Elephant Doctor Signs Agreement with Yinchuan to Launch Internet Hospital and Build an Integrated Vertical Healthcare Ecosystem

On March 19, 2017, the Yinchuan Municipal People’s Government and Shanghai Daxiang Medical Health Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Daxiang Doctor”) formally signed an agreement in Yinchuan to jointly establish the “Daxiang Doctor Internet Hospital.” Initiated by Tianyi Investment, a leading domestic medical and health investment group, and with equity participation from Meinian Onehealth, China’s largest A-share listed enterprise in physical examination and medical services, Daxiang Doctor is a core member of the Meinian Onehealth ecosystem.

Elephant Doctor CEO Gou Zhengmeng signing a contract with the Yinchuan Municipal Government (second from right in the front row)

Elephant Doctor previously focused primarily on remote imaging, having already launched remote imaging services covering the entire country. Following the signing of an agreement with Yinchuan to build an internet hospital, Elephant Doctor will expand its business scope. Under the guidance of the Yinchuan Municipal Government, Elephant Doctor will leverage its subordinate medical resources, operational team, and technical support to rapidly facilitate the implementation of the Yinchuan Internet Hospital.

Meinian Onehealth’s ecosystem encompasses a series of affiliated companies specializing in specialized clinic chains, telemedicine, genetic testing, health big data, health management, traditional Chinese medicine, and integrated elderly care and wellness. In 2016, Daxiang Doctor entered into a strategic cooperation agreement with Meinian Onehealth to build a nationwide telemedicine platform. The platform has now connected with over 100 examination centers across 70 cities in China that hold qualifications for comprehensive outpatient services and hospital operations, sustaining rapid business growth.

Following the signing of this internet hospital agreement, Elephant Doctor’s business model will undergo further expansion. It is projected that by 2020, the company will fully integrate all key components—including patients, healthcare institutions, physicians, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and insurance—thereby establishing China’s largest high-quality medical service ecosystem featuring a vertically integrated online-to-offline “Internet + Healthcare” closed loop.

2016 marked the inaugural year for the development of internet hospitals. Medical institutions across various regions in China have been continuously exploring and practicing the internet hospital model, yet its development remains uneven. As a hub for the internet healthcare industry cluster, Yinchuan, supported and safeguarded by relevant supporting policies, has seen the implementation of internet hospitals play a positive role in building the medical ecosystem, advancing tiered diagnosis and treatment, and demonstrating cost-containment effects.

Elephant Doctor Internet Hospital connects public medical institutions (including tertiary hospitals and primary care facilities) with the network and physicians (specialists and general practitioners) of Meinian Onehealth to establish an online medical consortium. This enables residents to truly achieve “access to renowned specialists without leaving their communities, with consultation, examination, and treatment provided in a one-stop manner.” Tailored service workflows are implemented based on the specific needs of different patient groups, including first-time visitors, patients with diagnosed chronic conditions, those requiring referral for critical illnesses, and individuals needing post-discharge follow-up or remote follow-up consultations.

Gou Zhengmeng, CEO of Daxiang Doctor, stated: “Leveraging the strengths of the Meinian Onehealth ecosystem and its nationwide network of health examination centers, and drawing on top-tier medical resources both domestically and internationally, Daxiang Doctor aims to harness the power of ‘Internet+’ to connect these resources with the general public. By focusing on the critical link of ‘examination and diagnosis’ in modern evidence-based medicine, we seek to achieve tiered diagnosis and treatment within a reasonable scope.”

Daxiang Doctor Internet Hospital will become a remote medical service and collaboration platform integrating health big data collection, health education, health management, and online diagnosis and treatment. It will provide appointment services for outpatient visits, hospitalization, examinations, and physical check-ups, and enable online diagnosis and treatment activities within prescribed scopes for specific populations and diseases, thereby helping physicians deliver services to residents with high efficiency and low cost.

Yu Rong, Chairman of Tianyi Investment Group and Meinian Onehealth, pointed out that the collaborative synergy among Daxiang Doctor Internet Hospital’s Remote Imaging Center, its Remote Consultation Center, and the Yinchuan Meinian Onehealth Premium Health Management Center represents a significant initiative under the “Healthy China 2030” industrial policy. This initiative advances the “Internet Plus” strategy, enhances the level of medical services in the Ningxia region, explores the national tiered diagnosis and treatment system, and fulfills the role of “health gatekeepers.” It is poised to establish a strong foothold in Ningxia while extending its impact nationwide.