Surviving as a Rogue Hospital Director - Chapter 26

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 26.
“It’s nothing serious! Actually, it’s good news. I heard that the booking rate for single rooms has gone up lately.”
Jae Gyeong gathered word from around the hospital and reported it. As the person known to be the planner of the representative video, he seemed to field questions from other staff members frequently.
“Ah, single rooms?”
It seemed that thanks to the single room that had been provided to patient Seo Jin Ha appearing in the video as a background, it had become promotional material as well.
Unlike multi-bed wards covered by insurance, rooms for two or fewer patients required the patient to bear the full cost of hospitalization themselves. At around 150,000 won per night, the price tag was like a hotel but the facilities were not, so empty rooms often went unused.
To prevent this, Korea University Hospital had undergone major renovations to their single rooms the previous year, and the effect of the late-arriving interior design work was now showing.
“If you know that, keep doing well going forward.”
“Yes, sir, I understand. I’ll do my best—count on me!”
Jae Gyeong saluted with exaggerated flourish. Beom Jun looked at him and chuckled, as if to say there was no stopping him.
“How about patient Kim Pan Su? Has he been admitted?”
“Ah yes, the person you mentioned before, right? He’s probably in a four-bed room in the Thoracic Surgery Ward.”
Having received word about patient Kim Pan Su, Jae Gyeong was tracking his movements.
When you read novels, there’s always one character your heart gravitates toward. For Beom Jun, that was patient Kim Pan Su.
‘I remember thinking I’d like to grow old the way he has.’
Even in his seventies, he had been dignified, maintaining his composure right to the end of his life. That had made quite an impression on Beom Jun.
As a new Quest appeared before him, Beom Jun steeled his resolve once more.
[A new Quest has been generated.]
[Main Quest: Improve the organizational culture of Korea University Hospital.]
Coordinate differing opinions among medical staff and establish a collaborative system.
Reward: Survival rate +3%
Failure: Death
Organizational culture. Beom Jun read through the Quest. It was laying out what he needed to do as hospital director.
‘For everyone to get along, the first step is making sure there’s no one to blame. Keeping patient Kim Pan Su alive has to come first.’
In the original work, after patient Kim Pan Su’s death, divisions had arisen over where responsibility lay.
This time, he resolved to make it so the patient could continue living.
* * *
A few days later, a conference was held at Korea University Hospital. A conference could be thought of as an academic meeting where patient cases are shared and diagnosis and treatment processes are discussed.
However, because patient privacy information would be exposed, external attendees could not enter without approval, and recording or filming was forbidden.
So it was strictly the exclusive domain of Korea University Hospital’s medical staff.
Beom Jun entered the Grand Auditorium where the conference was being held.
It was tiered like a movie theater and fan-shaped, so the stage appeared to be the focus of attention. There, as hospital director, Beom Jun confirmed his nameplate in the very center of the front row.
“I really can’t believe I’m actually doing this.”
Jae Gyeong assisted him as his secretary. While the conference was held quarterly, this time it had been specially moved up.
It was because Beom Jun had instructed Im Sung Hyuk to present the case of patient Kim Pan Su.
“Now is the right time for this. There are patient cases to share anyway.”
In the original work, divisions had arisen over responsibility after patient Kim Pan Su’s death. So it would be better to divide responsibility by department from the start.
Above all, the conference would serve as a foundation for constructing the collaboration system that was the Quest.
‘There’s nothing quite like a Multidisciplinary Team for collaboration.’
A Multidisciplinary Team was a collaborative system in which doctors of various specialties worked together to determine treatment direction. Rather than asking who would take the patient, it was a method where multiple departments pooled their efforts based on what treatment was best for the patient.
Beom Jun, who had led a Multidisciplinary Team in his past life, knew this well. If discussion happened at a conference, decision-making happened in the Multidisciplinary Team.
Meanwhile, at his side, Professor Han Seung Woo and Im Sung Hyuk were in conversation.
“What brings you here? Aren’t you busy seeing patients?”
“The way you talk, you make it sound like you don’t see patients. Though I suppose what matters to you are events like this.”
The two, classmates from medical school, had been appointed professors in the same year. What’s more, Cardiology and Thoracic Surgery were departments that exchanged patients, so their contact points were frequent.
Beom Jun looked at Han Seung Woo, who was glaring at Im Sung Hyuk. More precisely, he was looking at the Status Window above his head.
[A talent has been discovered.]
[Name: Han Seung Woo / Position: Professor]
History-taking: ■■■■■
Examination: ■■□□□
Diagnosis: ■■■□□
Treatment: ■■□□□
Follow-up: ■■■■□
– Growth potential: Negligible
– Favorability: 5
[Excels at winning patients’ hearts. Receives more praise than his actual skills warrant.]
Han Seung Woo had his abilities distributed only toward speaking well and showing attentiveness to patients. He’d be better suited as a counselor than a doctor. It was ridiculous.
And as Beom Jun looked down to check his Favorability, he noticed something odd.
‘Come to think of it, there’s no hostility at all?’
The man who had been in the deputy director line in Doctor X surprisingly held no hostility toward Beom Jun. His Favorability was also higher than expected.
Beom Jun observed Han Seung Woo carefully, gauging his true intentions. The man was smooth-talking. Perhaps he was the bat type?
Just then, the moderator, the dean of Korea University Medical School, picked up the microphone.
“We will now begin the conference. All attendees, please be seated.”
Beom Jun, who had been watching Han Seung Woo, returned to his seat as instructed.
The doctors attending the conference glanced sideways, observing Beom Jun’s every move. His pace—neither slow nor hurried.
Beom Jun made eye contact with the people on either side a beat late and gave a brief nod. Both his expression and gestures were natural.
Where the previous director had always seemed busy-eyed and stiff-handed despite grand gestures, composure had emerged,
and the doctors quickly realized the hospital director had changed.
Beom Jun looked as familiar with such occasions as someone who had experienced them countless times. Though, that was no act—it was the truth.
“Director, doesn’t something feel a bit different about you?”
“Right! People have been saying that since you returned.”
“Returned? Did you step away?”
“You woke up right before being declared brain-dead!”
Ignoring the murmuring, the moderator announced the opening and the cardiac conference began.
“Yes, thank you all for attending. Today we’ll share an interesting case that occurred recently involving the heart.”
Following the moderator’s introduction, Im Sung Hyuk stepped up to the podium and took the microphone.
“Hello, I’m Im Sung Hyuk. The case I’ll be presenting today is patient Kim Pan Su, who we’re considering for a Pacemaker insertion.”
At the mention of the familiar patient’s name, Han Seung Woo was taken aback. Just days ago he’d handed off the case, and yet Im Sung Hyuk was now presenting him as a case study.
“Patient Kim Pan Su is a 72-year-old male with long-standing HTN, having been on five medications including an ACE inhibitor and beta blocker for 32 years.”
Im Sung Hyuk introduced patient Kim Pan Su briefly. He even mentioned the fact that the patient had been transferred from Cardiology.
Then Im Sung Hyuk showed the patient’s cardiac ultrasound results on screen, and indeed, part of the Coronary Artery was clearly narrowed.
At the sight of this, Han Seung Woo’s expression darkened.
“While considering Pacemaker insertion as requested by Cardiology, an additional diagnosis of Angina Pectoris was made, and we plan to proceed with both PCI
*
and Pacemaker insertion simultaneously the following day.”
*PCI (Percutaneous Coronary Intervention): A procedure to widen blocked or narrowed sections of the Coronary Artery using a balloon or stent.
At Im Sung Hyuk’s remarks, the doctors in the auditorium were astonished.
Not only had he made an early diagnosis of a condition that Cardiology had missed, but he was now saying he would perform two surgeries at once.
After detailed explanation of the patient followed, the moderator, observing the doctors’ reactions, handed over the microphone.
“Now then, if anyone has questions, please raise your hand and speak.”
Han Seung Woo, whose hand was already raised, began speaking first.
“I was the attending physician, Han Seung Woo. First, I’m grateful that you made the diagnosis of Angina Pectoris that Cardiology missed, but aren’t you pushing forward with surgery too aggressively? Structurally, I don’t think it’s feasible.”
He openly praised Im Sung Hyuk while covering up his own mistake, then zeroed in on the problem to redirect the conversation.
Beom Jun, catching on, turned in his front-row seat and fixed him with a look. A clear warning in his eyes.
‘If you’d messed up, I might let it slide. But spouting objections like that?’
Even if he stayed silent, it’d be debatable whether to let it go. But the fact he was saying that meant he hadn’t properly recognized his mistake. Shameless, even as a doctor.
“No, the PCI will go through the femoral artery to access the Coronary Artery, while the Pacemaker will follow the internal jugular vein and be installed in the right atrium, so the two procedures have no overlap. Depending on the surgeon, it’s entirely feasible.”
Im Sung Hyuk explained logically, regardless of what Han Seung Woo might say. In short, it meant: you can’t do it, but I can.
“There’s considerable risk involved. Is there a particular reason you want to proceed on the same day?”
Another question followed in turn.
“Because an elderly patient would face considerable physical burden trying to withstand General Anesthesia consecutively. We’re devising ways to minimize surgical time as much as possible.”
Im Sung Hyuk’s idea to proceed with the surgeries simultaneously was actually Beom Jun’s opinion. Normally, patient Kim Pan Su would die while recovering from the second surgery.
‘I’m not sure if patient Kim Pan Su can survive two surgeries. If you’re up for it, what about doing them at the same time.’
‘If that’s what the director wishes, I’ll attempt it.’
As voices of concern about Im Sung Hyuk’s treatment approach grew louder, Beom Jun raised his hand.
“Now then, let’s wrap up the case presentation here. And Professor Im Sung Hyuk, I found it impressive that you didn’t shy away from a difficult surgery for the sake of your patient.”
He gave the moderator a meaningful look, instructing him to make the closing remarks.
* * *
After the conference ended, Im Sung Hyuk approached Beom Jun to greet him.
“Director, thank you so much for today. Thanks to you, I was able to prepare the case well.”
Before the conference, Beom Jun had briefed Im Sung Hyuk on the presentation content. He’d also made sure to tell him to mention the Cardiology department’s mistake.
‘It’s good to nail things down clearly. It doesn’t end with just you keeping quiet. Will other departments avoid such mistakes?’
Beom Jun had wanted him to communicate the Cardiology department’s misdiagnosis in any way possible. That way there’d be no lingering issues later.
For collaborative care going forward, each department’s role had to be clearly defined. Only then would they not shuffle work around and instead do their best in their respective positions.
“I wondered if I really had to mention that it came from Cardiology, but seeing Han Seung Woo today, I’m glad I did. I think we’ll just need to focus on the surgery now.”
Beom Jun nodded at his words.
Now that the conference had wrapped up well,
the credit for successfully treating patient Kim Pan Su would belong solely to Im Sung Hyuk.
And Beom Jun had no intention of letting the Cardiology department’s misdiagnosis slide. Now that it had been properly stated, he planned to use it when implementing the Multidisciplinary Team next.
“Yes, you focus on the patient. That’s enough.
Beom Jun didn’t explain to Im Sung Hyuk things beyond the conference itself. Nor did he mention that the conference was held because of him.
By not knowing these things, Im Sung Hyuk could focus solely on his patient. That way, Beom Jun could avoid being murdered and continue his term as hospital director.
“Ah, and Director, about patient Kim Pan Su—”
Im Sung Hyuk, having no way to know about such matters, broached a different topic. It was about patient Kim Pan Su. Beom Jun had expected him to say more about Han Seung Woo or Cardiology.
Beom Jun was struck anew by how Im Sung Hyuk really only knew patients. It was as if there was nothing else in his head—a truly obsessive fellow.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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