The SAMS has long been committed to the sustainable development of the Swiss health system. Within this context, the Academy is organizing a symposium on 24 September 2026 at the Eventforum Bern, focusing on the choices our society will have to make in the near future regarding our health system in order to address the growing human, financial, and environmental constraints.
At the symposium «What Decisions for the Swiss Healthcare System?», the following questions - among others - will be discussed on September 24, 2026: What decisions are we actually talking about? How do we measure outcomes? How do we promote high-value care? How do we avoid the risk of rationing? What role do patients and citizens play in the decision-making processes?
Program in French or in German
Registration in French or in German
The registration deadline is September 4, 2026, while seats are available.
Background information
Over the past century, life expectancy and overall health have improved significantly. While medical progress has played an important role, these gains are also largely attributable to non-medical factors such as improved hygiene, working conditions, nutrition, and education. The health of the population therefore depends not only on the health system, but also on broader social and environmental factors.
Today, the health system is consuming an ever-increasing share of financial, human, and natural resources. This trend threatens its long-term viability and its capacity to adapt to emerging challenges and technological progress. As highlighted in the SAMS position papers on the sustainability of the health system published in 2019 and 2022, rising costs are only one symptom of a deeper structural tension: expectations regarding health and healthcare are potentially unlimited, while available resources are finite. This situation may soon require difficult and far-reaching decisions.
Organizing committee
Prof. Arnaud Perrier, SAMS, Bern
Prof. Arnaud Chiolero, Université de Fribourg
Valérie Clerc, SAMS, Bern
Prof. Luca Crivelli, SSPH+ – SUSPI, Manno
Prof. Marie Méan, NDS-LUCID, Lausanne
Prof. Christoph A. Meier, CMO Viva Health
Prof. Milo Puhan, Universität Zürich – smarter healthcare
Prof. Nicole Probst-Hensch, SSPH+ – Swiss TPH, Basel
Prof. Nicolas Rodondi, smarter medicine, Bern
Dr. Judith Safford, patiente partenaire