Special Interview with He Jie, President of Zhengzhou Oriental Plastic Surgery & Beauty Hospital: Benign Competition Promotes the Development of Private Medical Industry

by aksct190 on 2009-12-01 10:56:22

Reporter Feng Ning of Jin Daily, intern reporter Miao Ai Jun (text), Zhang Xiao Dong (photo)

He Jie: President of Zhengzhou Oriental Plastic Surgery Hospital, associate chief physician, master of medical aesthetics, MBA in business administration, member of the International Plastic and Cosmetic Industry Association, member of the Korean Plastic and Cosmetic Industry Association, board member of the Aesthetic and Beauty Branch of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association, board member of Zhengzhou Plastic Surgery and Cosmetic Association.

"Private hospitals need healthy competition and harmonious development. As people's living standards improve, the market will become larger, profits and market share will increase. However, malicious competition through negative publicity or price wars will only affect industry profits and the quality of service patients receive, eventually leading to the regression of the entire industry," He Jie told reporters with deep feeling.

Local private hospitals have a learning and exchange platform

On the morning of July 10th, I met President He Jie at the fourth floor of Zhengzhou Oriental Plastic Surgery Hospital. Upon meeting, she expressed regret for not being able to attend the establishment ceremony of the Private Hospital Presidents Club on June 27th: "I had two surgeries scheduled that morning, so I couldn't leave and had to send Dean Fan, who is in charge of operations."

Regarding the establishment of the club, He Jie was very happy. She said that private hospitals have been around for less than ten years and have always been in an exploratory development phase. Each hospital encounters different problems, and if handled improperly, many detours may be taken. Now, with the Private Hospital Presidents Club, everyone has a communication and exchange platform. Through shared experiences, we can avoid unnecessary detours, and by presenting issues encountered during hospital development, we can collectively brainstorm solutions, allowing the private healthcare industry to develop faster and more stably.

The Zhengzhou Oriental Plastic Surgery Hospital is a local private hospital mainly focused on plastic surgery and beauty treatments. Compared to other private hospitals established by large investment groups, President He Jie is well aware of her own advantages and disadvantages. She said that large investment groups have professional management teams and mature models in aspects such as hospital location, decoration, management, long-term and short-term planning, strategy, and operation. Before the establishment of the club, she secretly learned from their management and operational experience through promotional brochures and indirect inquiries. In the future, she can openly seek advice and learn from them. Of course, the down-to-earth development mindset of local private hospitals and their familiarity with the local market are also worth learning for non-local private hospitals.

Private hospitals need to engage in healthy competition

The plastic surgery and cosmetic industry started developing in 2000, experienced rapid growth from 2000 to 2003, slowed down slightly from 2004 to 2005, entered a standardization period from 2005 to 2007, and faced stricter regulations from the authorities regarding advertising and medical practice procedures, which led to a slower pace of development but benefited the overall development of the industry.

As one of the first approved plastic surgery institutions in Zhengzhou, the Zhengzhou Oriental Plastic Surgery Hospital also grew from a single outpatient clinic to its current status as a full-fledged plastic surgery hospital. Currently, there are over 30 plastic surgery and cosmetic institutions of various sizes in Zhengzhou, naturally leading to unavoidable competition.

He Jie deeply felt and told reporters that private hospitals need healthy competition and harmonious development because, as people's living standards improve, the market will grow larger, and both profits and market share will increase. However, malicious competition between peers through negative publicity, price wars, and other harmful means will only affect industry profits and the quality of services patients receive, ultimately causing the entire industry to regress.

Private hospitals should pursue specialized and differentiated paths

Private hospitals must have their own specialties—this is something He Jie consistently insists on. She said that especially when competing with public hospitals, private hospitals should follow differentiated and specialized paths. Many areas where public hospitals either neglect or overlook can actually be opportunities and priorities for private hospital development. Projects available in public hospitals should be made distinctive by private hospitals. Compared to the plastic surgery and cosmetic departments of public hospitals, private plastic surgery and cosmetic hospitals do not focus too much on reconstructive surgery projects but rather concentrate on aesthetic surgery projects, making beautiful women even more attractive.

Moreover, due to the flexible systems of private hospitals, they lead the way in hospital hardware facilities, medical device introduction, and new technology adoption. However, there are relatively fewer senior professionals in private plastic surgery and cosmetic institutions, so measures such as increasing salaries, benefits, and training should be taken to attract more talents to join private hospitals. At the same time, through more surgical practices, doctors' practical operational skills can be enhanced. For more complex cases, inviting renowned domestic or even international experts to perform the surgeries can help improve the abilities and broaden the horizons of local doctors.

Social responsibility should also be a key concern for private hospitals

For patients, achieving tangible medical results is the most important. Therefore, while private hospitals focus on talent and equipment introduction, they should also improve service quality to satisfy patients. He Jie proudly stated that the environment and facilities of the Oriental Plastic Surgery Hospital are top-notch. During the initial design phase, they examined numerous domestic and international beauty institutions and eventually adopted a unique style combining beauty salons and hotel-like features, paying attention to both the overall layout and details such as lighting, curtains, and restroom arrangements, creating a warm, hygienic, and comfortable medical environment. In terms of hardware equipment, the hospital uses the latest anesthesia agents, operating lights, and various diagnostic instruments, ensuring excellent surgical outcomes. Due to these efforts, the hospital set national records in liposuction and bone grinding in 2004 and innovated five brand technologies: water-powered liposuction weight loss, long-curve bone grinding face shaping, 3+ comprehensive wrinkle removal, 2C minimally invasive scarless breast augmentation, and 3D nose reshaping.

Of course, while rapidly developing, they did not forget public welfare causes. In January 2008, the "scarred campus beauty" received free plastic surgery at the Oriental Plastic Surgery Hospital, regaining her confidence and brightness; in September 2008, Lu Chao, a child from Sichuan injured in the Wenchuan earthquake, received free facial plastic surgery at the hospital and was granted all tuition fees from junior high to high school... To care for vulnerable and impoverished groups, the Oriental Plastic Surgery Hospital conducted one free surgery after another and donated money and goods multiple times to those in difficulty. They also organized large-scale public welfare activities such as "Metamorphosis" and "New Four Beauties," enabling more women to care more about themselves.