Generative AI is rapidly transforming industries worldwide, ushering smart healthcare development into a new phase. The "AI Empowerment for Sustainable Talent Summit," jointly organized by Chi Mei Medical Center and the Institute for Information Industry (III), was held on August 11th 2026 at Chi Mei Medical Center, where the two organizations unveiled the outcomes of their jointly developed smart healthcare AI talent cultivation program. The event brought together III Chairman Dr. Johnny Huang, III Standing Director Lee-Feng Chien, Chi Mei Medical Center Superintendent Hung-Jung Lin, National Cheng Kung University Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering Distinguished Professor Jung-Hsien Chiang, along with representatives from medical systems across Taiwan, to discuss key issues surrounding AI-driven smart healthcare development and talent sustainability.
AI Accelerates Smart Healthcare Development — Technology, Policy, and Talent All Indispensable
III Chairman Dr. Johnny Huang noted that smart healthcare development has evolved from the adoption of standalone technologies toward a comprehensive upgrade encompassing clinical workflows, data governance, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and talent capabilities. In recent years, III has continued to invest in smart healthcare development, working to connect government policy, medical needs, AI technology, and industry resources while serving as a cross-disciplinary integrator in the smart healthcare space. The institute hopes to help the healthcare system adopt trustworthy AI technologies while simultaneously building the talent capabilities needed to meet future demands, driving the practical implementation of smart healthcare innovation.
At the forum, III Standing Director Lee-Feng Chien also pointed out that AI is rapidly transforming healthcare service models. AI will first serve as a powerful tool, substantially absorbing the heavy administrative, medical record documentation, and paperwork burdens currently shouldered by healthcare professionals. Next, AI will evolve into dedicated "professional agents" — such as remotely operating virtual case managers capable of round-the-clock patient tracking and precision medication management. In its final stage, AI will achieve "cross-departmental integration," breaking down barriers between medical specialties through coordinated multi-agent systems and enabling wall-free, seamless hospital-to-home care. What's more, remarkably, after absorbing vast amounts of clinical data, AI may even develop empathy comparable to that of healthcare professionals themselves.
In addition to the rapid advancement of AI technology, continued government policy support has also provided important momentum for smart healthcare development. Chi Mei Medical Center Superintendent Hung-Jung Lin noted that the Ministry of Health and Welfare's "Healthy Taiwan Deepening Program," launched in 2025, aims to strengthen Taiwan's healthcare resilience and quality of care through four key pillars: optimizing the medical work environment, diversified talent cultivation, smart medical technology, and sustainable healthcare development. Chi Mei Medical Center was among the first to respond to this policy, proactively investing in smart healthcare innovation and gradually establishing a new model that strikes a balance between medical quality, talent development, and sustainable operations.
Following this, Standing Director Lee-Feng Chien, Superintendent Hung-Jung Lin, and Distinguished Professor Jung-Hsien Chiang engaged in an in-depth panel discussion covering AI technology development, digital transformation in healthcare, and clinical challenges. The panelists agreed that the key to smart healthcare's next phase lies not only in the continued advancement of AI technology, but more importantly in building the healthcare system's ongoing capacity to absorb, apply, and innovate. Only by developing technology, clinical practice, and talent in tandem can AI be truly integrated into healthcare services — with talent sustainability underpinning the long-term development of smart healthcare.
III Partners with Chi Mei Medical Center to Establish Talent Development Model — From Training Programs to Competency Certification
Karen Ho, Director General of III's Digital Education Institute (DEI), presented on "Smart Healthcare Cross-Disciplinary Talent Empowerment Mechanisms and Core Competency Framework," sharing the outcomes of III's collaboration with Chi Mei Medical Center in advancing a smart healthcare AI talent education system. She noted that this collaboration represents one of the few smart healthcare AI talent education systems in Taiwan jointly established by a medical institution and a nonprofit research institute — spanning competency mapping, training, and skills certification.
This year, the two organizations began with clinical needs and jointly planned a series of 19 courses, adopting a modular structure that covers key dimensions including practical application, foundational literacy, communication and collaboration, and safety standards. The courses have been rolled out not only at Chi Mei's main hospital, but have also extended to its Jia-Li and Liou-Ying branches, as well as regional partners including Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital Tainan Branch, Ministry of Health and Welfare Tainan Hospital, and Tainan Sin-Lau Hospital. Participation has already surpassed 800 attendances.
Beyond course training, the two organizations have simultaneously advanced AI professional certification, guiding approximately 300 participants through the "Generative AI Competency Certification" and "Generative AI Office Application Competency Certification" exams. The first round of exams was completed on July 27th 2026, with Chi Mei Medical Center staff achieving a pass rate as high as 90% — a strong demonstration of the practical effectiveness of scenario-based training and competency passports in real-world clinical settings.
Smart healthcare has become one of the most closely watched and high-potential fields of AI application. Looking ahead, III will continue to deepen its smart healthcare AI talent education system, integrating competency development, course training, skills certification, and digital competency passports. The institute aims to work with more medical institutions to build a replicable, scalable talent development model that benefits the public — driving Taiwan's smart healthcare sector from technological innovation toward talent sustainability, and shaping an internationally competitive model for smart healthcare development.