On Tuesday 16 April 2024 at 18:30, the time had come: the Smart Living & Health Center e.V. invited to the first terrace conversation this year, in the House of the Future on the Health Campus. Many association members were invited, including IB Hochschule für Gesundheit und Soziales, and came into conversation with the honour guest – Berlin's Governing Mayor Kai Wegner.
Berlin has radiance and is a strong location in the areas of health economy, research and science, all agreed. However, there are still challenges to solve: housing shortage, professional and labour shortages, education, and an ever-ageing society.
That is why associations like Smart Living & Health Center e.V. are so important for the city. They play a decisive role by bringing digitalisation and the needs of an ageing population together and informing about possibilities and solutions for a long, self-determined life.
In conversation with Kai Wegner about the future of health professions
The subsequent conversation between Prof. Dr. Mariam Hartinger, President of IB Hochschule für Gesundheit und Soziales, and Berlin's Governing Mayor Kai Wegner was particularly insightful. Frau Hartinger emphasised the importance of private universities for securing care in the therapy professions like physiotherapy and speech and language therapy.
She made clear that since the introduction of school fee exemption and training compensation at vocational schools, the attractiveness of such programmes at private universities has enormously declined. Unfortunately, political indecision at the federal level has led to the closure of important programmes, which leads to a shortage of qualified therapists in Berlin and Brandenburg.
Frau Hartinger underlined the urgent necessity of solutions that also include private universities to counter the skilled worker shortage and ensure high-quality care.
The event was an important step towards a comprehensive discussion of the future of healthcare professions not only in Berlin. The impulses set here must now be pursued further. It is crucial that politics, educational institutions and organisations from the healthcare sector work together to develop innovative solutions. Only through joint efforts can we ensure that Berlin remains a leading location in the areas of health and science and guarantees high-quality care for all citizens.