With its fourth edition, DiarioSalud Meet consolidates its position as a multisectoral dialogue platform through the development of five thematic panels that will bring together authorities, specialists, academics, and patient representatives to analyze the main challenges and solutions facing the Dominican healthcare system.
The event, which will take place on March 25 at the auditorium of Universidad Iberoamericana (UNIBE), under the theme “The patient: protagonist of the healthcare model,” will focus its agenda on “Closing the gap: towards universal and sustainable health coverage in the Dominican Republic,” with the support of the Fundación Two Oceans and the participation of the Alianza Dominicana de Asociaciones de Pacientes (ADAPA).
The academic program will include lectures and panels focused on health coverage, primary care, the role of patient associations, system sustainability, and the development of reform proposals.
The agenda will begin with a keynote address by Dr. Ramón Tallaj, founding president of Somos Community Care, titled “The family physician and their relationship with the patient: irreplaceable and human,” where he will discuss the experience of the family physician model as a coordinator of care.
This will be followed by a roundtable on the same topic, featuring Dr. Tallaj; Dr. Wendy Rosario, president of the Dominican Society of Family and Community Medicine; and Vice Minister of Strengthening and Development of the Health Sector, Yudelka Batista Reyes. This session will address the value of primary care, humanism in medical practice, and the impact of artificial intelligence on the future of family medicine.
The panel “The patient’s reality: navigating the maze of coverage” will place patient experiences at the center. Participants will include Paola Tineo (ADOLUPUS); Dr. Alexandra Castillo, representative of the Dominican Society of Geriatrics; Dr. Daisy Acosta, specialist in mental health and Alzheimer’s; and Bertha Montero, from the Multiple Myeloma Patients Foundation. They will share testimonies and analyze the emotional, social, and economic impact of coverage limitations.
Additionally, Patricia Ripoll, founder of Fundación Visible, will deliver the lecture “From patient to activist: how a foundation is born and changes the system,” highlighting the role of organized patients in transforming the healthcare system.
The panel “The strength of the community: patient associations as drivers of change” will bring together Patricia Ripoll; José Antonio López (Aprendiendo a Vivir Foundation); Paola Paniagua (Dominican Endometriosis Association); and Dr. Sócrates Bautista (Dominican Foundation for Inflammatory Diseases). Discussions will focus on organizational strategies, sustainability, fundraising, advocacy, and the impact of these organizations in defending patients’ rights.
One of the key sessions will be the panel “The great challenge: coverage, costs, and patient protection.” Participants will include Dr. Edward Guzmán, executive director of Seguro Nacional de Salud (SeNaSa); Dr. Andelys de la Rosa, director of Non-Communicable Diseases at the Ministry of Public Health; Dr. Lía Díaz, senator and president of the Senate’s Permanent Health Commission; Dr. Yesenia Díaz, director of Health Insurance for the Contributory Regime at SISALRIL; and Dr. Carlos Luis Sánchez Solimán, director of the High-Cost Program. This panel will analyze challenges in healthcare financing, the role of the State, coverage exclusions, and strategies to ensure patient protection.
The panel “Caring across generations: from childhood to old age” will feature Dr. Elsa Camilo (Ministry of Public Health); Dr. Farah Segura, Health and Nutrition Officer at UNICEF; Dr. Dagoberto Güilamo, geriatrician; Dr. Rosa Acevedo, former president of the Dominican Society of Pediatrics; and Dr. Dulce Chahín, national program officer for Sexual and Reproductive Health at UNFPA. The discussion will focus on strategies to ensure system sustainability and improve quality of life from childhood to old age.
The closing panel, titled “Building solutions: towards a new social contract for health,” will include Dr. Ricardo Elías Melgen; Dr. Cecilia Buchanan, expert in public health management and policy; Dr. Marcos Núñez, dean of Health Sciences at UNIBE and representative of ADOFEM; communicator Adalberto Grullón, representative of ADESA; Dr. Denisse Vallejo, president of ADAPA; and Dr. Luis Alberto Rodríguez, from the Medical Disability Evaluation Directorate of the National Social Security Council. This session will present concrete proposals aimed at reforming the system, strengthening social security, optimizing healthcare financing, and promoting a patient-centered model.
DiarioSalud Meet 2026 will bring together medical societies, authorities, academics, patient associations, and national and international organizations, consolidating itself as a platform for coordination, analysis, consensus-building, and solution development to strengthen the Dominican healthcare system from a patient-centered perspective.
The event will also mark the tenth anniversary of DiarioSalud and will conclude with the “DiarioSalud Influential Personalities 2025” awards ceremony.
The event will take place on March 25, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., at the UNIBE auditorium, in both in-person and virtual formats, with limited capacity.
This event is co-sponsored by Somos Community Care and Gracias Doctor, with sponsorship from ARS Primera, the Center for Diabetes, Obesity and Specialties (CEMDOE), ARS Futuro, and the Hospital General Plaza de la Salud.
It is also supported by Fundación Two Oceans, Universidad Iberoamericana (UNIBE), ADAPA, Fundación Visible, the Dominican Society of Geriatrics, Turenlaces, El Nuevo Diario, and Story Falcon.