Harvard Medical Faculty Physicians Launches China Medical Education Program to Support Healthy China Initiative

Recently, the “High-Level Forum on Globalized Medical Education and Technical Exchange in the New Era and the Launch Ceremony of Harvard Medical Faculty Physicians’ China Medical Education Program,” hosted by the Chinese Health Management Association and co-organized by Harvard Medical Faculty Physicians (HMFP), Hanhai Group, Youshu International Medical Group, and US-China Taili Medical Technology Co., Ltd., was held in Beijing.

At the conference, experts discussed global medical hotspots, cutting-edge healthcare technologies, and advanced concepts in hospital management. They also explored how to establish effective channels for the international export of Chinese medical technologies under the Belt and Road Initiative.

Photo from the Launch Event of Harvard Medical Group's China Medical Education Program

Guo Yucheng, President of the Chinese Health Management Association and former Vice President of the Chinese PLA General Hospital, stated in his address that due to factors such as population aging, unhealthy lifestyles, and environmental pollution, the incidence of chronic diseases in China is on the rise, resulting in a significant talent gap in elderly care, chronic disease management, and health management. The launch of the Harvard Medical Group’s China Medical Education Program establishes an effective cross-border platform for talent development through innovative approaches. Leveraging this platform, we can draw upon the advanced concepts, methodologies, and management expertise of the United States, particularly those of the Harvard Medical Group, to bolster the cultivation of healthcare professionals in China.

Johnathan Kruskal, Professor in the Department of Radiology at Harvard Medical School and Director of Radiology at its affiliated Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), attended the conference on behalf of the Harvard Physicians Group and delivered an address.

Professor Kruskal stated that the Harvard Physicians Group not only advocates a “patient-centered” healthcare philosophy and is committed to providing high-quality tertiary care services, but also strives to promote advanced diagnostic and therapeutic technologies and management concepts worldwide. The Harvard Physicians Group assumes full responsibility for clinical care, scientific research, and medical education at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, one of Harvard Medical School’s primary teaching hospitals and among the top hospitals in the Boston area.

Xu Haiwei, Chairman of Youshu International Medical Group, stated that as the Chinese partner of the Harvard Physicians Group, Youshu International Medical Group adheres to the philosophy of “connection, integration, and service.” The group is committed to promoting, collaborating on, and applying advanced medical technologies worldwide and will take full responsibility for implementing and promoting the Harvard Physicians Group’s medical education programs in China.

According to Dr. Dong Zegang, Executive President of Youshu International Medical Group, the Chinese implementing partner for this project, the initiative will leverage the high-quality medical education, research, and clinical resources of Harvard Physician Group and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center to provide world-class continuing medical education (CME) to medical professionals across China. The program aims to help healthcare practitioners at leading Chinese hospitals acquire the latest knowledge and trends in their respective specialties and enhance their professional competencies. In its initial phase, the project will primarily offer internet-based CME courses, as well as on-site training and observational programs at the Harvard Physician Group in Boston.

Following the project launch ceremony, an academic exchange forum was held, featuring keynote addresses by medical and health policy experts from China and the United States. Professor Wang Hufeng, Director of the Health Care Reform Research Center at Renmin University of China, shared his insights on the health industry as outlined in the report to the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. Li Huacai, Editor-in-Chief of the Chinese Journal of Digital Medicine, introduced China’s construction of an internet-based tiered diagnosis and treatment system. Professor Johnathan Kruskal from Harvard Medical School delivered an academic report on quality control in medical imaging, while Professor Justin Kung from Harvard Medical School provided a detailed overview of medical education resources within the Harvard Physicians Organization, Harvard Medical School, and its affiliated hospitals.