“Where is the world’s top medical institution?”

The answer can be found at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, USA. A world-renowned medical center with a century-long legacy, Mayo Clinic boasts exceptional clinical services, an innovative medical education system, and world-leading research capabilities. It has been ranked the world’s best hospital for seven consecutive years. As a model of modern healthcare, Mayo Clinic upholds the core value of “the needs of the patient come first” and sets a global benchmark for the medical industry.

From July 7 to 9 (U.S. time), Zhou Qingli and Yao Jiangen, Vice Presidents of the Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine (ZJU4H), led an administrative delegation to visit Mayo Clinic’s headquarters and were invited to attend the Mayo Clinic 2025 AI Summit, embarking on a journey of in-depth learning and international dialogue.

This visit is not only an opportunity for academic exchange but also a solid step for ZJU4H to advance its development as an international hospital. By participating in this world-class medical event, ZJU4H showcased the innovative achievements of China’s smart healthcare to the global community.

Taking the International Stage: Sharing Innovative Practices in AI Healthcare

“WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS?” As the global medical community reflects on this question, artificial intelligence is unlocking new possibilities for healthcare transformation. The Mayo Clinic AI Summit gathered experts and scholars from top medical institutions and universities across Europe and America for in-depth discussions on generative AI, information retrieval, evidence-based medicine, and other cutting-edge topics.

As one of only two hospitals from China invited to present, ZJU4H, together with Peking Union Medical College Hospital, represented China’s medical innovation force and shared Chinese experience and exploration paths with international peers.

In his special presentation, Vice President Zhou Qingli delivered a report titled “The Method of Strength for Understanding of the Medical Domain Knowledge of the Large Model Clinical Participle Based on ‘Clinical Token’”, systematically introducing ZJU4H’s innovative achievements in AI-enabled healthcare.

For instance, the hospital’s new “clinical token” word segmentation technology has significantly enhanced large language models’ understanding of Chinese medical texts and improved the accuracy of electronic medical record writing. In addition, artificial intelligence has shown great potential in clinical scenarios such as medical imaging interpretation, drug traceability, prescription review, and lung cancer prediction.

The report focused on real clinical demands and displayed frontier research outcomes. The related technologies and applications sparked enthusiastic discussions among international experts, highlighting ZJU4H’s innovative practices and global vision.

Benchmarking International Excellence: A Comprehensive Visit to Mayo Clinic’s Innovative Ecosystem

“‘May I help you?’ In this vast medical campus, care is always present…”

During the visit, the administrative delegation toured Mayo Clinic’s main campus, Saint Marys Campus, and new drug innovation laboratories, experiencing its patient-centered service system in full. From the artistically designed care environment to thoughtful volunteer services, Mayo Clinic integrates humanistic care into every detail, making healthcare not only a technical practice but also a delivery of warmth.

Mayo Clinic’s logo consists of three shields, representing clinical practice, medical education, and medical research—a philosophy highly consistent with that of ZJU4H. Based on its main hospital, ZJU4H has simultaneously established an international medical school and a health research institute, forming an integrated development pattern of medical treatment, education, and research.

“Although the healthcare systems of China and the United States are different, the people-centered core values and the original aspiration to pursue excellence are shared,” Vice President Yao Jiangen commented. “Mayo Clinic’s innovative practices in the integration of medicine, education, and research, as well as in humanistic care, provide valuable references for us.”

He noted that while continuously improving the quality of medical services, ZJU4H also highly values patient experience, striving to create a warm, comfortable, and compassionate medical environment to ease patients’ anxiety. The hospital also runs an International Medical Department, embracing multicultural inclusiveness and providing personalized, world-class medical services for patients from all over the world.

Delegation members conducted field studies on Mayo Clinic’s refined operational and management systems. Eight middle-level cadres from medical affairs, nursing, logistics, infection control, and other departments carried out targeted training based on their respective responsibilities. By systematically benchmarking the management practices of top international medical institutions, the team broadened its global vision and translated Mayo’s advanced experience into important references for advancing ZJU4H’s international development.

Internationalization Strategy: Learn from the Best

As a key part of ZJU4H’s 2025 International Talent Development Program, this visit embodies the hospital’s commitment to internationalized development and represents an important step in implementing its global strategy.

Prof. Wang Kai, Chairman of ZJU4H, emphasized that talents are the foundation and cornerstone of the hospital’s development. The hospital always places talent cultivation at the center of its development. Guided by the philosophy “Learn from the best, Innovate for health”, the International Talent Development Program deeply integrates international concepts, cultivating backbones and medical professionals with global vision and professional competence for the hospital, its international medical school, and research institute.

This strategic layout demonstrates the hospital’s long-term vision for international development and actively responds to the national strategy of the integrated development of education, science and technology, and talents, laying a solid foundation for building a high-level hospital through talent empowerment.

Since the beginning of this year, ZJU4H has sent more than 110 talents to the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and other countries for exchanges and training, accelerating the establishment of a global medical cooperation network.

With an open and inclusive attitude, ZJU4H is actively integrating into the global medical innovation system. By continuously deepening international cooperation, introducing advanced concepts and technologies, and strengthening talent training and research collaboration, the hospital is consolidating the foundation for high-quality development and steadily moving toward its vision:“Promoting human health through high-quality integration of medicine, education, and research.”