The fourth Symposium on Sustainable Healthcare in Locarno is once again a great success
Locarno, 10 August 2025 – On Saturday 9 August 2025, the Swiss Medical Network organised the fourth edition of its Symposium on Sustainable Healthcare at the PalaCinema in Locarno, in partnership with the Locarno Film Festival.
Held during the 78th edition of the Locarno Film Festival, the Symposium confirmed its status as a key event for promoting dialogue between medicine, culture and society. The aim was to bring together various players in the healthcare system – including many representatives from French- and German-speaking Switzerland – to develop integrated care models, address ecological and digital challenges, and create synergies between professionals, health policymakers and the cultural world.
Raymond Loretan, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Swiss Medical Network, opened the meeting by welcoming the participants and discussing the concrete developments of the group, which he defined as ‘a leading player in health policy, ready to break with routine and propose a paradigm shift’. He reiterated: "Health is a national issue that we must address together. Promoting a sustainable healthcare system is an integral part of a sustainable model that serves patients. This year, our Arc Network project, in partnership with the insurer Visana and the canton of Bern, came into operation, and since the beginning of 2025, the Rete Sant'Anna has also been operational in Ticino. The latter is still in its infancy and, like any project, will need time to develop and demonstrate its full potential."
Next, Luigi Pedrazzini, Vice-President of the Locarno Film Festival, representing the new President Maja Hoffmann, welcomed the participants and emphasised the importance of Swiss Medical Network as a trusted partner: ‘Long-term partnerships help us explore new avenues and make the festival even more attractive. By integrating the theme of sustainable health into our cultural environment, we are creating a platform for exchange and the search for common solutions, including on health policy issues that affect the entire population.’ ‘
Matteo Quadranti, President of the Health and Social Security Commission of the Canton of Ticino, delivered the official greetings: ’In the field of health, it is essential to find the right balance between professional expertise and individual interests. The challenge is to meet the population's expectations for high-quality, local care while keeping health insurance premiums moderate. ‘ He emphasised that cost reduction requires ’real solutions" and called on insured persons to take individual responsibility through healthy lifestyles and prevention.
Opening the debate, Felix Schneuwly, Head of Public Affairs at comparis.ch, introduced the topic: ‘Individual behaviour has a greater influence on health than medicine. Before medicine can treat, health literacy must be developed. Education is the best form of prevention.’
During an initial round table discussion moderated by Christine Maier, Felix Schneuwly, Catherine Loeffel (member of the Visana management team), Esthelle le Gallic de Kerizouët (director of VIVA Health Switzerland) and Michela Pfyffer (director of VIVA Ticino) discussed the network's current projects and their expansion in German-speaking Switzerland. The path to sustainability is taking shape: while the second symposium presented the Réseau de l'Arc network, which is now ready to go live, this year marks the launch of the Rete Sant'Anna in Ticino. Antoine Hubert's vision for a national integrated care network will become a reality next year with the opening of the Zofingen site. Digitalisation was also a key topic of discussion: data exchange is an essential prerequisite for sustainable and integrated care.
Dr Werner Kübler, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Swica and former Director of the University Hospital Basel (2008–2025), then addressed the current challenges of digitalisation in healthcare. Adrian Schmitter, CEO of the Cantonal Hospital in Baden, presented the Swiss KIS / JV KSB-ETH project in French-speaking Switzerland, which is now being rolled out in German-speaking Switzerland. Marina Hinnens, DPI+ project manager at the Valais Hospital, presented the DPI+ HUG Valais project, before a second panel discussion, also moderated by Christine Maier, brought together Dr Werner Kübler, Adrian Schmitter, Marina Hinnens and Jacques Boschung, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Well (an application developed by several health insurers).
In conclusion, Swiss Medical Network CEO Dino Cauzza said: ‘The Locarno Film Festival is an ideal platform for bringing together different points of view and turning them into concrete action. A sustainable healthcare system requires fairer funding, coordinated care and truly operational digitalisation. With VIVA Health, Swiss Medical Network and Visana, we want to measure results and reward prevention.’