Towards a Health System Based on Prevention and Innovation
28 October 2022
Hotel Sheraton (Calea Dorobanți 5-7, Bucharest)

Aspen Healthcare Summit, now at its eleventh edition, is the major public event of Aspen Institute Romania’s Healthcare & Quality of Life Program, bringing together decision-makers, renowned specialists and researchers from the medical sector, European and national healthcare experts, representatives of non-governmental organizations and academia, representatives of health technology and pharmaceutical sector, as well as industry leaders engaged in developing health policies. Last years’ participation of several experts from abroad contributed to setting up a program community and an agenda of thematic priorities in convergence with national priorities and advanced technological solutions as well as the EU regulatory framework and WHO goals.

This year’s edition will focus on prevention as the main priority of the healthcare system, due to the huge benefits prevention brings in terms of life expectancy and quality of life as well as the significant decrease in costs provided by a prevention-based healthcare system. At the same time, creating and quickly adopting successful innovations should also be a main priority in any healthcare system, as they improve the services provided to patients while also reducing costs. The Summit will analyze the implementation of both prevention measures and innovation in the Romanian healthcare system, focusing on 4 main areas:

  • The Summit will discuss solutions for the Romanian healthcare system to ensure continuous and universal access to medical services to all categories of patients, looking at areas where life-saving improvements could be identified, for instance in the case of patients with cerebrovascular accidents or hepatitis. The debates will further analyze ways of reducing regional disparities in access to medical services, while also addressing potential solutions to ensure a well-educated, well-trained healthcare
  • A big step in the fight against cancer in Romania was the launch in January 2022 of the National Plan to Combat Cancer. Discussions at the Summit will focus on how to implement the Plan, with the aim of improving access to diagnosis and innovative treatments, focusing in particular on prevention and education.
  • E-health encompasses a wide range of innovations that should be more rapidly adapted by the Romanian healthcare system in order to facilitate access to medical services as well as improve citizens’ life expectancy and quality of life. In particular, the Summit will discuss measures such as creating electronic health records, increasing the use of telemedicine and digital solutions (e.g. healthcare information systems), with a focus on the widespread use of data.
  • Biotechnology, according to current data, will produce 60% of the physical products of the global economy of the future. Biotechnology has already crossed many medical areas and promises to transform the paradigm of disease prevention, screening, diagnosis and treatment. The Summit will explore the current state of the play, the challenges and opportunities that biotechnology can bring for the health field in Romania, but also for society and the economy as a whole. The event will explore the ways in which a local ecosystem can be co-created, through the participation of all relevant stakeholders, aiming to position Romania on the map of preferred destinations for investments in biotechnology.

Aspen Healthcare & Quality of Life Program Partners:
Roche
Alliance Healthcare
Pfizer
Sanofi
Astra Zeneca
Bristol-Myers Squibb
AbbVie

Aspen Healthcare Summit 2022 Main Sponsors:
Medtronic
Vodafone

Aspen Healthcare Summit 2022 Event Supporter:
F.M. Medident

Institutional Partners:
Ministry of Health
National Health Insurance House
Working Group for Combating Cancer, Romanian Parliament
National Institute for Infectious Diseases “Prof. Dr. Matei Balș”
National Institute of Health Services Management
National Institute of Public Health

Knowledge Partners:
Renaşterea Foundation
Romanian Society for Vaccination Strategies and Health Promotion
Romanian Society for Microbiology

Media Partners:
AGERPRES
DC Media Group

Photo Gallery

 

Agenda

09:00 – 09:30   Registration & Welcome Coffee

09:30 – 09:35   Opening Remarks

  • Alexandra Gătej – Vice President, Aspen Institute Romania

09:35 – 10:00    Keynote Speeches

  • 09:35 – 09:45 Univ. Dr. Alexandru Rafila – Minister of Health, Romanian Government
  • 09:45 – 10:00 Natasha Azzopardi-Muscat – Director, Division of Country Health Policies and Systems, World Health Organization (online intervention)

10:00 – 11:00   Improving Access to Medical Services across Romania & Tackling the Healthcare Workforce Deficit

  • Dr. Diana-Loreta Păun – Presidential Adviser, Department of Public Health, Presidential Administration
  • Dafin Mureșanu – Director of Neurosciences Department, “Iuliu Haţieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Cluj-Napoca; President, European Federation of NeuroRehabilitation Societies (online intervention)
  • Radu Răşinar – Country President, Astra Zeneca
  • Adriana Stara – General Manager, AbbVie Romania
  • Gabriel Dina – Corporate Affairs and Health&Value Manager, Pfizer România

Moderator: Prof. Dr. Cristian Vlădescu – Senior Fellow, Aspen Healthcare & Quality of Life Program

11:00 – 11:45   Cancer Prevention: Economic Disincentives for Risk Factors

  • Ana Mercado – Senior Health Specialist, World Bank (online intervention)
  • Patriciu Achimaş-Cadariu – Chair, Working Group for Combating Cancer, Romanian Parliament / Deputy, Romanian Parliament (online intervention)
  • Jeffrey Drope – Research Professor, Health Policy and Administration, University of Illinois Chicago / former Scientific Vice President, American Cancer Society
  • Cătălin Radu – General Manager, Bristol Myers Squibb Romania

Moderator: Clara Volintiru – Director, Aspen New Economy & Society Program

11:45 – 12:15 Coffee Break

12:15 – 13:00   Fostering E-health and the Digitalization of the Romanian Healthcare System

  • Andrei Baciu – Secretary of State, Ministry of Health
  • Ștefan Busnatu – Vice-Dean, Faculty of Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Carol Davila” Bucharest
  • Radu Gănescu – President, COPAC
  • Claudia Fleischer – General Manager, Roche Romania

Moderator: Dr. Vlad Mixich – Health Policy Expert

13:00 – 13:45   Challenges and Opportunities in the co-creation of a Romanian Biotech Ecosystem

  • Univ. Dr. Leonard Azamfirei – Senator, Romanian Parliament / Rector, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Târgu Mureş (pre-recorded intervention)
  • Adrian Bot – M.D., Ph.D., Executive Vice President of Research and Development, Capstan Therapeutics / Aspen Member (online intervention)
  • Ştefan Constantinescu – President, Federation of European Academies of Medicine (online intervention)
  • Răzvan Teohari Vulcănescu – CEO & Founder, Veleritas Revelatio

Moderator: Dr. Marius Geantă – President and Co-Founder of the Center for Innovation in Medicine

13:45 – 14:30   Networking Lunch