Program and price
The conference is held in Czech and English with simultaneous interpretation.
The conference is primarily intended for managers of hospitals and other healthcare facilities, their founders or owners, doctors and nurses in leading positions, employees of health insurance companies and public administration, as well as for supplier companies. The goal is to inspire changes in the functioning of the organizations they lead.
Program in 2026
Collapsible text is perfect for longer content like paragraphs and descriptions. It's a great way to give people more information while keeping your layout clean. Link your text to anything, including an external website or a different page. You can set your text box to expand and collapse when people click, so they can read more or less info.
Day 1 - Conference opening
Conference opening
What does Czech healthcare look like in light of population ageing?
Ladislav Dušek, ÚZIS | Czech Republic
Supporting people to age healthily at home – an international perspective
Ricarda Milstein, OECD | France
Block 1 - Role of prevention
Neurodegeneration on the rise
Robert Jech, Department of Neurology, 1st Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital | Czech Republic
Prof. MUDr. Robert Jech, Ph.D., is the Head of the Department of Neurology at the First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, and General University Hospital in Prague. He specializes primarily in Parkinson’s disease, rare dystonic syndromes, and spasticity. He has extensive clinical and research experience with invasive treatment methods, including deep brain stimulation (DBS) and infusion pump systems. His scientific work focuses on studying the mechanisms of movement disorders using functional imaging and clinical neurophysiology. He is the author or co-author of over 350 peer-reviewed publications and has led numerous research projects recognized with awards such as the President’s Award of the Czech Science Foundation (2013) and the Ministry of Health Award (2016, 2024). He has successfully supervised ten doctoral students to the completion of their Ph.D. Prof. Jech also serves as an associate editor for the prestigious journal npj Parkinson’s Disease, part of the Nature group. He actively contributes to professional societies, serving as a member of the Academic Senate of Charles University, the Board of the Czech Neurological Society, and the Board of the Czech Society for Clinical Neurophysiology. He organizes national and international educational courses on deep brain stimulation, practical courses on spasticity treatment, and coordinates the international GenDy registry, focused on rare dystonic syndromes in Central and Eastern Europe.
Creating Age-Friendly Systems: Practical Lessons for Everyday Change
Adam Suomala, Minnesota Leadership Council on Ageing | USA
Adam Suomala is a connector, systems strategist, and social gerontologist dedicated to advancing equitable opportunities for each of us as we age. He holds an unwavering commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in his work towards a world free of ageism from his home State of Minnesota in the United States. As President and Executive Director of the Minnesota Leadership Council on Aging, he mobilizes cross-sector leaders to co-design heathy aging solutions alongside the community, champions initiatives like Minnesota’s first Multisector Blueprint for Aging, and advocates for bold state and national public policy solutions. He works to turn shared data, values and vision into collective action by building trusted relationships and focusing on system changes for the common good. Adam draws on 25-years of experience in the aging sector as a community organizer, lobbyist, educator, nonprofit executive, and consultant. He is a former President of the Minnesota Gerontological Society and spent 20-years working directly with thousands of diverse aging services providers at LeadingAge Minnesota. He holds a Masters of Public Affairs degree from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs and facilitates the University of Minnesota’s Geriatrics ECHO – an interdisciplinary conversation across aging services executive and clinical leaders. He also co-convenes the Finish Strong Funders Network for Aging, connecting foundations and philanthropies to the many intersections of aging.
How to keep Czech Republic in shape–
Barbora Vaculíková, Penta Hospitals CZ | Czechia
Barbora Vaculíková has successfully led the Penta Hospitals CZ group for more than eight years, which under her leadership has become the largest private operator of health and social care services in the Czech Republic. Penta Hospitals CZ continues to grow very dynamically and focuses on the integration of a wide range of health and social care. Currently, the group operates nine hospitals for acute and long-term care, numerous specialized clinics, more than 3,500 beds in ALZHEIMER HOME facilities, and has recently expanded into the home care sector. Thanks to its unique portfolio of services and synergistic interactions among them, Penta Hospitals continually enhances regional accessibility and quality of care, now employing over 5,000 people. Barbora has been in the healthcare sector for over 20 years. She began her professional career as a midwife and an intensive care unit nurse. Over the years, she has advanced to managerial positions and directorships in quality and safety of care. In her current role, she places a strong emphasis on care integration, efficiency, and innovations, encompassing the use of the latest technologies and procedures.
Panel discussion including questions from the audience - moderated by Pavel Hroboň
Block 2 – Which hospital services do elderly patients need?
Which changes await hospitals and how to prepare for them?
Daniel Hodyc, partner, Advance Healthcare Management Institute | Czech Republic
MUDr. Ing. Daniel Hodyc, Ph.D. is a partner and internal lecturer at Advance Healthcare Management Insitute. Daniel studied medicine at the Charles University in Prague and healthcare management at the University of Economics. He is the co-founder of Advance Healthcare Management Institute, which provides comprehensive healthcare management education to healthcare executives. He is also a partner and senior consultant at Advance Healthcare Management Consulting, where he is involved in analysis and consulting in various areas of healthcare, such as the development of clinical protocols and evaluation of healthcare providers' production. At Advance Hospital Analytics, he is also involved in the hospitals’ evaluation.
Shortening hospital stay in orthopedics - how far can we go?
Christopher Meyer, President of Twin City Orthopedics | USA
Dr. Christopher Meyer is a new President of Twin Cities Orthopedics (TCO). He has served in various leadership roles for TCO, including on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee, since 2007. He played an active role in the formation of Revo Health, a health care management service organization that was founded in 2017. As Revo Board President, Dr. Meyer has championed Revo’s mission to support innovative physician leaders in their pursuit to revolutionize the delivery of healthcare. He received his subspecialty certification in Orthopedic Sports Medicine from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. In addition, Dr. Meyer has served on the board for Infinite Health Collaborative (i-Health), a collaborative group of local medical practices, since 2020. His dedication to these organizations underscores his commitment to quality, patient-first care. “I look forward to collaborating with our administrative team and my physician partners to further TCO’s vision of one team, working together to provide world class orthopedic care,” said Dr. Meyer. “It’s a tremendous honor to be selected by my partners to represent TCO.” Dr. Meyer is a sports medicine, fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon who performs more than 350 total joint replacements each year. Dr. Meyer attended Medical School and Residency at the University of Minnesota. He is a fourth-generation resident of Shorewood, where he and his family are actively involved in the community. Dr. Meyer joined TCO in 2003 and will continue his practice while taking on his new leadership role as President.
Prof. MUDr. Milan Kvapil, CSc., MBA, is an experienced doctor specializing in internal medicine, diabetology, endocrinology, and geriatrics. Currently working at the Department of Geriatrics at University Hospital Motol Prague in Czechia, Prof. Kvapil has made significant contributions to the medical community. One of the most notable aspects of Prof. Kvapil's career is his extensive academic background. He obtained his medical license in 1981 and specialized in internal medicine in 1989. In addition to his medical qualifications, he also holds a Master's degree in business administration, allowing him to approach healthcare management uniquely. Prof. Kvapil's expertise is reflected in his numerous scientific publications, covering a wide range of topics in his field. These publications highlight his research activities and showcase his commitment to advancing medical knowledge and improving patient care. His research focuses on areas such as cardiovascular disease, diabetic nephropathy, and the management of diabetes mellitus. With his wealth of experience, academic accomplishments, and dedication to research, Prof. MUDr. Milan Kvapil, CSc. , MBA, is an exceptional doctor. His expertise and contributions to the medical community make him a highly respected and trusted professional in internal medicine and related specialties.
The structure of follow-up care for stroke patients in South Bohemian hospitals
Svatopluk Ostrý, Head of the Neurology Department at České Budějovice Hospital | Czech Republic
In 2024, he completed his habilitation in Neurology at the First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague. Since 2015, he has held the position of Head of the Neurology Department at České Budějovice Hospital, a.s., and simultaneously serves as the Director of the Highly Specialized Cerebrovascular Care Center and the Regional Spasticity Center. He serves as the Scientific Secretary of the Executive Committee of the Czech Society for Clinical Neurophysiology. His main areas of interest include intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring and cerebrovascular diseases. He is the author or co-author of 44 publications in journals with an impact factor, with 261 citations (excluding self-citations), and an H-index of 9. He is the principal co-author of the monograph “Intraoperative Stimulation Monitoring in Neurosurgery”, which received the Czech Society for Clinical Neurophysiology (ČSKN JEP) Award in 2006.
Panel discussion including questions from the audience - moderated by Daniel Hodyc
Provision of geriatric care in a university hospital
Milan Kvapil, Head of the Department of Geriatrics at Motol University Hospital | Czech Republic
Other speakers
Conference fee for participants from for-profit organizations
CZK 18,000 or EUR 770
The price includes VAT
(*) Accommodation for participants at the conference venue – Hotel Pyramida – can be booked during online registration.
(**) The price also includes refreshments during breaks, lunches on both days of the conference, and evening gathering on Thursday.
Conference fee for participants from non-profit organizations
12,000 CZK or 520 EUR
The price includes VAT
(*) Accommodation for participants at the conference venue – Hotel Pyramida – can be booked during online registration.
(**) We consider non-profit organizations to be legally or de facto operating in a non-profit regime. These may include, for example, patient organizations, research, scientific and educational institutions, health service providers and health insurance companies. We also count public administration among non-profit organizations. If in doubt, please contact the organizers.
Last summits
View previous summits
The first International Health Summit (IHS) was held in Prague in 2004 with the aim of bringing practical experience in the field of healthcare organization and financing to Central Europe.
pragueIHS@advanceinstitute.cz
U Háje 22, 147 00 Prague 4
+420 602 748 991
© 2024 by Anna Zelenkova