To improve the construction and diagnostic and treatment level of nephrology in grassroots medical institutions, promote scientific research innovation and the application of achievements transformation in the field of nephrology, and create a medical technology innovation model with "medical education research and production" as the core in the field of nephrology, after two years of in-depth exploration, based on the practice of constructing fifteen nephrology medical centers to high standards, conducting research on topics such as solitary kidney, and developing integrated traditional Chinese and Western medical diagnosis and treatment plans, on February 12th, the Genertec Universal Medical Nephrology Industry Research Institute was officially established.

The Nephrology Industry Research Institute is led by Genertec Universal Medical and is initiated by Professor Xie Yuansheng from the Department of Nephrology of the Chinese PLA General Hospital and Professor Zuo Li from the Department of Nephrology of Peking University People's Hospital, with dozens of authoritative experts from well-known hospitals in Beijing, Shanghai, Liaoning, Hebei, Shaanxi, Sichuan and other regions. The institute aims to provide empowering support for the construction and operation development of nephrology and hemodialysis departments in grassroots medical institutions by integrating the entire chain of resources in the field of nephrology, starting from system construction, talent training, scientific research innovation, and achievement transformation. It also aims to promote the standardized development of chronic kidney disease diagnosis and treatment technology in grassroots medical institutions and the overall improvement of medical technology levels.

The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China pointed out that efforts should be made to promote the expansion of high-quality medical resources and the balanced regional layout, adhere to the principle of prevention first, strengthen health management for major chronic diseases, and improve the disease prevention and treatment and health management capabilities at the grassroots level. Peng Jiahong, CEO of Universal Medical, stated that as a central enterprise healthcare group, Universal Medical has always been committed to promoting the sinking of high-quality medical resources and providing multi-level and diversified health services to the people through strengthening specialty construction. The establishment of the Nephrology Industry Research Institute is a milestone event in the process of Universal Medical's characteristic specialty construction and an important step in responding to the national call to focus on developing specialty capabilities and assisting in the construction of professional talent teams at the grassroots level, as well as exploring the path to strengthening the grassroots. She hopes that after the establishment of the Nephrology Industry Research Institute, all parties can deepen cooperation, work together for development, and promote the vigorous development of the whole-course health management and industrialization of kidney disease and related chronic diseases in China, truly benefiting the vast number of kidney disease patients.

At the meeting, Pan Binjun, head of the Nephrology Division of Universal Medical, introduced the organizational structure, operational planning, and next steps of the Nephrology Industry Research Institute. He stated that the establishment of the Nephrology Industry Research Institute is based on the clear direction of national policy support, the initial exploration of medical institutions, and the initial results achieved. In the future, the institute will take the integrated approach of traditional Chinese and Western medicine as the core of the management of chronic kidney disease, supported by information technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data, and cloud computing. The institute will focus on improving the core diagnosis and treatment service capabilities of nephrology in primary hospitals of Global Medical Group, building flagship centers for nephrology diagnosis and treatment, key specialty centers at the provincial and municipal levels, and high-quality blood purification centers. It will also play an important role in constructing the upstream and downstream industry ecological system of nephrology health.

"Grassroots medical institutions play a strategic role in the prevention and management of chronic kidney disease." said Dr. Zuo Li, Chief Expert of the Kidney Disease Industry Research Institute. Chronic kidney disease, especially end-stage chronic kidney disease, has become one of the most costly non-communicable diseases in China's overall medical costs. As the "first line of defense" for preventing and managing chronic diseases, it is urgent to improve the standardized diagnosis and treatment service capabilities of primary hospitals and doctors. The establishment of the Kidney Disease Industry Research Institute is a practice of "complementary advantages and strong alliance". The institute will become a bridge linking medical institutions, industry resources, enterprises, and research institutions, jointly promoting the vigorous development of the management and industrialization of chronic kidney disease and related chronic diseases throughout the entire disease process in China, and ultimately benefiting the vast number of patients with chronic kidney disease.

At the establishment conference, experts from the Kidney Disease Industry Research Institute held discussions with leaders of hospitals such as Ansteel Group Hospital, Xi'an XD Group Hospital, Yangmei General Hospital, Pangang Group Hospital, Maanshan MCC17 Hospital, and Yantai Harbour Hospital, as well as relevant department heads. Through "one-on-one diagnosis and face-to-face consultations," they provided in-depth guidance on the construction of nephrology departments in each hospital and the pain points and difficulties encountered in their development, in order to assist in the high-quality development of hospital nephrology specialty construction.

Renal Disease Industry Research Institute

The Renal Disease Industry Research Institute has established several centers, including the Kidney Disease Industry Development Center, Remote Consultation Center, Medical Education Center, Research and Innovation Center, and Product Transformation Center. The institute aims to focus on strategic planning, industry standards, and operational norms related to kidney disease specialty diagnosis and treatment and kidney health industry, based on the characteristics of the Chinese chronic kidney disease population. The institute will establish and improve the management system for the entire process of chronic kidney disease, based on the diagnosis and treatment needs of medical institutions and patients, and regularly and as needed, realize online and offline expert consultations, to solve the development pain points of grassroots hospitals and achieve the sinking of high-quality medical resources. At the same time, the institute will establish a standardized training system to enhance the cultivation of specialized physicians in primary medical institutions, provide continuing education and specialized training conditions, and continuously build a professional talent team at the grassroots level.

In the future, with the continuous expansion of medical services, the institute will also regulate and develop specialized services related to chronic disease management, nutritional rehabilitation, and internet medical services. By integrating the upstream and downstream industrial chains, the institute will promote the clinical application and product transformation of research and innovation projects that meet the conditions, and further create a medical technology innovation business model with "medical education research and production" as the core in the field of kidney disease specialty, jointly promoting the high-quality development of China's kidney disease health industry.

After the establishment ceremony, the Kidney Disease Industry Research Institute held its first academic conference. The conference focused on "Standardized management of kidney disease departments and patients during the normalization stage of COVID-19 prevention and control." The invited experts included Dr. Zhan Yongli, Chief Physician of the Kidney Disease Department of Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Dr. Liu Gang, Chief Physician of the Nephrology Department of Peking University First Hospital, Dr. Zhou Chunhua, Chief Physician of the Nephrology Department of the Sixth Medical Center of the Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Dr. Xiao Yuefei, Chief Physician of the Nephrology Department of the Aerospace Center Hospital, and Dr. Zhao Xinju, Deputy Chief Physician of the Nephrology Department of Peking University People's Hospital, as well as Wang Ying, Nurse Director of the Blood Purification Center of Peking University People's Hospital. They gave academic presentations at the conference.