2020 Health Boundary Summit Concludes Successfully, Boosting Confidence in China's Medical and Health Industry

On July 26, 2020, the 2020 Health界 Summit and Western Medical & Healthcare Expo (hereinafter referred to as the “Summit”), themed “Jointly Building a Great New Era of Health,” successfully concluded in Chengdu, Sichuan.

On July 20, the Cloud Summit kicked off with extensive online coverage, featuring science popularization by key opinion leaders (KOLs) and virtual conferences, attracting over 500,000 online participants. From July 24, a three-day in-person event in Chengdu brought together nearly 2,000 attendees for precise, face-to-face interactions. The “2020 Western China Healthcare Expo” featured dedicated zones for the Summit, Future Healthcare, and Scientific Health, comprehensively showcasing the new dynamics of the health ecosystem through customized booths, standard booths, and group exhibits. Notably, FAW-Volkswagen Audi served as the title sponsor of the summit, providing VIP guests with premium transportation services using its lineup of flagship new models to deliver an immersive travel experience.

Guided by authoritative academic institutions including the China Organ Transplant Development Foundation, the China Medical and Health Culture Association, Peking Union Medical College (Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences), the Health Development Research Center of the National Health Commission, the Cross-Strait Medical and Health Exchange Association, the China Association for Geriatric Health Care, and the China Health Management Association, this industry summit was jointly hosted by Jiankangjie (Health Circle) in partnership with People’s Medical Publishing House, the Sichuan Hospital Association, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, Healthy County Media, and the Hainan Boao Medical Innovation Research Institute. Spanning seven days and featuring over 80 themed sessions, it emerged as the first large-scale national brand conference held in China’s healthcare sector in the post-pandemic era. With a revitalized framework emphasizing “Global Vision + Chinese Wisdom,” the summit successfully achieved a transformative upgrade. Offering engaging content, substantial insights, and pleasant surprises, it presented numerous highlights that not only garnered high praise from industry leaders but also became a widely discussed topic among attendees and participants.

Jiao Yahui, Inspector of the Bureau of Medical Administration and Hospital Management under the National Health Commission, a key driver of the Action to Improve Medical Services, stated in a video specially recorded for this summit that the performance of medical staff during the epidemic represents the greatest achievement of the Action to Improve Medical Services. Therefore, she proposed that a special segment be established in the sixth season of the National Hospital Arena Competition to summarize anti-epidemic experiences and pay tribute to hospitals and individuals who have made outstanding contributions. “I sincerely hope that the spirit of wholehearted service to patients demonstrated by healthcare workers during the fight against the epidemic will endure over the long term and become a conscious effort to improve medical services.”

To comprehensively explore and discuss new opportunities for industry development in the post-pandemic era, the offline segment of the 2020 Health界 Summit made a remarkable appearance through featured platforms such as the “Modern Hospital Leadership Forum,” the “Healthy County-Level Development Forum,” and the “Western Medical and Health Expo.” Centered on hot topics including the integration of routine and emergency operations, the convergence of medical care and disease prevention, high-quality development, multi-campus management of single hospitals, regional medical centers, integrated prevention and treatment, post-pandemic strategic restructuring, and emergency rescue, the summit focused on the frontlines of the pandemic to create a chronicle of lessons learned from the fight against COVID-19. It conveyed positive signals to healthcare institutions worldwide on pandemic response, stayed closely attuned to the pulse of the industry, and ensured that every session delivered paramount value.

On the morning of July 25, at the main forum on modern hospital leadership themed “Integration of Medical Care and Disease Prevention for High-Quality Development,” Liang Wannian, Director of the Department of Structural Reform under the National Health Commission, put forward four requirements for hospitals’ work on integrating medical care with disease prevention: first, ensure information connectivity; second, facilitate personnel mobility and collaboration; third, promote resource sharing; and fourth, establish a mechanism in which prevention and treatment mutually reinforce and constrain each other.

In the face of the dual challenges posed by chronic and infectious diseases, Fu Wei, Secretary of the Party Committee and Director of the Health Development Research Center of the National Health Commission, stated that China must strengthen tiered diagnosis and treatment, integrate medical care with disease prevention, and promote coordinated development between public and private healthcare institutions. Meanwhile, it is essential to further clarify the functional positioning of public hospitals, improve construction standards and planning layouts, establish a stable basic income guarantee for healthcare personnel, and optimize the fiscal investment mechanism.

In the aftermath of the pandemic, Deng Shaoping, President of Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, has devoted greater reflection to the integration of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Western medicine. “General hospitals should unearth the treasures of TCM, intensify innovative research and development of in-house TCM formulations, promote their scaled-up production and clinical use, and provide comprehensive supporting services for TCM promotion.”

As witnesses, Fan Jia, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and President of Zhongshan Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University; Qiao Jie, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Executive Vice Director of Peking University Health Science Center, and President of Peking University Third Hospital; and Wang Wei, Executive Vice President of Huazhong University of Science and Technology and President of Tongji Hospital Affiliated to Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, each drew upon their personal experiences at the main forum to recount the myriad moments from the fight against the pandemic.

This July, the results of the national performance assessment for tertiary public hospitals were released. In a video address at the summit, Jiao Yahui specifically noted that these results aligned with each hospital’s performance during the pandemic response. Regarding this, Wang Fei from the Medical Resources Division of the Bureau of Medical Administration and Hospital Management under the National Health Commission explained to hospitals that the purpose of the “National Examination” is to promote high-quality development in public hospitals. The aim is to help hospitals identify issues in management and financial operations through performance assessments, thereby strengthening internal management and improving medical services, rather than encouraging healthcare institutions to pursue single-metric improvements solely for the sake of ranking.

From discussing high-quality development to exploring the new era of comprehensive health, dozens of hospital administrators and industry leaders gathered at the “Healthy China 20-Person Roundtable Forum,” sponsored by Audi, to discuss emerging trends in “healthy mobility” for the new age of holistic well-being. It is understood that Audi will continue to support medical professionals, honoring the selfless dedication of those who step forward in times of crisis. Together with physicians, Audi aims to race against time, witness the greatness of life, and jointly safeguard public health.

The internet and digitalization have brought disruptive changes to many industries, and the healthcare sector is no exception. The 2020 Health World Summit specially set up both online and offline platforms for ultra-temporal operation.

July 20–26 Cloud Summit, centered on three main themes: “Global Hotspots Connection,” “Excellence in Hospital Management,” and “New Infrastructure for Big Health,” featuring best practice sharing from renowned hospitals, departments, experts, and enterprises. New infrastructure, new economy, new industries, new drivers, new health, new society… Unveiling emerging opportunities, revitalizing the ecosystem, and presenting a comprehensive view of the upgraded Big Health ecosystem.

In the new era of holistic health, the transformation of modern hospitals from medical care to health services involves not only scientific strategic planning and steady exploration of operational models, but also careful consideration of how to adapt to and support nationwide health initiatives. The 2020 Health界 Summit launched the “Health Cloud Science Popularization” campaign for the general public for the first time. From July 20 to July 24, over five consecutive days, renowned experts including Zhang Wenhong, Lu Lin, Hu Dayi, Ma Changsheng, and Zhi Xiuyi participated in live broadcasts as part of the “Doctors Speak on Epidemics” science popularization series.

Now that the pandemic storm is gradually subsiding and vaccine development is within sight, the experiences and lessons it has imparted will not fade into the past. By reflecting on the scars and reshaping our systems, China’s healthcare industry is poised for robust growth in the post-pandemic era. The 2020 Health界 Summit serves as a significant milestone marking the industry’s restart in the wake of the pandemic.

The 2020 Health界 Summit has concluded successfully. Its successful convening has set a model and benchmark for the industry, while significantly boosting industry confidence.