When patients entrust me with their care, they expect thorough, professional treatment. Yesterday, our spine surgery team received a Platinum Award at the National Healthcare Quality Award (NHQA) for its work on robot-assisted, minimally invasive anterior surgery for severe spinal deformity. The recognition reflects years of teamwork.

Deputy Superintendent Cheng-Hung Lee, Department Head Kun-Hui Chen, and Director Chien-Chou Pan laid a strong foundation for this work. I have been fortunate to build on it alongside experienced colleagues and younger physicians as we continue to improve our surgical techniques and patient care.

As the physician ultimately responsible for treatment decisions, I believe every decision must be supported by careful teamwork. Before a patient enters the operating room, our anesthesia, rehabilitation, nursing, and case management teams work together on the evaluation and care plan. This coordination helps connect surgical treatment with recovery afterward.

Teaching younger physicians is also an important part of that work. We discuss cases, practice clinical judgment, and learn to take responsibility for decisions as well as surgical technique. The aim is consistent care, regardless of which member of the team a patient sees.

This award recognizes the work we have done so far. We will continue to pay attention to the details and work together to honor the trust our patients place in us.