Founder
Samuel Noordhoof was born in Orange City, Iowa on June 29, 1927. He graduated from the University of Iowa School of Medicine. Dr. Noordhoff and his family arrived in Taiwan in 1959 as medical missionaries and served as the Superintendent of Mackay Memorial Hospital. He advocated the concept of holistic treatment including body, mind, and spirit. He founded Taiwan’s first children's polio reconstruction center, an intensive care unit, a mountain mobile medical clinic, a Suicide Prevention Center-Lifeline, and a burn center. Dr. Noordhoff became the founding Superintendent of Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in 1976 and founded the first craniofacial center, microsurgery center, and cosmetic surgery center. In 1989, he donated US$100,000 to establish the Noordhoff Craniofacial Foundation.
Dr. Noordhoff s greatest contribution to Taiwan was in establishing the above medical centers and promoting the training of medical personnel and reforming the medical system, thus successfully improving the quality and standard of Taiwan's medical treatment.
Dr. Noordhoff has won numerous awards throughout his life, including the highest honor given to international plastic surgeons by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), the Maliniac Lecturer Award, the Order of the Brilliant Star with Violet Grand Cordon presented by the late Taiwan President Lee Teng-hui, and the Presidential Culture Award for Humanitarian Service presented by Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen.
On December 3, 2018, Dr. Noordhoff passed into the Lord's presence at the age of 91.