In less than 48 hours, MECC Maastricht transforms into the absolute epicenter of a healthcare revolution during the ICT&health World Conference (IWC26). This is not a polite congress; this is the arena where the future of our profession is decided. For me, as a Data Driven Doctor, this is the moment to set the course. Professionalism in 2026 means not passively watching as technology floods our consulting rooms; it means claiming leadership, dictating the dialogue, and unshakeably ensuring that every innovation strengthens the relationship with our client.
The oath as a digital foundation for leadership
Our medical professionalism requires a physician who sets the course for the benefit of society. Translating the Hippocratic Oath into the dynamics of 2026 reveals a crystal-clear mission: protecting the human touch in a world dominated by data. We are the ones who provide clinical wisdom and enrich innovations, but also resolutely send them back to the drawing board if they lose sight of the essence of our profession — the human connection.
True interactivity between doctor and tech-pioneer is the raw engine of creativity. By actively seeking that dialogue, we ensure that health innovations actually add value to the healthcare process and health. During ‘The Most Innovative Session’, we put this vision into action.
Where innovation power and clinical mastery collide
I challenged the five visionary nominees: who MUST hear your story to accelerate healthcare transformation? Their answers form the core of what professional leadership entails today. Here are the pioneers and their personal invitations for the trial by fire:
Bram Smeets (Purewick): Can brace himself for a room full of critical nurses who guard the clinical reality. He seeks a confrontation with 'firestarters' like Lucien Engelen because he knows that innovation only truly catches fire when the work floor claims ownership.
Ergin Borova (Orange Melons): Focuses on the entire logistics chain and invites Olga van Diem, Jan Christiaan Huismans, Roanda Fokkens-Steba, Huub Hopman, and Bianca Rouwenhorst. His hard requirement: that the human being in the entire process — despite all the logistics — is always seen as a client first.
Dakmar Teirlinck (AI-powered care buddies): As a health professional, he knows better than anyone that trust is the only currency that counts, also digitally. He invites Judith Vos, Onno Theuvenet, Bianca Rouwenhorst, Samar Hashemi, and Victor Plat to prove that responsible AI, security, and usability must strengthen professional responsibility instead of eroding it.
Jolanda Bax: Doesn't let any grass grow and wants to brave the notorious 'Valley of Death' to get innovation into practice NOW. She seeks a connection with Liz Ashall-Payne (ORCHA) because she doesn’t want to lose a single second more in the process of validation and large-scale adoption.
Vansh Balyan (Sanrakshya): Works on a true transformation by shifting pediatric healthcare from reactive repair to proactive prevention on a global scale. He invites Jan Anthonie Bruijn, Lucien Engelen, Eugene Waterval, Daniel Kraft, and Liz Ashall-Payne to validate Sanrakshya not just as a tool, but as the new global infrastructure for preventive care.
Doctors steering transformation within a powerful ecosystem
These innovators understand that technological innovation only gains real value through the interplay with clinical insight and robust policy. The physician is the navigator who guards the compass between the infinite possibilities of tech and the necessary professional guidance. But transformation is not a solo performance; we lead this movement by actively involving the entire ecosystem — from nurses and policymakers to patients. Together, we secure control over the future of healthcare.
Curious who you would like to see join our public jury to help strengthen this ecosystem? Let us — organizers Bart Collet, Michiel Tebbes, Bart Timmers, and Gabrielle Speijer — know on LinkedIn!
Become part of the movement:
- Register directly for IWC26 at the MECC
- Consult the program for 'The Most Innovative Session'
