The assembly, organized by the Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris and chaired by Étienne Gayat, deputy director of the Parisian hospital and current president of the EUHA, featured two main events. An 'open innovation' symposium shared relevant examples of collaboration between university hospitals, startups, and other innovation partners. Additionally, a symposium focused on crisis preparedness addressed hospital infrastructure, cybersecurity, climate-related risks, and the workforce and human factors in crisis response.
Representing Vall d’Hebron were Dr. Maria José Abadías, Healthcare Director; Dr. Begoña Benito, Director of the Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR); Dr. Anna Santamaria, Director of Internal Strategy at VHIR; and Dr. Anna Sala, Head of the Innovation Unit. Professionals including Maria Jesús Cruz Carmona, Rafael José Navajo, Gabriela Fuentes, Anna Falgueras Serrano, Pablo Buck, Stefanie Suclupe Obregon, and Jesús Moya Carramolino also participated in working groups.
The European University Hospital Alliance was founded in 2017 with a commitment to sharing expertise in health, research, and education. Each member is a national reference center, and collectively they cover 100% of existing European Reference Networks (ERNs). Furthermore, all Alliance members have research centers of excellence and are affiliated with a university. The EUHA presidency will now pass to the hospital Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, which will host the next assembly in late May.
The EUHA faces challenges in the coming months, including addressing the current complex landscape of global risks and threats and improving preparedness for potential crises. It also aims to become a collaborative space for sharing experiences, comparing approaches, and working together to find solutions.
