The 15th Faculty Assembly of the Faculty of Health at UW/H used an extended event format with guest lectures and panel discussions for the first time. The new concept proved to be a clear enrichment for the faculty's internal exchange.

Impulse: Healthcare between costs and quality

Prof. Dr. Alex Friedrich, Medical Director and Chairman of the Board of Münster University Hospital, opened the event with a keynote speech entitled "Expensive and yet ill: what kind of therapy does our healthcare system need?". In it, he analyzed the key strengths and weaknesses of the German healthcare system using the example of North Rhine-Westphalia and compared these with the Dutch system. His many years as a professor at the University of Groningen provided a valuable international perspective.

Panel discussion: multi-layered perspectives on the need for reform

This was followed by a discussion moderated by Prof. Dr. Melchior Seyfarth, Head of the Department of Human Medicine, with renowned experts from various disciplines:

• Prof. Dr. Christel Bienstein (Nursing Science)
• Prof. Dr. Christian Karagiannidis (acute medicine)
• Prof. Dr. Dirk Sauerland (institutional economics and health policy)
• Prof. Dr. Klaus Weckbecker (General Medicine)
• Prof. Dr. Ulrike Willutzki (Psychotherapy)

A lively and differentiated discussion developed together with the plenum. It became clear how complex the factors influencing the healthcare system are - from care structures and economic framework conditions to questions of interprofessional collaboration. In addition to possible development options, specific challenges and obstacles to sustainable reform were also identified.

After the technical part, the participants took the opportunity for a personal exchange over a get-together with snacks.

Successful start for a new format

The first-time integration of a guest speaker and a moderated panel discussion was well received by the participants. The new format strengthens the dialog within the faculty and opens up additional perspectives for future faculty meetings.