Chapter 211: Results Announced, Astonishing Achievements

This time, with Zhou Can—the surgical prodigy—on their team, they had a powerhouse who could handle ten operations single-handedly. His speed and precision were unmatched.

Barring any surprises, their group stood an incredibly high chance of coming out on top.

“If our team secures the chance to establish a subspecialty department, my promotion to associate chief physician is almost guaranteed,” He Hansheng said with clenched fists, his eyes gleaming with determination.

Quite a few doctors shared similar expressions to Mr. Liu and He Hansheng, their anticipation palpable.

Everyone waited eagerly, eyes fixed on Deputy Director Ye, desperate to hear the final results.

“In Basic Surgery, the winning team is Wang Han’s. They completed a total of 341 surgeries in this category, with an average quality score of 4.1. Their success rate stands at 95%, with a post-operative recovery rate of 91%. Among these, they performed 27 high-difficulty Level 3 and 4 surgeries, with only one failure. They also diagnosed 5 complex and rare cases, of which 3 showed significant improvement or were fully cured after treatment…”

A 95% surgery success rate was already an impressive feat.

Many hospitals boasted success rates of 100% or over 99% for certain procedures, but that was often just for show.

A successful surgery wasn’t just about removing an organ or diseased tissue from a patient.

The patient’s long-term recovery mattered just as much.

Take a lung tumor, for instance. If a surgeon removes part of the lung and the tumor is gone, that’s a start.

The wound heals, and the patient seems to recover well enough.

But if the tumor recurs shortly after, that surgery is deemed a failure.

Another example—Li Si suffered from food reflux after meals. Even after surgery, the issue persisted.

The doctor might claim the operation was a success, but the patient’s suffering remains unresolved.

That surgery, too, is considered a failure.

Then there are cases where complications arise during surgery, leading to abandonment of the procedure, or worse, the patient is left disabled, dies on the operating table, or passes away post-operation due to surgical errors. All of these count as failures.

Determining a surgery’s success isn’t just up to the department’s Quality Control Team. The hospital’s Medical Quality Control Department and Medical Affairs Office also have a say.

In cases of medical mishaps, family members might even involve third-party judicial evaluation agencies for an independent assessment.

This time, all teams in General Surgery competed together, and the data was compiled jointly by multiple hospital departments. It should be accurate and reliable.

Wang Han’s team excelled in both surgical success and post-operative recovery rates. Their performance was outstanding.

General Surgery truly housed hidden talents—there were plenty of strong teams with remarkable capabilities.

Out of the five diagnosed rare and complex cases, only three resulted in successful treatment or significant improvement.

Truth be told, that wasn’t a great result.

At Tuyu Hospital, while the cure rate for high-difficulty routine cases was impressive and treatment quality was assured, handling rare and complex cases remained a critical benchmark.

It directly reflected a hospital’s highest level of expertise in a specific field.

If you could treat illnesses other hospitals couldn’t, you stood above the rest.

If you could diagnose conditions others missed, your skill was on another level.

Through this competition, Zhou Can roughly gauged that Wang Han’s team had a high level of routine treatment proficiency and strong overall team strength. However, their ability to tackle challenging, rare cases was decent but not exceptional.

“In Gastrointestinal Surgery, the winning team is Director Xiao’s. They completed 367 gastrointestinal surgeries with an average quality score of 4.4. Their success rate is 94.2%, and the post-operative recovery rate is 87%. They performed 59 high-difficulty Level 3 and 4 surgeries, with 7 failures. They diagnosed 11 rare and complex gastrointestinal cases, of which 7 showed significant improvement or were fully cured. The average hospital stay for inpatients was 2.4 days…”

From this data, it was clear that Director Xiao’s team outshone Wang Han’s by a significant margin.

As the head of Gastrointestinal Surgery and a Chief Physician, Director Xiao’s expertise in this field was second only to the rehired Dr. Jia.

Both the volume of high-difficulty surgeries and the number of diagnosed rare cases far exceeded Wang Han’s team.

This showed that separating Gastrointestinal Surgery from General Surgery had its merits.

At least in this domain, Director Xiao’s team clearly surpassed the top groups in General Surgery.

Trying to master too many fields often led to mediocrity.

Having doctors dedicate their careers to a single specialized area was the way forward.

An average hospital stay of under 3 days was considered excellent.

Of course, this varied by department.

You couldn’t blindly aim for stays shorter than three days.

For some patients, preoperative assessments and planning alone took several days. Others underwent major surgeries and might need a month-long stay to meet discharge criteria.

What then?

Would you rush a patient out just to keep hospital stays short? That approach was like fishing for the moon in a well—utterly misguided.

A hospital’s core purpose was to alleviate or eliminate a patient’s suffering.

Curing the patient’s illness—that was the ultimate goal.

Deputy Director Ye went on to announce several more winning teams, but Zhou Can’s group still hadn’t been named. Deputy Director Liu, who started off craning his neck and listening intently, soon began wiping sweat from his brow.

At 59 years old, he was usually the picture of composure. Even during surgeries when a patient’s heart stopped, Mr. Liu could remain as steady as a rock, calmly directing the team.

Yet now, he was restless, his nerves stretched taut.

He wasn’t the only one on edge. Every team still waiting for a chance to establish a subspecialty department felt the same torment.

There were only nine subspecialty slots in total, and five had already been announced.

With fewer slots left, their hopes grew slimmer by the moment.

“In Thyroid Surgery and Breast Surgery, the winning team is Liu Qingzhi’s!”

The announcement sent a ripple of shock through the crowd.

Mr. Liu’s team had secured two subspecialty slots—an unprecedented achievement among the announced winners.

It was like winning a double award.

Mr. Liu finally heard the result he’d been longing for. Overwhelmed with excitement, he nearly fainted.

A wide, uncontrollable smile broke across his face.

His hands trembled uncontrollably from the surge of emotion.

“We made it! We made it! Hard work pays off—our team finally got selected! Haha… I’m over the moon!”

He Hansheng was just as thrilled, bouncing around like a kid who’d just snatched a lollipop, stammering with joy.

Zhou Can, however, remained calm and composed.

This result didn’t surprise him in the least.

“I made the right choice to stay. Thank goodness I didn’t leave when Dr. Song urged me to go with him.”

Wan Sanlao also beamed with satisfaction.

Integrity and principles mattered. Good character often brought good fortune.

Even with a team as strong as Director Yang Qing’s, their name still hadn’t been called.

What made Yang Qing even more anxious was that Mr. Liu’s team had claimed two subspecialty slots, including Breast Surgery, his area of expertise.

Only two subspecialty winners remained unannounced.

Yang Qing was on edge, and his team of doctors felt even more frantic.

They were all in the same boat—success or failure, they’d rise or fall together.

“Director Ye, may I interrupt for a moment?”

Du Leng, banking on his status as an overseas-educated PhD, raised his hand to ask a question.

Mr. Liu’s team winning in two General Surgery fields dealt a heavy blow to Du Leng.

Especially since Zhou Can was part of that team, which only fueled his frustration.

“Please, go ahead,” Deputy Director Ye replied, looking up at Du Leng. He showed the utmost patience for this exceptional talent.

“How could Liu Qingzhi’s team win in two fields simultaneously? It doesn’t make sense. Their team only has three official physicians. Even if they had superhuman abilities, it’s hard to believe they could excel in two areas at once. I’m not questioning your decision—I just find it illogical and want to understand.”

Du Leng struggled to accept this outcome.

Even if Mr. Liu’s team had won in just one field, he might’ve felt a bit better.

“I’m sure Dr. Du isn’t the only one with this question. Let me share Liu Qingzhi’s team performance over the past month, and it’ll all become clear. First, I want to assure everyone that this evaluation was absolutely fair.”

Deputy Director Ye emphasized the impartiality of the review process.

He continued, “Liu Qingzhi’s team completed a total of 876 surgeries last month. They performed 211 thyroid surgeries, the highest among all teams in this category. They also completed 324 breast surgeries, again topping the charts across all groups.”

Thyroid surgery was Mr. Liu’s strongest suit.

He already had a solid reputation, and many thyroid patients specifically sought him out for treatment.

So, their team’s thyroid surgery volume was the highest.

Averaging 211 surgeries in a month meant about seven thyroid operations per day—an intimidating figure.

Without Zhou Can, their ace in the hole, Mr. Liu wouldn’t have dared take on so many surgical patients.

Even with He Hansheng and Wan Sanlao, the trio couldn’t have handled such a workload on their own.

Breast surgeries always made up a significant portion of General Surgery cases.

Breast-related conditions were numerous.

Many issues like nodules, granulomas, and ductal fistulas required surgical intervention.

While plenty of General Surgery doctors could treat breast conditions, true experts were rare.

Mr. Liu’s skill in this area was above average but not top-tier.

Zhou Can, having performed over 300 breast surgeries this month, had gained immense experience.

If a breast surgery clinic were opened now with him on duty, he could diagnose a patient’s condition just by palpation, with at least a 60% accuracy rate.

Distinguishing between benign and malignant cases would require even more experience.

For some high-difficulty breast surgeries, he’d started building a small but valuable pool of practical expertise.

Unfortunately, his training period in General Surgery was too short. The variety of surgeries he could access here was incredibly beneficial for his surgical skills.

This month was also the golden era for General Surgery’s final days.

In the future, only the Emergency Department might still handle cases across all fields.

After General Surgery split into nine subspecialties, each department would only treat patients in their specific domain. The current system of accepting all kinds of cases would cease.

“They only have three official doctors. How can they manage outpatient consultations, ward patients, and still perform over 800 surgeries in a month?”

Du Leng’s mind reeled in disbelief.

This surgical volume could crush any other team.

Many teams, with at least five official doctors, only managed around 300 surgeries in total.

That was already considered high output.

Zhou Can’s team performed more than double the surgeries of others, despite having just three members. It was downright staggering.

“To be precise, Liu Qingzhi’s team’s monthly surgery count is closer to 900, not 800,” Deputy Director Ye corrected.

“Even if their surgical volume is staggering, if they’re all just Level 1 and 2 surgeries with poor quality, what’s the point?” Director Yang Qing couldn’t hold back any longer and stood up to challenge.

Because Du Leng kept missing the mark.

To strike a snake, aim for its weak spot.

Du Leng kept fixating on Liu Qingzhi’s team’s total surgery count—wasn’t that just boosting their prestige while undermining his own?

Quantity without quality, especially lacking high-difficulty Level 3 and 4 cases, was the real issue.

What good was performing countless Level 1 and 2 surgeries?

Even if Mr. Liu’s team completed 10,000 such surgeries in a month, it wouldn’t justify establishing a subspecialty.

There’s a saying—when the tree falls, the monkeys scatter.

High-difficulty Level 3 and 4 surgeries were like the branches of a tree, holding up an entire department. Without the ability to perform them, patient numbers for simpler surgeries would dwindle fast.

Without major surgeries, a department’s reputation couldn’t grow.

Without the draw of renowned doctors, patient volume would shrink. Just look at rural clinics.

They could handle Level 1 and 2 surgeries, but patients avoided them.

Why? Because patients felt the hospital’s level was too low, fearing subpar skills might botch the procedure.

If all doctors in a hospital had poor skills, it was essentially licensed malpractice in broad daylight.

Which patient would be foolish enough to risk their life there?

“Director Yang raises a good point! Why did Liu Qingzhi’s team win in two specialized fields simultaneously? Quantity without quality or high-difficulty major surgeries to back it up is just a hollow shell. Their team completed 29 Level 3 surgeries. For a team supported by just one Associate Chief Physician, that’s already quite remarkable.”

Averaging one major surgery per day was indeed impressive.

Most other high-performing teams had at least two Chief or Associate Chief Physicians.

Since Mr. Liu was only an Associate Chief Physician, under the surgical grading safety system, he couldn’t independently lead Level 4 major surgeries.

So, they only performed Level 3 surgeries.

This was a significant limitation.

Part of Mr. Liu’s burning desire for promotion to Chief Physician was to independently lead Level 4 major surgeries.

Under current physician management rules, failing to achieve Chief Physician status before retirement meant no further chance to qualify for senior titles post-retirement. He’d be stuck as an Associate Chief Physician for life.

Even if rehired by the hospital, he’d still be limited to Associate Chief Physician duties.

After a lifetime of surgeries, who wouldn’t yearn to independently perform the pinnacle of technical skill—Level 4 major surgeries?

Hearing that Mr. Liu’s team completed 29 Level 3 surgeries last month, Yang Qing felt a flush of embarrassment.

Other physicians who’d questioned Mr. Liu’s team fell silent.

“Let’s talk about Liu Qingzhi’s team’s surgical quality. Their average quality score is 4.8, with a success rate of 98.4% and a post-operative recovery rate of 96%. Of the 29 high-difficulty Level 3 surgeries, they achieved a 100% success rate.”

When this news broke, aside from Director Xie of the Surgical Department who was mentally prepared, the other doctors were utterly stunned.

Why was Director Xie prepared?

Because Zhou Can had performed over 1,000 surgeries in a single month while at the Emergency Department. Director Xie had instructed Zhong Hui from Quality Control to investigate all of Zhou Can’s surgery ratings.

The result was a resounding slap in the face.

Not only was Zhou Can’s surgical volume staggering, but his ratings were terrifyingly high.

Patient satisfaction was off the charts.

So, Director Xie remained the calmest person in the room at this moment.

He quietly glanced at Zhou Can, who sat there with a serene expression.

A sigh escaped him inwardly. “This prodigy—I couldn’t stop his rise after all. He’s even stronger than he was a year ago. In the future, the Surgical Department might come to regret this, watching helplessly as the Emergency Department grows rapidly under this monster’s lead.”

It felt like an emperor witnessing a rebellion below, sending troops to quash it, only to see the rebel grow stronger instead.

“So, what do you think? Hearing all this, doesn’t Liu Qingzhi’s team seem almost inhuman? And there’s even more dazzling news to come!”

Deputy Director Ye seemed to relish silencing the chorus of objections below.

Watching them voice their doubts and protests, only to present irrefutable evidence that shut them down, was deeply satisfying.

This process let him fully experience the charm and authority of being a leader.

Whether a Deputy Director or Director, their role was to keep the doctors, nurses, and administrative staff in line, ensuring they followed orders.

Among them, doctors were the hardest to manage.

Whenever Director Xie and Director Lou clashed, Deputy Director Ye never resorted to harsh words or wielded his authority to suppress them. Instead, he mediated.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to assert dominance—it was that he couldn’t.

A Deputy Director’s position was high, but it didn’t mean they could act recklessly. Chief-level physicians had to be treated with respect and courtesy.

Handling doctors with brute force or arrogance guaranteed a short tenure for any Deputy Director.

Director Yang Qing’s breathing grew uneven, his blood pressure spiking.

Liu Qingzhi’s team had already achieved such astounding results, and there was still more impressive news?

Was there no end to this?

He’d long suspected Mr. Liu’s team could be the biggest wildcard, and now that prediction had come true.

Breast Surgery was supposed to be Yang Qing’s domain, yet Mr. Liu’s team had surpassed him. His mood was sour, and he desperately wanted to know exactly where he’d fallen short.