Health Care Endocrinology Department

Since its establishment in 2002, the Health Care (Geriatric) Endocrinology Department at the Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University has provided specialist endocrine care to health-care, older and special-needs patients. It combines clinical care, teaching, research and preventive care. The hospital describes it as a leading provincial center that supports the development of geriatrics and its subspecialties.

The department reports eight physicians and nine nurses; all physicians hold doctorates. Eight staff have senior professional titles, two are recognized hospital experts and three supervise doctoral or master’s students. Members hold one national society standing committee position, one national committee position and four provincial society vice-chair positions. It has 17 single-bed rooms, has trained over 30 master’s and over 10 doctoral students, and provides standardized geriatric resident training. It reports four provincial science and technology progress awards and five hospital honors.

Its specialties include diabetes and its complications and comorbidities, osteoporosis, hyperuricemia and gout, electrolyte disorders and other endocrine and metabolic diseases, as well as common conditions in other internal medicine fields. For older patients with multiple and complex conditions, it combines internal medicine and geriatric expertise, with particular experience in refractory hyponatremia. It uses combined “3C” techniques for brittle and refractory hyperglycemia and nutritional assessment and intervention for inpatients. With interventional ultrasound, it also performs microwave ablation of thyroid and parathyroid nodules. The hospital describes these approaches as effective and cites small incisions, no scarring and preservation of gland function as advantages of ablation.

The hospital describes the department as an important Shandong center for the care and study of geriatric endocrine disease, with recognized clinical, technical and academic work.