Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Center
In 2023, Chongqing General Hospital was approved as the pilot unit for the National Flagship Hospital for Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, making it the only such project in Chongqing. The hospital is leveraging this opportunity to foster collaboration between traditional Chinese and modern Western medicine, enhancing the development of traditional medical practices within a comprehensive hospital and delivering benefits to patients. Under a strong collaborative atmosphere, 16 departments have adopted integrated treatments, with the Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Oncology, and Gastroenterology departments successfully obtaining national flagship department projects for integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine.
The center was officially established in February 2024. This comprehensive medical center combines the wisdom of traditional Chinese medicine with modern medical techniques, offering patients more holistic and efficient healthcare services. The center brings together a team of experienced medical experts with both strong foundations in traditional Chinese medicine and a solid grasp of Western medical theory. With extensive clinical experience, these professionals provide personalized treatment plans tailored to meet each patient’s unique needs.
The center is equipped with multiple departments, including Internal Medicine, Surgery, Dermatology, Gynecology, Pediatrics, and Dedicated Treatment Centers, covering the diagnosis and treatment of common and frequently occurring illnesses. The treatment services include herbal medicine therapy, acupuncture-based treatments, Qigong wellness practices, and dietary therapy.
Special therapies offered by the center include:
Acupuncture Therapies: Ziwu Liuzhu Acupuncture, Exercise Acupuncture, Body Acupuncture, Electroacupuncture, Umbilical Acupuncture, Fire Needling, Intradermal Needling, Plum Blossom Needling, and Rod Needling.
Moxibustion Therapies: Fire Dragon Moxibustion, Governor Vessel Moxibustion, Conception Vessel Moxibustion, Fine Herbal Stick Moxibustion, Thunder Fire Moxibustion, Umbilical Moxibustion, Moxibustion Box Therapy, and Ear Moxibustion.
Tuina (Massage) Therapies: Head and Facial Massage, and Neck, Shoulder, and Lower Back Massage.
Gua Sha Therapies: Stone Gua Sha Therapy and Gua Sha with Herbal Medicine Absorption.
Cupping Therapies: Herbal Bamboo Cupping, Fire Dragon Cupping, Balancing Fire Cupping, and Standard Cupping Therapy.
Auricular Therapies: Ear Seed Therapy, Ear Gua Sha, Ear Apex Bloodletting, and Ear Acupuncture.
Acupoint Application Therapies: Acupoint Patching, External Herbal Application, Herbal Paste Therapy, Summer Sanfu Patches, and Winter Sanjiu Patches.
Other External TCM Therapies: Herbal Wrapping, Herbal Steam Therapy, Herbal Foot Bath, Acupoint Injection, Wax Therapy, TCM-targeted Herbal Penetration Therapy, Computerized Medium-Frequency Therapy, TDP Therapy, and Microwave Inflammation Treatment.
Discipline Leader: Fang Yongfei
Fang Yongfei serves as the Director of the Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Treatment Center and the Honorary Director of the Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Rheumatology at the First Affiliated Hospital of the Army Medical University. He is a Chief Physician, Professor, and Ph.D. Supervisor, as well as a national mentor in the transmission of Discipline expertise from veteran TCM experts. He has been recognized as a Distinguished TCM Practitioner in Chongqing.
Fang Yongfei has previously held key positions, including Vice Chair of the Rheumatology Branch of the Chinese Association of Integrative Medicine and Vice President of the Specialty Committee of Immunology of Traditional Chinese Medicine of the World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies. He was also a member of the Chinese Society of Rheumatology of the Chinese Medical Association and Chair of the Rheumatology Society Branch of the Chongqing Medical Association.
Currently, he holds several important roles, including Vice Chair of the Rheumatology Branch of the Chinese Association of Chinese Medicine, Chair of the Rheumatology Specialty Committee of the Chinese PLA TCM Society, Executive Member of the Rheumatology and Immunology Branch of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association, President of the Rheumatology and Immunology Physician Branch of the Chongqing Medical Doctor Association, and Chair of the Rheumatology Specialty Committee of the Chongqing Association of Chinese Medicine.
Fang Yongfei has been engaged in integrative medicine practice, education, and research for nearly 40 years, with a solid foundation in both traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and modern Western medical theories. He is proficient in diagnosing and managing complex diseases through the principles of integrative medicine. His expertise lies in combining traditional and modern medical practices, and he has accumulated extensive clinical experience in the early diagnosis and comprehensive treatment of various rheumatic diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, systemic lupus erythematosus, psoriatic arthritis, gout, and osteoarthritis. In particular, Fang Yongfei has conducted in-depth research on the integrative treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. He advocates for early diagnosis, systematic treatment, balancing local and overall care, and combining TCM and Western medicine with internal and external therapies. His research focuses on the role and mechanism of gut microbiota imbalance in the development of rheumatoid arthritis with spleen deficiency and dampness retention, the therapeutic mechanisms of herbal medicine for rheumatoid arthritis, studies integrating symptom-based and syndrome-based diagnosis, and monitoring methotrexate blood levels for precise, personalized treatment. His research findings have been twice invited for presentation at the Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology, in 2011 and 2016.