On 22 April 2021, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital officially entered into a strategic cooperation framework agreement with supporting arrangements. With the signing, the Shanghai-based centre became the first-ever teaching hospital of the University’s medical school. Upholding the principle of win-win cooperation and mutual complementarity, the two parties will carry out strategic cooperation in various fields such as frontier scientific research, affiliated hospital construction, medical education and teaching, medical discipline construction and medical treatment services.

Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital has 1,766 approved beds (subsidized by the government) , 1,956 open beds and 46 clinical and technical departments. In 2019, the Hospital had 4,283,000 outpatient and emergency visits, 120,800 discharged patients and 134,400 operations of all kinds. It is home to numerous outstanding medical professionals, including one academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, one chief scientist of the National Basic Research Program (973 Program), four young and middle-aged experts with outstanding contributions recognized by the National Health Care Commission, two recipients of funding from the Outstanding Youth Fund Project of the National Natural Resources Foundation of China, one selected participant of the Young Top Talent Support Programme of the Organisation Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, two selected participants of the New Century Excellent Talent Training Programme of the Ministry of Education, four selected candidates of the 100/1,000/10,000 Talent Recruitment Program of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, three recipients of the Outstanding Youth Fund Program of the National Natural Foundation of China, and one Young Changjiang Scholar.

In 1958, Professor Zhou Yongchang and his colleagues firstly established ultrasound medicine in China and the Hospital was recognized as the origin of ultrasound diagnosis in China. In 1963, Professor Chen Zhongwei, Qian Yunqing and their colleagues successfully accomplished the first case of amputated limb replantation in the world and the Hospital was renowned as the Cradle of the Replantation of Amputated Limbs. In 1978, Professor Yu Zhongjia successfully accomplished the reconstruction technique for hand or five-finger defects and won the 1^st Class Award of National Invention. In 1980, Professor Chen Zhongwei was elected as an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences for his outstanding contribution to the field of orthopaedic limb reconstruction. In 2003, Professor Xiang Kun-san was elected as a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering for his outstanding contribution to the field of diabetes mellitus.

The Hospital currently boasts six national key clinical specialties (Orthopaedics, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Otolaryngology, Medical Imaging, Sports Medicine and Emergency Medicine), three national key specialties (Orthopaedic Surgery, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Cardiovascular Medicine), one key specialty of the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Acupuncture and Massage Therapy),  and one national specialty of the Department of Women and Children of the  National Health Commission (Obstetrics and Gynaecology). In addition, the Hospital operates two “Top Priority" clinical medical centres in Shanghai (Clinical Medical Centre for Traumatic Orthopaedics and Bone and Joint Diseases and Clinical Medical Centre for Endocrine Metabolic Diseases), two "Top Priority" clinical key disciplines in Shanghai (Otorhinolaryngology and Medical Imaging), three Key Leading Medical Disciplines in Shanghai (Extremity Microsurgery, Endocrine Metabolic Medicine and Interventional Imaging) and one Key Clinical Pharmacy Specialty in Shanghai (Pharmacy). In the 2018 Best Hospitals Ranking released by the Hospital Management Institute of Fudan University, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital ranked 33rd overall, 3rd in orthopaedics, 5th in endocrinology and metabolism, 7th in ultrasound medicine and 8th in otolaryngology & head and neck surgery. In the 2019 China Hospital Technology Impact Ranking released by the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, the Hospital ranked 35th overall, 2nd in Orthopaedic Surgery, 3rd in Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases and 8th in Otolaryngology.

Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital is a national model of TCM practice in general hospitals. It is also home to the National Primary Diabetes Control Office, the Shanghai Acute Trauma Emergency Centre, the Shanghai Critical Maternity Consultation and Rescue Centre, the Shanghai Stroke Clinical Treatment Centre, the Shanghai Specialist Infectious Disease Centre, the Shanghai Quality Control Centre for Medical Records Management and the Shanghai Quality Control Centre for Medical Equipment Management.

The Hospital further houses the Shanghai Key Laboratory of Diabetes, the Shanghai Key Laboratory of Sleep and Breathing Disorders, the Shanghai Clinical Research Centre of Bone Diseases, the Shanghai Institute of Extremity Microsurgery, the Shanghai Institute of Diabetes, the China Shanghai International Extremity Microsurgery Training Centre and the Shanghai Medical Ultrasound Training Centre. Additionally, the Hospital is a partner for Shanghai Jiao Tong University in building its clinical medical school, orthopaedic trauma institute, diabetes institute, otolaryngology institute, as well as imaging medicine institute. Bio-wise, it is also associated with the Shanghai branch of the Beijing National Engineering Research Centre for Biochips and the Engineering and Technology Research Centre for Medical Resorbable Biomaterials.

The Hospital is the training base for doctoral and post-doctoral medical students of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, with 104 supervisors for doctoral students and 164 for master's students. In 2019, the Hospital undertook 215 external longitudinal projects as the first unit, including 76 national projects, 51 provincial and ministerial projects and 88 university and bureau level projects. In 2018, the SCI database included a total of 445 papers from our hospital, including 385 Articles & Reviews, ranking 30th among medical institutions nationwide, 7th among medical institutions in Shanghai and 4th among medical schools of Shanghai Jiaotong University.  Over the years, the Hospital has received 286 awards for scientific research achievements at national, provincial, ministerial and bureau levels, including one National Invention First Prize and five National Science and Technology Progress Awards.

The Hospital has obtained the honorary title of "National Civilised Unit" for five consecutive terms, spanning 15 years, and has received straight A's in the Shen Kang Performance Assessment for 14 consecutive years. Other awards and honours won over the years include National Health System Advanced Unit, National May Day Labour Certificate, National Advanced Unit of Open Democratic Management of Factory Affairs, National Advanced Unit of the Hospital Management Year Campaign, National Top 100 Excellent Baby-Friendly Hospital, National Innovative Service Demonstration Hospital of the Action Plan for Improving Medical Services.