The Aoikai Group is working toward the globalization of medical care, welfare, and education.
In the medical and welfare fields, we are promoting the acceptance of medical tourists and patients from overseas. In December 2017, our group's "AOI International Hospital" (Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture) was recommended as a Japan International Hospital (JIH). Travel examinees can use not only the medical treatment in the hospital but also take all the necessary medical examinations at the health care center adjacent to the hospital.
With the current demand from medical tourists from overseas for medical checkups and treatment at our medical institutions and care facilities, we have realized that the active involvement of staff from overseas is indispensable in order to "enhance the response to the patients' needs and improve the quality of services".
The Group's mission is "Providing comprehensive care for a healthy life". Part of this mission has already been realized through the involvement of staff from overseas.
The Aoikai Group will work to improve the quality of comprehensive care aiming for globalization of medical care, welfare, and education.
Therefore, we are actively hiring nursing staff and care workers through EPA (Economic Partnership Agreement) in order to enhance our response to visitors from overseas.
In the entire Group (in 2020) in total 6 hospitals and 22 geriatric healthcare facilities we have staff (including special program trainees) with different countries of origin such as Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia, etc.
In terms of education, many students from overseas come to Japan to study at AOI International Welfare College (Tsuchiura City, Ibaraki Prefecture) in order to take an active role in medical and welfare fields.
In 2021, AOI Japanese Language School (Abiko City, Chiba Prefecture) has been established. In the same year, the Faculty of International Nursing, Department of Nursing was established at the Kashiwa Campus of the Iryo Sosei University (Kashiwa City, Chiba Prefecture), and we are putting more effort than ever into training human resources from overseas.
Introduction of medical services
Medical Examination
【Cancer Screening】
We have implement "PET-CT", a combination of a functional examination PET scanning using a positron emission tomography device that utilizes the physiological function of the injected medicine to collect in the disease and a CT examination using a computer tomography device used for tissue morphology diagnosis.
"PET-CT" is the latest device that can scan almost the whole body for cancer at once with less pain, and can examine in a short time with low radiation exposure. In addition, since it is possible to perform 4D PET-CT examination without blurring of images by the respiratory synchronization system and small cancer tumors of about 5 mm size can be diagnosed it is effective for early detection of cancer and diagnosis of recurrence or metastasis.
Treatment
【Cancer Treatment】
We provide high-precision radiation therapy that minimizes the burden on the body.
Compared to conventional radiotherapy, stereotactic radiotherapy allows more concentrated radiation to be focused on the cancer cells and irradiates radiation accordingly to the complex shape of cancer. By making full use of intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), which can reduce amount of radiation therapy and side effects of normal areas, and image-guided radiotherapy, which accurately confirms the irradiation position, we make an effort to make it possible to provide the advantages of radiation therapy to many patients.
【Hybrid Operating Room】
We have set up a hybrid operating room (an operating room that can be used for endovascular treatment without loss of time). Also we have decided to introduce Artis zeego (the world's first and world's only multi-axis angiography device developed with the inspiration of robotics) that can perform intraoperative angiography from a wide field of view, which has been considered almost impossible until now.
Mainly in the field of vascular surgery we perform minimally invasive surgery on patients, such as stent graft surgery for thoracic aortic aneurysm and abdominal aortic aneurysm, endovascular treatment for arteriosclerosis obliterans, and hybrid surgery in the latest hybrid operating room. By doing this we provide world-class treatment with less burden that gives the patients an opportunity of faster return to the society.
Our Educational Institutions
In order to respond to the globalization of medical care and long-term care, the Aoikai Group trains nursing professionals who will support internationalization of the Japanese medical care, and supports the acceptance of foreign intern trainees.
In order to provide better nursing and long-term care to the users of hospitals and long-term care facilities, we are working on human resource development to maintain high level of professionalism, and on an educational system for passing the national examination for nurses and long-term care workers. We also provide the necessary support for our staff from overseas to live in Japan.
In the field of education, the AOI International College of Welfare (Tsuchiura City, Ibaraki Prefecture) has many students from overseas who came to Japan to work in the medical and welfare fields, and with the AOI Japanese Language Institute (Abiko City, Chiba Prefecture) opened in April 2021, we are putting even more emphasis on training human resources from overseas.
In the field of nursing, the Iryo Sosei University's Faculty of Global Nursing (Kashiwa City, Chiba Prefecture) will open in April 2021 to train nursing professionals who will support the internationalization of Japanese healthcare.
Japanese language education
The Aoikai Group accepts nursing candidates and care worker candidates through EPA (Economic Partnership Agreement) and plans to develop their Japanese language skills at the supplementary education course at the "AOI Japanese Language School" . During this course they will acquire Japanese language Grammar, listening comprehension, reading comprehension, vocabulary, and conversation, in order to improve Japanese proficiency and to pass the JLPT N2 or higher, and to deepen understanding of Japanese culture and society. The goal of the course is to develop talented human resources who have an international perspective.
In addition, we will provide similar education to regular international students and introduce a loan-type scholarship system for partial coverage of the tuition and living expenses for students who apply for scholarship and wish to join the Aoikai Group as nurses and care workers in the future. They can also enter to a college or university within the Aoikai Group after graduation from the Japanese language school.
Nurse
Japan will continue to globalize in the future, and in the field of nursing, it will be necessary to provide higher quality care to people from various countries.
So, the Faculty of International Nursing at the University of Medical Innovation (Kashiwa City, Chiba Prefecture) trains nursing professionals to support the internationalization of medical care in Japan.
In addition to being able to provide nursing care in English, the world's standard language, we will teach a broad perspective that includes cross-cultural understanding, human interaction and communication skills, and capabilities of scientific thinking and research based on advanced information processing.
A systematic curriculum is composed so that students can learn step by step starting from basic human understanding to basic, applied and practical knowledge of Nursing Science, as well as specific skills.
At the same time, we will support each and every one of our students to acquire practical skills that correspond to a globalized society, from introductory including language courses during the 1st year to international nursing courses in the 3rd and 4th years.
Care Worker
It is a profession that supports the lives of the elderly and people with disabilities. The care worker provides advice to the individual and his/her family to support independent living. Physical care is also provided when needed. In the long term, a care worker can become a leader care worker, which is also a very important profession.
With a two-year curriculum, we aim to have our candidates to gain necessary skills and acquire the national qualification.
In the first year, they learn the basics of care and welfare and develop a compassionate heart. In the second year, they deepen their knowledge and skills as care workers and aim to pass the national examination for professional care worker qualification.
Acceptance of foreign staff under EPA (Economic Partnership Agreement)
The EPA (Economic Partnership Agreement) is an initiative to strengthen economic relations with specific countries in a wide range of fields including the movement of human resources and investment, etc.
The Aoikai Group actively accepts nurse candidates and care worker candidates based on the EPA system, and also focuses on creating a system aiming to pass the national examination while working for those candidates. We also provide educational support and consultation support for private life so that they can work and study in Japan with peace of mind. We hope that one day they will make use of the knowledge and skills learned in Japan in their home countries.
By now (2019), a total of 92 candidates (including 64 nurse candidates and 28 care worker candidates) have been accepted from Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam. 42 candidates successfully passed national examination for nurses and 17 candidates successfully passed national examination for professional care worker qualification. Qualified staff is working at Aoikai Group facilities aiming for their career enhancement such as becoming workplace leaders and instructors.
