Academician Program Goes to the Grassroots | Huaihua Rheumatology and Pain Specialty Alliance Officially Established, Boosting Upgrades in Primary Healthcare

(Deputy Director Chen Huizhen Delivers a Welcome Speech)

Chen Huizhen, Member of the CPC Committee and Deputy Director of the Huaihua Municipal Health Commission, read out the approval document from the Huaihua Municipal Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine regarding the establishment of the Huaihua Rheumatology and Pain Specialty Alliance, providing compliant and guiding policy support for the alliance's formation.

(Academician Liu Liang speaks)

Liu Liang, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, pointed out in his speech that the establishment of the alliance is a pragmatic step taken by Huaihua to implement the national tiered medical treatment policy and promote the inheritance and innovation of traditional Chinese medicine. He highlighted the remarkable progress Huaihua Municipal Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine has made over the past five years in building its specialized department for rheumatology and pain management—starting from becoming a collaborative unit of the Hunan Provincial Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Consortium for Rheumatology and Pain in 2019, to leading the city-level medical consortium in 2021 and subsequently upgrading it into a provincial training center. At the same time, he expressed his hope that the alliance will leverage a collaborative mechanism involving "academician workstations, health authorities, enterprises, and city- and county-level hospitals" to achieve the goals of "decentralizing resources and enhancing capabilities."

Subsequently, Academician Liu Liang presented the Huaihua Municipal Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine with the plaque designating it as the "Leading Unit for Thousands of Counties and Towns," while President Wu Yuyuan unveiled the plaque for the alliance's vice-chair unit. This marked the official launch of the Huaihua Rheumatology and Pain Specialty Alliance, ushering in a new chapter of collaborative regional healthcare delivery.

(Academician Liu Liang presents the "Leading Unit for Thousands of Counties and Ten Thousand Towns" plaque to Huaihua Municipal Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine)

(Dean Wu Yuyuan presents the plaque to the alliance's vice-chair unit)

Academic Exchange:

Use learning to drive action and enhance your core clinical expertise.

Following the inaugural meeting, an academic exchange session was immediately held, focusing on cutting-edge technologies and clinical experiences in the fields of rheumatology and pain management. Several experts were invited to share valuable insights: Yi Jiarui, Project Manager from Academician Liu Liang’s Expert Workstation, provided a comprehensive introduction to the "Academician Project's Grassroots Initiative—A Plan to Reach Thousands of Counties and Towns"; Professor Li Juan from the Second Affiliated Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine delivered a detailed presentation titled "Experience Sharing on the Rheumatology and Pain Management Triple Sequential Therapy," highlighting key clinical applications of this innovative approach; Dr. Shi Fussen, Chief Physician at Huaihua Municipal Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, presented on "Diagnosis and Treatment Strategies for Challenging Cases of Lumbar and Leg Pain," offering practical guidance based on real-world experiences with complex, locally prevalent conditions; and Dr. Zhou Songcheng, Chief Physician at Tongdao County People’s Hospital, discussed the "Triple Sequential Therapy for Fractures," illustrating orthopedic treatment strategies through case studies. These presentations provided attendees with rich, clinically relevant references.

The establishment of the Huaihua City Rheumatology and Pain Specialty Alliance is an important step in implementing the nation’s initiative to deepen reform of the medical and healthcare system, as well as a concrete action responding to the public’s growing demand for high-quality medical services in rheumatic and pain-related conditions. Moving forward, the alliance will focus on five key development goals: enhancing primary care diagnostic and treatment capabilities, optimizing the allocation of medical resources, promoting discipline advancement, improving service quality, and strengthening collaboration between traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine. To achieve these objectives, the alliance will adopt measures such as standardizing clinical practices and quality control protocols, providing technical support and training programs for healthcare professionals, establishing two-way referral systems and telemedicine platforms, and fostering collaborative academic and research initiatives. Through these efforts, the alliance aims to gradually establish a tiered healthcare model characterized by "primary-level initial consultations, bidirectional referrals, differentiated treatment of acute vs. chronic cases, and coordinated linkages between different levels of care." At the same time, it will promote Huaihua City’s representative projects of intangible cultural heritage—such as the unique Jingjin acupuncture techniques, acupuncture, and traditional Chinese medicine external therapies—positioning them as a national benchmark for rheumatology and pain specialty alliances. In doing so, the alliance will contribute Huaihua’s expertise to the broader goals of building a healthier Hunan Province and a healthier China.