Empowering Grassroots Healthcare: The 2017 China Grassroots Healthcare Innovation Forum Held in Chengdu
On May 17, the “2017 China Primary Healthcare Innovation Practice Forum” was grandly held in Chengdu. The conference was hosted by the China Association for Promotion of Rehabilitation Technology Transformation and Development, co-hosted by VCBeat and VBInsight, and co-organized by the Sichuan Provincial Investment Promotion Bureau, the Sichuan Health Information Society, the Tiered Diagnosis and Treatment System Engineering Professional Committee of the China Association for Promotion of Rehabilitation Technology Transformation and Development, as well as Legend Capital, GF Xinde, Wanfang Development, Yuanyi Capital, and Health Intelligence Valley. The Chinese Medical Education Association served as a supporting organization for the conference.
Centered on the promulgation of new healthcare reform policies, including “promoting the development of tiered diagnosis and treatment,” “integrating medical care with elderly care,” and “family doctor contract services,” the conference features six key segments: regional experiences, policy interpretation, industrial layout, entrepreneurial perspectives, analysis of grassroots practices, and case studies of community health innovation, along with a focus on openness and cooperation. The event invites government officials, renowned experts, executives from publicly listed companies, founders of startups, practitioners from grassroots medical institutions, and investors to interpret the current development landscape of primary healthcare from diverse perspectives. Through in-depth exchanges and discussions among all parties, the conference aims to provide actionable insights for addressing practical challenges in primary healthcare practice.
Attendees of this conference included Mr. Huang Dianlong, Vice President of the China Association for Promotion of Rehabilitation Technology Transformation and Development; Mr. Wang Xiaoning, Director of the Institute of Geriatrics at the Chinese PLA General Hospital and Deputy Chairman of the Professional Committee on Hierarchical Diagnosis and Treatment System Engineering under the China Association for Promotion of Rehabilitation Technology Transformation and Development; Mr. Liao Xinbo, former Inspector of the Guangdong Provincial Health and Family Planning Commission and Executive Chairman of the Greater Health Club of the Guangdong Venture Capital Association; Mr. Zhang Xifan, Deputy Director of the Cooperative Medical Care Division, Department of Primary Health Care, National Health and Family Planning Commission; Mr. Ding Zhigang, Deputy Director of the Sichuan Provincial Health and Family Planning Information Center; Mr. Ouyang Xiangyu, Managing Director of Legend Capital; Mr. Xiao Xuesheng, General Manager of GF Securities Trust & Investment Management Co., Ltd.; Mr. Zhang Lin, General Manager of Ping An Healthcare Management Co., Ltd.; Mr. Gao Yi, Partner at Yuanyi Capital; Mr. Zhang Lei, General Manager of Haier Industrial Finance; Ms. Liu Xinying, Deputy Director of the Fangzhuang Community Health Service Center in Fengtai District, Beijing; Mr. Han Chunshan, Chairman of Beijing Remote Vision Group; Mr. Ke Shaohua, Vice President of Quality and Administration at Taiwan Min Sheng General Hospital; senior executives from Tasly Holding Group; and Mr. Li Datao, Founder of VCBeat, among more than 50 attendees.
The conference featured a rich agenda centered on the theme “The Power of Grassroots—Innovative Practices in Primary Healthcare Under the New Healthcare Reform.” Through keynote speeches and roundtable discussions, it aimed to comprehensively explore development trends in the primary healthcare industry from perspectives including technological evolution, business models, and industrial collaboration. Meanwhile, outstanding practical cases in primary healthcare were shared with attendees through activities such as the “2017 China Best Practices in Primary Healthcare Awards,” the “Launch Ceremony of the 2017 Future Healthcare Top 100 Breakout Competition,” and the “Release of the 2017 White Paper on Innovation in the Primary Healthcare Industry.”
Address by Mr. Huang Dianlong, Vice President of the China Association for the Promotion of Rehabilitation Technology Translation and Development
This conference has received strong support from Academician Yu Mengsun, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Chairman of the Specialty Committee on Hierarchical Diagnosis and Treatment Systems Engineering under the China Association for Promotion of Rehabilitation Technology Transformation and Development, and Director of the Aviation Medical Engineering Research Center at the Air Force Institute of Aviation Medicine. Academician Yu extended a warm welcome to all attendees via video message and wished the conference every success. He emphasized that primary healthcare is of paramount importance and expressed his hope that this conference would inspire new ideas and further promote the development of primary healthcare and the hierarchical diagnosis and treatment system in China.
Huang Dianlong, Vice President of the China Association for the Promotion of Rehabilitation Technology Translation and Development, delivered the welcome address. Vice President Huang noted that against the backdrop of uneven distribution of medical resources, a shortage of primary healthcare personnel, and substantial demand for primary care in China, strengthening primary healthcare will remain a key focus of the tiered diagnosis and treatment system for a considerable period, presenting significant challenges. As a national-level platform for translating big health resources, the China Association for the Promotion of Rehabilitation Technology Translation and Development is committed to providing more comprehensive resource-matching services for the government, enterprises, clinical practice, and scientific research. By maximizing resource integration and the translation of new technologies, the association aims to drive the development and innovation of the medical and health industry. We hope to better unite various stakeholders, listen to diverse perspectives, and establish an extensive platform for communication and exchange to further advance the development of primary healthcare in China. Vice President Huang stated that this forum holds great significance, expressing the hope that through this conference, we can deeply explore the substantial opportunities behind the challenges and, through comprehensive dialogue, identify ways to better seize these opportunities.
Speech by Zhang Xifan, Deputy Director of the Cooperative Medical Care Division, Department of Primary Health Care, National Health and Family Planning Commission
Zhang Xifan, Deputy Director of the Cooperative Medical Care Division under the Department of Primary Health, National Health and Family Planning Commission, shared his views on the impact of cooperative medical care development on primary healthcare services. The New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme (NRCMS) began as a pilot program in 2003, was rolled out nationwide in 2007, and achieved full national coverage by 2008. To date, the NRCMS has become an important component of China’s basic medical security system. Progress in the NRCMS is mainly reflected in several aspects: first, the number of participants has steadily increased, with participation rates remaining high and the number of covered counties rising consistently; second, the scale of investment has gradually expanded, with total annual funding for the NRCMS exceeding RMB 300 billion in 2014; third, fund expenditures have continued to grow, and the fund utilization rate has steadily climbed—from RMB 2.6 billion in 2004 to approximately RMB 290 billion in 2014. Going forward, the cooperative medical care system will better promote the development of primary healthcare services.
Wang Xiaoning, Director of the Institute of Geriatrics at the Chinese PLA General Hospital and Vice Chairman of the Professional Committee on Graded Diagnosis and Treatment Systems Engineering under the China Association for Promotion of Rehabilitation Technology Transformation and Development
Wang Xiaoning, Director of the Institute of Geriatrics at the Chinese PLA General Hospital and Vice Chairman of the Hierarchical Diagnosis and Treatment System Engineering Professional Committee under the China Association for the Promotion of Rehabilitation Technology Translation and Development, stated that it is crucial to establish a robust training system for primary healthcare professionals. Professor Wang proposed that, as China has basically restored its three-tier medical care system, the “three-thirds” model should be adopted to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of training for primary healthcare workers. Meanwhile, the roles and functions of medical institutions at all levels should be precisely defined to improve inter-hospital referral rates, thereby fostering collaborative efforts to establish an effective hierarchical diagnosis and treatment system.
Long Hu, Director of the Sichuan Provincial Health and Family Planning Information Center and President of the Sichuan Provincial Health Informatics Society
Long Hu, Director of the Sichuan Provincial Health and Family Planning Information Center and President of the Sichuan Health Informatics Society, introduced Sichuan’s progress in informatization construction for primary healthcare. Director Long believes that leveraging the supporting and leading role of information technology can help enhance both the service capacity and management level of primary healthcare. Bashu Kuaiyi has pioneered a new model innovation in the medical industry, centering on general practitioners and family contract doctors, using community health service centers and township health centers as hubs, and relying on medical consortia and specialists to facilitate public calls and physician dispatching. Bashu Kuaiyi offers multiple functions, including appointment services, direct video consultations, family doctor contracting, home visits, and diversified service packages.
Finally, Ding Zhigang, Deputy Director of the Sichuan Provincial Health and Family Planning Information Center, moderated a roundtable forum. The participating guests—Luo Honglin, Director of the Chengdu Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone Hezuo Community Health Service Center; Xing Yong, Deputy General Manager of Chengdu Shulian Yikang Technology Co., Ltd.; and Xue Gang, General Manager of Sichuan Kuaiyi Technology Co., Ltd.—jointly explored practices in building primary healthcare service capabilities in western China from the perspective of Sichuan Province.
Li Datao, founder of VCBeat, released the “2017 White Paper on Innovation in Primary Healthcare Industry”
At the forum, Li Datao, founder of VCBeat, released the *2017 White Paper on Innovation in Primary Healthcare Industry*. Attendees will have priority access to and receive free of charge China’s first research report on innovative practices in primary healthcare.
“2017 White Paper on Innovation in Primary Healthcare Industry” was compiled by eight researchers from VCBeat over a period of nearly four months. During this time, they reviewed more than 1,000 policy documents, including 448 national-level policies and 893 local-level policies. The White Paper consists of four sections: Part I, Primary Healthcare: A Major Trend Has Arrived; Part II, Empowerment—The Key to the Rise of Primary Healthcare; Part III, Most Promising Practical Cases—Empowering Primary Healthcare; and Part IV, Five Major Trends in the Development of Primary Healthcare. The release of this White Paper aims to provide an authentic understanding of the current state of primary healthcare and propose practical empowerment solutions.
This white paper examines policy directions, pilot regions, primary healthcare institutions, technological breakthroughs and applications, and family doctor services. By surveying more than 300 innovative companies in the primary healthcare sector, it clarifies the development trajectory of China’s primary healthcare industry and presents a comprehensive overview of the landscape. Additionally, focusing on the primary healthcare industry, the report selects 25 best-practice case studies from enterprises and one regional case study (Sichuan Province) from three perspectives: empowering primary healthcare institutions, empowering primary care physicians, and empowering patients. Through these 25 enterprise cases and the one regional example, the report aims to identify and uncover the core driving forces behind China’s primary healthcare sector.
In addition, VCBeat launched the “2017 Future Healthcare 100 Breakout Competition Launch Ceremony” and the “2017 China Primary Care Best Practices Awards Ceremony” at this forum. The Breakout Competition was jointly initiated by VCBeat, VBInsight, and numerous industry support partners, including renowned capital firms, industrial basic service providers, key payers, and research institutions. This initiative bridges innovative healthcare enterprises on one end with supporting service organizations on the other. The event aims to gather forces within the healthcare industry that foster innovation-driven development, providing next-generation healthcare companies with support and assistance in capital matchmaking, resource integration, policy interpretation, and core competency building, thereby accelerating the growth of future healthcare enterprises and driving industrial transformation.
The upcoming keynote speeches this afternoon promise to be equally compelling: Liao Xinbo, Executive Chairman of the Big Health Club under the Guangdong Venture Capital Association, will share insights on “Liberating Physicians in the Context of New Healthcare Reform”; Liu Xinying, Deputy Director of the Fangzhuang Community Health Service Center in Fengtai District, Beijing, will draw from his own practical experience to present a standardized exploration and implementation pathway for “Internet+” community health management.
Furthermore, following the keynote address, a roundtable discussion will be held to explore the path toward chain-based development for primary healthcare institutions. The roundtable will be moderated by Gao Yi, Partner at Yuanyi Capital. Participating guests include Yang Sa, Chairman and General Manager of Yunnan Xinkang Medical Management Group Co., Ltd.; He Qin, Chairman of Huafang Pharmaceutical; Fan Shaofei, Chairman and CEO of Ping An Wanjia Medical; He Haiyang, Chairman and CEO of Qiangsen Medical Group; Jiang Qiang, Founder and CEO of Mingyi Zhonghe Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.; and Yu Haobo, Chairman of Lanka (International) Health Group.
Stay tuned for more exciting content!