from the DiabetesBranch of the Chinese Medical Association.

The number of patients treated for chronicheart failure by CRT in the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine has toppedthe country for many consecutive years.

Its orthopedic specialists invented thelateral direct anterior approach (LDAA) for hip joint replacement inthe lateral decubitus position, which attracted experts from the “Belt andRoad” countries and other provinces, regions, and cities in China.

On October 16, 2019, the Clinical ResearchHospital of the Chinese Academy of Sciences at Hefei was established as a partof the First Affiliated Hospital at USTC. This was the first clinical research hospital in China. Liu Lianxin saidthat most of the research and development of high-end medical equipment and newdrugs originated from abroad. Most of the diagnosis and treatment methods andguidelines were also established abroad. Therefore, China urgently needs aclinical research hospital. The Clinical Research Hospital of the ChineseAcademy of Sciences at Hefei can take full advantage of the research capabilities,the talent resources from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the innovativeresources and policy advantages of Anhui Province.  It can also leverage the combined science andengineering discipline programs at USTC, the education model where researchscientists teach in the classrooms, and the province wide-scale andcomprehensive clinical expertise of the First Affiliated Hospital at USTC.Therefore, the Clinical Research Hospital can become an innovative base forintegrating medical practices, teaching, research, and production of medicalequipment and new drugs.

Disciplinary development is the key to ahospital’s core competitiveness. The First Affiliated Hospital at USTC insistson strengthening the hospital using technologies, relies on new technologyapplications, fully promotes discipline development, and expands itsinfluences. It strives to prevent patients with major and serious illnessesfrom leaving the province.

In 2020, the hospital initiated the effortto innovate and acquire leading-edge medical technologies from internationaland top hospitals in China for each discipline. The hospital sent out young keystaff members to learn medical technologies for treating difficult andintractable diseases. As a result, the hospital has introduced 18 cutting-edgetechnologies in the field of living-donor liver transplant and islet celltransplant. The hospital has approved 280 new technologies and projects. It hasalso established a medical technology award and appointed leading medical expertsin China as judges, who have selected 7 second prize and 23 third prizewinners.

Liu Lianxin’s expectation for the futuredevelopment of the First Affiliated Hospital at USTC is to stand out from thefiercely competitive Yangtze River Delta region and become a world-classuniversity affiliated hospital with Chinese characteristics and USTC style.

On November 14, 2020, the 2019 FudanHospital Ranking was released in Shanghai. In the comprehensive ranking ofChinese hospitals, the First Affiliated Hospital at USTC ranked 76th in thecountry and 1st in Anhui, achieving three consecutive years of progress. In thecomprehensive ranking of Chinese hospital specialties, the health managementdiscipline continued to rank second in the nation.

In the Chinese hospital specialtyreputation ranking released at the same time, the health management disciplineranked third. The hospital had the most nominated disciplines among Anhuihospitals, including rheumatology, general surgery, pediatric surgery, andclinical laboratory.

Liu Lianxin said: "The new rankingonly shows that the hospital has made rapid progress, but there is still a longway to go to become a first-class hospital. From the perspective of hospitaldevelopment, three factors have contributed to the success so far. The first isthat the hospital has transformed its business focus. It now emphasizes thecollaborative development of medical treatment, teaching, and research insteadof pure medical treatment. The second factor is that the way hospital personnelconducts business has changed fundamentally after integrating into USTC. Thethird is that the medical staff has improved their skills and expanded theinfluence of the hospital by learning from colleagues outside of the Anhuiprovince.”

"The development of hospitals isinseparable from the support and trust of the people." Liu Lianxin saidthat from 2015 to 2020, its number of outpatients, emergency room visits,patients discharged, and operations have almost doubled.  Though affected by the COVID-10 pandemic andthe related prevention work, the hospital still provided outpatient servicesfor more than five million patients in 2020.

Despite the rapid growth inbusiness, the hospital’s medical quality and safety have received moreattention. In the two medical quality and safety inspections conducted by theAnhui Provincial Health Commission in 2018 and 2019, the hospital ranked firstin the comprehensive ranking among top-ranking hospitals in the province. LiuLianxin was pleased with the ranking: “We aim to pursue high-quality healthcaredevelopment. Medical quality and safety are essential.”

According to Liu Lianxin, the hospital willbe transformed to become the first intelligent hospital in China. It will makeevery effort to implement a smart performance appraisal system. Consequently,monitoring and management data can be retrieved in real time so problems can becorrected in a timely manner, management processes can be instituted, and allthe details can be tracked. Opportunities bring about new challenges. To this,Liu Lianxin said confidently: " I do not have to be credited for thesuccess of a mission, but I will have to be a part of it.”