Rómulo Rodado, manager of MiRed IPS, said that Barranquilla has been a “pioneer” in network models and in community and preventive work with the Health Walkers. Therefore, he expressed the city’s intention to also become a pioneer in a “change in the vision of health”.
“Today’s health, while meeting expectations, is much focused on disease management. Ironically, we call it the health system, but in reality we manage diseases. The proposal of this initiative is to focus more on health than on disease,” he said.
The entity’s more than 2,400 staff will be trained to deal with this new model in the coming months. Initially, he said, the door was opened for joint work to take shape later.
Barranquilla and its public health network have taken the first steps towards becoming a blue zone through MiRed IPS, with the implementation of a comprehensive Dutch model of care.
It is called Positive Health, based on six pillars to focus more on the preventive health of the patient. Within this new model, aspects of the person such as bodily functions, mental health, quality of life, daily functioning, their participation and the meaning of life are examined.
Karolien van den Brekel gave a successful lecture to 80 participants including the mayor of Barranquilla – a city of one million inhabitants. The colleagues of MiRed, owner of 30 health centres for 600,000 inhabitants, want to start working with Positive Health.
Are you also interested in a lecture?
At the 10th anniversary celebration of Positive Health in the Netherlands, Alex Jadad delivered a powerful presentation on the concept of Trusted Networks as the foundation of a new adaptive society.
Jadad began by sharing a striking image of a group of parachutists suspended in midair, their parachutes still closed. This visual metaphor highlighted the importance of trust among individuals, illustrating that the strength of a group lies in the connections between its members.
According to Jadad, our lives are shaped by networks—both physical and digital. Each of us has an inner circle, surrounded by wider circles of friends, and these circles expand into a vast network that forms part of the greater whole. Although these networks are not always visible, they profoundly influence how we live and interact.
Jadad emphasized that many of the biggest challenges we face, such as climate change and the coronavirus, are also invisible. Overcoming these global issues requires trust in one another and collaboration within these networks. By harnessing the power of trusted connections, we can create adaptive solutions to navigate the complex world we live in.
Trusted Networks, according to Jadad, are the foundation upon which we can build a resilient and adaptive society for the future.