Organized by: Aspen Institute Romania

2023 Aspen Healthcare & Quality of Life Program Partners: Roche, Alliance Healthcare, Pfizer, Sanofi, Astra Zeneca, Bristol Myers Squibb, Merck Sharp & Dohme, AbbVie, Medtronic

Aspen Healthcare Summit 2023 Sponsors: Arensia Exploratory Medicine, F.M. Medident

Institutional Partners: Ministry of Health, National Health Insurance House, 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 Microbiology

Media Partner: DC Media Group

Aspen Healthcare Summit, at the twelfth edition in 2023, 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’ editions 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.

In line with the priorities of the Aspen Healthcare & Quality of Life Program, this year’s edition will continue to focus on prevention and innovation as the main priorities of healthcare systems. Both prevention and innovation bring huge benefits in terms of life expectancy and quality of life as well as a significant decrease in healthcare costs. The Summit will analyze the implementation of both prevention measures and innovation in the Romanian healthcare system, while looking at best practices from abroad. The following main topics will be addressed:

• Predictability & resilience of the healthcare system: ensuring the predictable financing of the system in order to provide continuous and universal access to medical services to all categories of patients, while also ensuring access to new, life-saving, innovative medicines. Benefits of the newly launched Health Innovation Hub and ways to operationalize an Innovation Fund in healthcare.
• Shifting the paradigm from a hospital-centric system towards pre-hospital medical services / outpatient care. Continuing to focus on promoting primary prevention (e.g. access to vaccination and vaccination pathways) & secondary prevention (including screening / early detection, implementing point-of-care testing).
• Supporting the implementation of critical national strategies: towards fully functioning National Plans for Beating Cancer and for Combating Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Diseases. Discussions will focus on prevention and education while addressing ways to improve access to diagnosis and innovative treatments. The role of the private sector in contributing to the success of these National Strategies will also be discussed.
• E-health, Biotechnology, AI and the Digitalization of the Healthcare System: what are best practices from abroad and how can the Romanian healthcare system benefit from the widespread use of data and innovative digital solutions in the medical sector? How can the public and the private sector collaborate to the benefit of patients?

Agenda

08:30 – 09:00   Registration & Welcome Coffee

 09:00 – 09:05   Introductory Remarks

• Teddy Dumitrescu – Acting President, Aspen Institute Romania

09:05 – 09:25   Keynote Speeches

• Alexandru Rafila – Minister of Health, Government of Romania
• Message from Ala Nemerenco – Minister of Health, Republic of Moldova, delivered by  Ion Prisăcaru – Secretary of State, Ministry of Health, Republic of Moldova
• Natasha Azzopardi-Muscat – Director, Division of Country Health Policies and Systems, World Health Organization  (pre-recorded message)

09:25 – 10:40   Shifting the Paradigm towards a Prevention-Based System 

• Diana-Loreta Păun – Presidential Adviser, Department of Public Health, Presidential Administration
• Mikashmi Kohli – Co-author, the Lancet Commission on Diagnostics
• Radu Gănescu – President, COPAC
• Mirela Iordan – Country Manager, Pfizer Romania
• Cătălin Radu – General Manager, Bristol Myers Squibb Romania
• Marcelo Pascual Morales – General Manager, MSD Romania & Republic of Moldova

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

10:40 – 11:55   Predictability & Resilience of the Healthcare System

• Răzvan Mihai Prisada – President, National Agency for Medicines and Medical Devices
• Iulian Trandafir – CEO, Alliance Healthcare Romania
• Frank Loeffler – General Manager, Roche Romania / President, Local American Working Group
• Radu Răşinar – Country President, Astra Zeneca

Moderator: Teodor Cristian Blidaru – Assistant Professor, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy / Aspen Fellow

11:55 – 12:15   Coffee Break

12:15 – 13:30   Supporting the Implementation of Critical National Strategies – Towards Fully Functioning National Plans for Combating Cancer and Combating Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Diseases

• Cristian Buşoi – Chair, ITRE Committee / Chair, Challenge Cancer Intergroup, European Parliament
• Michael Schenker – President of the Oncology Committee, Ministry of Health of Romania
• Dafin Mureșanu – Chairman of Neurosciences Department, “Iuliu Haţieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Cluj-Napoca / President, European Federation of NeuroRehabilitation Societies (online)
• Mihaela Geoană – Founder and President, Renaşterea Foundation
• Thomas Hofmarcher – Research Director, The Swedish Institute for Health Economics (online)
• Lucian Beznea – Capital Equipment & Solutions Sales Manager Romania and Moldova, Medtronic

Moderator: Ștefan Strilciuc – Associate Research Professor, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Iuliu Hațieganu” / Aspen Fellow

13:30 – 14:30   Innovation in Healthcare: E-health, Biotech, AI and Digitalization of the Healthcare System

• Erin Williams – Health FFRDC Biomedical Innovation Managing Director, MITRE Health (online)
• Adrian Bot – Founding Chief Scientific Officer and Executive Vice President of R&D, Capstan Therapeutics (online)
• Laurențiu Daşcă – Country Manager, Arensia Exploratory Medicine Romania
• George Haber – Entrepreneur, AI Expert

Moderator: Vlad Mixich – Health Policy Expert / Aspen Alumnus

14:30 – 15:30   Lunch