Analyzing the communication challenges of a changing world with experts in institutional communication, journalists, and healthcare professionals: this is the goal of the 2nd International Congress on Health Communication, which will be held at Vall d’Hebron University Hospital on October 23 and 24, 2025. Under the motto ‘Challenges in a Changing World’, the two-day event will address topics such as communication in war zones, the role of public and renowned figures as health ambassadors, new professional profiles, whether or not to have a presence on social media, and the case of Cleveland Clinic, among others.

With the support of the European University Hospital Alliance (EUHA) and the main collaboration of Medtronic, along with the Vila Casas Foundation and Blanquerna - Ramon Llull University, Vall d’Hebron has organized a forum to analyse the main challenges and opportunities that health communication faces in today’s global context. “We aim to consolidate the International Congress on Health Communication as an international benchmark in the sector in this second edition. In a context of international conflicts in recent times, we want to discuss their impact in our field and what tools we can improve to adapt to all these changes”, explains Fran Garcia, Director of Communication, Corporate Strategy and Citizen Relations.

The first day will begin with the roundtable ‘Health communication in wars and emergencies’. In conflict zones or during humanitarian crises, communication strategies play a key role and they can even save lives. Bhanu Bhatnagar, Head of Press and Media Relations at the WHO Regional Office for Europe, will moderate the session featuring testimonies from Youmna El Sayed, Egyptian-Palestinian journalist awarded for her coverage of the Gaza conflict; Rachel Pounds, Head of Save the Children’s Emergency Health Unit; Angelina Kariakina, Ukrainian journalist, documentary filmmaker and media manager; Dr. Taras Petryk, Chief Medical Officer and Director of the Opora Orthopedic and Trauma Clinic in Kyiv; and Niina Kauppinen, Manager at Helsinki University Hospital (HUS).

‘Social Media: To Be or Not to Be’ is the title of the next session, which will explore how healthcare institutions assess the risks and benefits of having a social media presence, aligning it with their mission, values, and a constantly evolving digital world. The discussion will be moderated by Fred Balvert, Strategic Science Communicator at Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam, and will feature Victor Puig, Director of Zinkdo Agency, who will present a report on how healthcare institutions use social media; Isabelle Jourdan, Head of corporate communications at AP-HP; and Kathrin Schneider, Social Media Advisor at the Corporate Communications Division, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, who will share how their institutions approach this issue. To analyze the topic in greater detail, Germán Gutiérrez, Director of Integrated Health Solutions Business at Medtronic Iberica, will explore  ‘Hospital beyond walls – New opportunities for digital communication with patients’. The analysis focuses on home hospitalization and how new technologies enable more personalized monitoring of each patient and remote care.

The first day will conclude with an overview of ‘Arts in Health’, exploring how the integration of art in health initiatives enhances well-being, transforms patient experiences, and empowers communities worldwide. The session will be moderated by Guillem d’Efak, Head of Community Action, Public Programs, and Communications at the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC), and will include Louis Gustin, writer, speaker and disability advisor; Stephen Stapleton, Founding Co-Director of Jameel Arts & Health Lab and Founder and CEO of Culturunners; Rachel Even, Artistic Director of Art dans la Cité; Laki Vazakas, Senior Art Specialist at Boston Children's Hospital; and Dr. Anna Fàbregas, Head of the Child and Adolescent Violence Intervention Team (EMMA) at Vall d’Hebron University Hospital.

The following day will open with the roundtable ‘New Profiles and Tools to Face New Times’, which will discuss which professional profiles are essential to address current challenges in health and public health communication. The session, moderated by Jens Hjalte Madsen Løgstrup, Communications Officer, Aarhus University Hospital, will begin with Bant Breen, CEO of Qnary, communication expert, visiting professor at Blanquerna-URL, and PhD in Communication, who will provide insights into key professional profiles and tools for communication teams. Other participants include Maya Fedeli (Citizen Science & EU Project Communication Team), José Antonio Rodríguez (Communication Strategy Specialist at Jelliby), Freja Annamatz (Chief Communications Officer at Karolinska University Hospital), Winni Johansen (Corporate Communication and Crisis Management in the Department of Management, Aarhus University), and Bant Breen.

Next, the session ‘Quiral Report - joining actors for a better communication’ will present an initiative that, since 1997, has been working to promote high-quality health information that reflects society’s needs and values. Promoted by the Vila Casas Foundation and the Center for Studies in Science, Communication and Society at Pompeu Fabra University, the project analyzes a specific health topic each year, reviewing available information –both in the media and on social networks– and researching citizens’ informational needs through surveys. The study is complemented by meetings that bring together communication stakeholders. Gema Revuelta, Director of the Center, will present the main findings of the Quiral Report.

The Power of Health Ambassadors
The session ‘Health Campaigns’ will examine how healthcare institutions and companies harness the power of campaigns to inspire healthy lifestyles and drive positive social change. Speakers include Muntsa Dachs, Strategic Consultant and Branding Specialist, and Kate Torrance, Vice President, Head of Brand, Content & Communications at SickKids Foundation. Júlia Areny Perelló, Head of Marketing at Vall d’Hebron, will introduce the session. Following that, the block ‘The Role of Public Figures as Health Ambassadors’ will analyze the potential of public personalities to influence opinion and behaviour around health issues. The two sessions, moderated by Fran Garcia and Michael Peterlunger (Member of staff of the CEO at AKH Wien), will include Holly Teichholtz, Chief Marketing Officer at The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research; Andrés Iniesta, ex-football player and global ambassador; Ricky Rubio, professional basketball player and health advocate; Thomas Perlmann, Secretary-General of the Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet, Professor of Molecular Developmental Biology; and Rebecca Thomas, Independent’s Health Correspondent.

One of the highlights of the second day will be the presentation from Cleveland Clinic, consistently ranked among the world’s top three hospitals. Tora Vinci, Global Communications Lead at Cleveland Clinic, will share the strategies that have helped maintain its reputation as one of the most prestigious healthcare brands.

The second edition of the congress is supported by the European University Hospital Alliance (EUHA) and the main collaboration of Medtronic, along with the Vila Casas Foundation and Blanquerna – Ramon Llull University. Additional collaborators include Barcelona Turisme, Noel, Borges, and Sodexo.