Academician Program Goes to the Grassroots | The “Thousand Counties, Ten Thousand Villages Plan” Demonstration Site Established at the People’s Hospital of Yindu District, Anyang City

To thoroughly implement the national policy of bringing high-quality medical resources down to the grassroots level and continuously enhance regional medical service capacity and standards, the signing ceremony and unveiling ceremony for the “Academician Project Going to the Grassroots—Thousand Counties and Ten Thousand Villages Initiative” demonstration site of Academician Liu Liang’s Expert Workstation were solemnly held on the morning of January 22 at the People’s Hospital of Yindu District.

The event was chaired by Zhu Xiangfeng, Deputy Director of the People’s Hospital of Yindu District. The core expert team included Li Yanping, Deputy Director of the Academician Liu Liang Expert Workstation, and He Zhiguo, Project Director, as well as Ma Xianfeng, Member of the Party Leadership Group and Deputy Director of the Yindu District Health Commission, and the Party Secretary of the Yindu District Medical and Health Services Group. Secretary of the Party Committee, Yindu District People's Hospital Si Xiaojian, Group Chief Dean Guo Hua, and heads of medical institutions at all levels across the region, along with key clinical personnel, attended the meeting together.

At the start of the event, all participants watched together a promotional video for the “Thousand Counties and Ten Thousand Villages Initiative,” gaining a firsthand understanding of the project’s grand vision and profound significance in leveraging technology to empower grassroots healthcare and promote inclusive benefits for the people.

Next, Secretary Si Xiaojian delivered a speech. He provided a detailed overview of the hospital’s development journey, the current status of its discipline-building efforts, and the achievements made in enhancing its service capabilities. He also pointed out that this collaboration with the expert team led by Academician Liu Liang to jointly establish a demonstration site represents a crucial opportunity for the hospital to deepen its specialized capacity-building efforts and address the shortcomings in the field of rheumatology and pain management at the primary care level. Taking this collaboration as a key driver, the hospital will focus on advancing three key initiatives: First, building a high-standard specialized center for rheumatology and pain management and improving the configuration of diagnostic and treatment facilities; second, promoting the high-quality implementation of core technologies to enhance clinical diagnostic and therapeutic effectiveness; and third, leveraging the leading role of the medical consortium to drive coordinated development among medical institutions at all levels across the region, truly bringing “academically-level” medical services into every household and benefiting local communities.

Expert He Zhiguo, Project Director, delivered a special speech focusing on the four core components of the project. He began by providing a detailed introduction to Academician Liu Liang’s academic achievements and professional background, and then explained the original intention and progress of the “Academician Project Going to the Grassroots—Thousand Counties and Ten Thousand Villages Initiative.” This initiative aims to bring top-tier medical resources and technologies down to the grassroots level, thereby addressing the challenges faced by rural communities—namely, long distances to healthcare facilities and difficulties in accessing medical care. In his case study of Hanshou County, Hunan Province, he used specific data and tangible results to highlight the initiative’s remarkable impact on enhancing the diagnostic and treatment capabilities of grassroots hospitals and improving patients’ overall healthcare experience, offering valuable lessons for our hospital’s demonstration site construction. Finally, Expert He Zhiguo presented the strategic plan for the “Thousand Counties and Ten Thousand Villages Initiative,” clearly outlining future directions for technology dissemination, talent development, and research collaboration, thus instilling confidence among those present about the prospects for future cooperation.

After the sharing session concluded, the signing ceremony was officially held. Li Yanping, Deputy Director of the Academician Liu Liang Expert Workstation, and Zhao Qingliang, Vice President of Yindu District People’s Hospital, jointly signed the “Cooperation Agreement on Academician Projects at the Grassroots Level” and the “Cooperation Agreement on Demonstration Sites for the ‘Thousand Counties, Ten Thousand Villages’ Initiative,” thereby establishing a solid foundation for deepened collaboration between the two parties.

Vice Station Director Li Yanping delivered a speech, expressing the station’s congratulations on behalf of Academician Liu Liang’s expert workstation for the establishment of the demonstration site. He emphasized that the People’s Hospital of Yindu District, with its comprehensive strength and advantageous location, is an ideal choice for the project’s implementation. He expressed his hope that both sides will join forces to ensure that high-quality medical technologies take root at the grassroots level.

In his speech, Ma Xianfeng, a member of the Party Leadership Group and Deputy Director of the Health Commission of Yindu District, pointed out that Yindu District has already established a three-tier medical service network comprising “district hospitals, township health centers, and village clinics.” However, rheumatology and pain management remain weak links at the grassroots level. The launch of this project is a much-needed boost to address these challenges. The district’s Health Commission will provide full support throughout the process, helping the hospital build a regional center for pain diagnosis and treatment, promoting the downward flow of high-quality medical resources, and enabling residents to receive better healthcare closer to home—shifting the focus from simply having access to medical care to receiving high-quality care.

Deputy Station Director Li Yanping, Secretary Si Xiaojian, Director-General He Zhiguo, Director Ma Xianfeng, and Chief Physician Guo Hua jointly took to the stage to unveil the plaque for the “Academician Project Going to the Grassroots—Demonstration Site of the ‘Thousand Counties, Ten Thousand Villages’ Initiative.” As the red ribbon was pulled down, thunderous applause erupted, officially marking the establishment of the demonstration site. All the leading guests posed for a group photo, capturing this momentous occasion.

After the ceremony, the attending leaders and experts, accompanied by the hospital’s administrators, paid a site visit to the Academician Workstation of the National Medicine Hall, located on the second floor of the hospital’s outpatient area, as well as to the observation clinic and treatment room on the 12th floor of Building No. 1. They gained a detailed understanding of the planning and layout of the specialized diagnostic and therapeutic areas, the configuration of facilities, and the progress of construction.

It is reported that starting January 24, the hospital will conduct a three-day training program featuring theoretical lectures and hands-on practical sessions on the “Triad Sequential Therapy for Rheumatology and Pain,” helping medical staff quickly master the core techniques.