Soothing sea breezes, a gloriously mild climate and a blissful lack of summer crowds make for great reasons to visit Dubrovnik off-season. It’s all so good for you it will surely boost your health. No wonder this sweet spot on the Adriatic has been chosen as the locale for the EPIC 2020, the European Patient Experience & Innovation Congress, set to take place in Dubrovnik March 19–21.
Co-organised by Croatia’s renowned Bagatin Clinic and the prestigious Cleveland Clinic from the US, the congress will bring together distinguished doctors, scientists and managers from around the globe. Headed up by Dr. Tomislav Mihaljević, director of the Cleveland Clinic, the congress will address various aspects of modern 21st-century medicine. Topics will range from healthcare technology – including artificial intelligence and robotics – to innovative and futuristic approaches to current best practices.
This conference aims to shift the epicentre of innovation and top-quality healthcare services from the USA to Europe, and more precisely to Croatia, the conference host. It’s fitting for the inaugural congress to take place in Dubrovnik, as medical tourism has been on the slow but steady rise in Croatia. Now EPIC 2020 is bringing top experts in the field to an epic location with year-round tourism.
'Croatia has a lot to offer. Ophthalmology, orthopaedics, aesthetic and reconstructive surgery and dentistry are just some of the branches that showcase the most advanced technology and top-of-the-line experts,' said Ognjen Bagatin, director of Bagatin Clinic and one of the organizers of EPIC 2020. 'In addition, the optimization of health services and patient support are emerging as some of the most important topics in the health sector today – and we’re focusing the congress around these.'
Key speakers at the congress include Joe Sweet, Cleveland Clinic Director of International Projects, Lori Kondas, Cleveland Clinic Patient Experience Executive Director and Mario Škugor, Cleveland Clinic PBL Case Director, Lerner College. Congress participants include Irving Stackpole, president of the consulting firm Stackpole & Associates, Inc., Stephen Bender from the Disney Institute, and Sheila Stevens, Director of the Mayo Clinic Patient Experience Unit.
While in Dubrovnik, medical insiders can take advantage of the winter season's last free guided tours of the city, which are conducted in English.