China's First Private Specialty Cardiac Rehabilitation Clinic Unveiled, Pioneering Domestic Cardiac Rehab Standards and Digital Solutions

According to the 2015 Report on Cardiovascular Diseases in China, the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases in China has been on a continuous rise. Currently, it is estimated that there are 290 million patients with cardiovascular diseases nationwide, including 270 million with hypertension, at least 7 million with stroke, 2.5 million with myocardial infarction, and 4.5 million with heart failure, meaning one in every five adults suffers from cardiovascular disease. While cardiac rehabilitation has been practiced for decades abroad with remarkable outcomes, it is still in its infancy in China. Cardiovascular diseases have become a major health concern in China and worldwide.

Cardiac rehabilitation encompasses medical assessment, exercise evaluation, nutritional assessment, psychological assessment, risk factor control, patient health education, and lifestyle guidance. It advocates a multidisciplinary team-based treatment model led by cardiologists, addressing the multiple medical objectives of prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation, thereby constituting a comprehensive and effective management strategy for patients with cardiovascular disease.

As cardiac rehabilitation in China is still in its early stages, there is insufficient awareness among most hospitals, clinicians, and patients, coupled with a shortage of physical rehabilitation therapists; these issues warrant adequate attention.

Prof. Zhang Shuyang from Peking Union Medical College Hospital Delivered the Opening Remarks

At 9:00 a.m. on April 7, 2017, the “First Capital International Conference on Cardiac Rehabilitation and Prevention,” jointly organized by the Coronary Care Unit (CCU) of Beijing Anzhen Hospital affiliated with Capital Medical University, the Beijing Ruihua Cardiac Rehabilitation Research Center, and the General Practice Branch of the Beijing Medical Doctor Association, was officially convened in the Academic Lecture Hall of Beijing Anzhen Hospital.

This conference focused on cardiac rehabilitation and secondary prevention, aiming to promote the development of the cardiac rehabilitation profession in China, accelerate the training of cardiac rehabilitation professionals, and enhance public awareness. More than 300 participants, including renowned experts such as Professor Wang Xiangqun from Peking University Sixth Hospital, Professor Ma Jing from the Chinese PLA General Hospital (301 Hospital), Professor Xu Shunlin from Peking University Third Hospital, and Director Zhang Lan from the Beijing Ruihua Cardiac Rehabilitation Center, as well as cardiovascular specialists, general practitioners, and nurses, gathered at Anzhen Hospital. They engaged in in-depth discussions and exchanges on the development and current status of cardiac rehabilitation in China, rehabilitative management of cardiovascular diseases, and the application of the “Five Prescriptions” (exercise prescription, psychological prescription, pharmacological prescription, nutritional prescription, and lifestyle management prescription).

Although cardiac rehabilitation has a development history of over 50 years internationally, having undergone a process from denial and skepticism to widespread recognition and proven benefit, it has now become a burgeoning discipline thriving worldwide, dedicated to providing new rehabilitation opportunities for the vast number of patients with cardiovascular diseases.

This is the “1st” Capital International Academic Conference on Cardiac Rehabilitation and Prevention. Ruihua Cardiac Rehabilitation Center will continue to collaborate with domestic and international cardiac healthcare institutions to promote the development of cardiac rehabilitation.

On the morning of the following day, a unveiling ceremony was held for Beijing Ruihua Xinkang Clinic and Beijing Ruihua Cardiac Rehabilitation Research Center. The event was presided over by Zhang Haibo, Deputy Director of the Heart Transplantation Center at Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University. Ouyang Xiangyu, Managing Director and Head of Healthcare at Junlian Capital (Legend Holdings), Wu Jixiang, former President of Beijing Tongren Hospital, and Wang Xiangqun, Party Secretary of Peking University Sixth Hospital, all attended the ceremony and delivered congratulatory remarks.

At the ceremony, the “Beijing Ruihua Cardiac Rehabilitation Clinic” and the “Beijing Ruihua Cardiac Rehabilitation Research Center” were simultaneously unveiled. The latter serves as the teaching and research arm established by the Ruihua Cardiac Rehabilitation Clinic.

The Center has introduced and assimilated internationally advanced concepts and medical technologies. By integrating China’s national conditions and ethnic characteristics, it has researched and developed cardiac rehabilitation techniques specifically tailored for the Chinese population, and established China’s own cardiac rehabilitation standards based on data analysis. Furthermore, over a period of nearly two years, the Center customized and developed the nation’s first personal cardiac rehabilitation management system (including a mobile app) and hospital-based cardiac rehabilitation management system.

Mr. Ouyang Xiangyu, Managing Director and Head of Healthcare at Legend Holdings’ Junlian Capital

At the event, attendees congratulated Ruihua Xinkang on its rapid establishment, hailing it as a miracle in the field of cardiac rehabilitation for having built a standalone private medical facility specializing in cardiac rehabilitation within just two years. They also expressed high expectations for the future of the clinic and research center.

As a private medical institution, Beijing Ruihua Xinkang Clinic is directly managed by Ruihua Xinkang (Beijing) Hospital Management Co., Ltd. and jointly invested in by Legend Capital and Kaixuan Foundation, with cardiac rehabilitation as its core specialty.

The clinic is a medical institution centered on cardiac rehabilitation, integrating medical care, teaching, and scientific research. Since 2014, the center’s team has been dedicated to introducing the most advanced cardiac rehabilitation knowledge from abroad into China, while establishing long-term collaborative partnerships with renowned rehabilitation institutions in Germany, Sweden, Japan, and other countries to train professional rehabilitation personnel for the center.

In the course of introducing advanced foreign medical diagnostic and treatment technologies and concepts, Ruihua Xinkang has hosted several academic conferences on cardiac rehabilitation, established close collaborations with renowned cardiac rehabilitation institutions, cardiac rehabilitation societies, and distinguished experts and scholars from Germany, Sweden, Japan, and other countries, and conducted multiple reciprocal visits and exchanges for medical technology.

Ruihua Cardiac Rehabilitation Center

Following the ceremony, Ruihua Cardiac Rehabilitation Center organized an activity titled “Introduction to and Tour of the Cardiac Rehabilitation Management Process.” Led by Zhang Xiaomei, a specially appointed nursing consultant from Beijing Anzhen Hospital, participants gained a comprehensive understanding of the center’s medical management protocols, outpatient cardiac rehabilitation services, inpatient cardiac rehabilitation workflows, as well as an overview of the clinic’s environment and facilities. The session concluded with guided group tours for more detailed observation and learning.