United States and China Create New Public-Private Partnership on Healthcare

I’m not exactly sure what this exactly means since the businesses listed are getting a formal agreement to collaborate as they all do business in China anyway. A Healthcare Professional Personnel Exchange Program will be sending professionals from China to visit the United States to learn what we have going on here and vice versa. Let’s not show them how we integrate medical records though <grin>. They might hold that part against us.

What I read from here this is a formal consensus of both governments to spend time and collaborate and learn from each other. When you look at the companies named they are primarily technology and pharma firms listed. Since I’m being a little warped today we don’t want J and J showing them how to handle a recall either >grin>.

This comes hand in hand with recent regulations where China will allow foreign capital into medical organizations which was in the news of late. An office for the organization in China will be established at AmCham-China’s Beijing office. There are items to be learned from both sides and a couple years ago when I attended a medical tourism conference in Los Angeles it was interesting to hear about where they were and how far ahead in some area with stem cells as an example. A lot of technology we use here in the US came from China too, such as the Tablet PC, which was from the Microsoft office I believe in Taiwan and today China can’t seem to manufacture them fast enough for our consumption in the US. BD

Press Release:

Washington, D.C. -- Today, on the occasion of the State Visit of President Hu Jintao to the United States, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) joined with China’s Ministries of Health (MoH) and Commerce (MOFCOM) to announce their support for the establishment a new public-private partnership in the healthcare sector.

Initially, twelve U.S. companies and six supporting organizations will participate in this partnership, alongside the supporting U.S. and Chinese Government agencies. The partnership will be organized around U.S. healthcare industry strengths and government capabilities in order to foster long-term cooperation with China in the areas of research, training, regulation and the adoption of an environment that will increase accessibility to healthcare services in China.

Participating U.S. companies initially include 3M, Abbott, Chindex, Cisco, General Electric, IBM, Intel, Johnson & Johnson, Medtronic, Microsoft, Motorola, and Pfizer. Supporting organizations include AdvaMed, the Alliance for Healthcare Competitiveness, the American Chamber of Commerce in China, the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai, PhRMA and the U.S.-China Business Council.

“The economic and social development of any nation depends on the health and productivity of its people,” said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. “This partnership builds on a strong foundation of bilateral cooperation in this critical sector of our economies.”

USTDA Director Leocadia Zak stated, “This public-private partnership provides China an important private sector resource to draw from to help with key development issues, while also identifying for U.S. companies projects that have been designated priority development projects by China.”

Through programs supported by the initiative, Chinese participants will gain greater access to U.S. private sector expertise and ingenuity and better awareness of new technologies and results-oriented regulatory processes. Initially, these goals will be advanced through a USTDA-funded Healthcare Professional Personnel Exchange Program that will include a series of visits by Chinese healthcare officials to the United States to share best practices and witness new and innovative technologies that will be important to long-term healthcare delivery.

“The partnership will draw its strength from U.S. companies strategically working together to help China achieve its development goals that will open new export markets for U.S. goods and services,” noted Commerce Secretary Gary Locke.

Over time, the partnership will enhance cooperation in areas such as rural healthcare, emergency response, personnel training, medical information technology, and management systems; while also exploring ways to support other fields such as integrative and traditional Chinese medicine. These programs will enhance both sides’ knowledge of best practices, management, technological developments, and other healthcare-related topics

The U.S. Trade and Development Agency helps companies create U.S. jobs through the export of U.S. goods and services for priority development projects in emerging economies. USTDA links U.S. businesses to export opportunities by funding project planning activities, pilot projects, and reverse trade missions while creating sustainable infrastructure and economic growth in partner countries.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is the United States government’s principal agency for protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services, especially for those who are least able to help themselves.

The U.S. Department of Commerce has a broad mandate to advance economic growth and jobs and opportunities for the American people. It has cross-cutting responsibilities in the areas of trade, technology, entrepreneurship, economic development, environmental stewardship and statistical research and analysis. The Department also leads the President’s National Export Initiative, which aims to double U.S. exports by 2015 in support of several million American jobs.