**Address by Dr. Janil Puthucheary at the SingHealth Community Forum 2024**

**Professor Lee Chien Earn, Deputy Group CEO (Regional Health System), SingHealth  

Professor Teo Eng Kiong, CEO, Sengkang General Hospital  

Colleagues from the health and social sectors  

Ladies and gentlemen**

Good morning. It is a pleasure to be here at the SingHealth Community Forum 2024, celebrating collaboration between healthcare institutions and community partners to enhance residents' well-being.

The theme, "Innovations to Improve Care Delivery and Quality of Life," underscores the critical role of innovation in healthcare. Singapore has achieved world-class health outcomes and ensures accessibility and affordability, but balancing cost, accessibility, and quality remains challenging. Innovation is key to navigating this balance.

**Technological Innovation**

Innovation in technology is essential to meet increasing healthcare demands due to an ageing population. The MOH Office for Healthcare Transformation's Mobile Inpatient Care @ Home (MIC@Home) allows patients to receive hospital-level care at home, benefiting over 2,700 patients by March 2024 and avoiding more than 12,000 hospital bed days. This model's success has led to its mainstreaming as part of acute care from April 2024.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is also being explored. ATLAS, co-developed by SingHealth Community Hospitals and Rebee Health, facilitates AI-assisted tele-rehabilitation for patients, enabling continuous rehabilitation post-discharge. Community care organizations like Lions Befrienders use technology for remote monitoring and personalized social engagement, enhancing care for seniors.

**Innovation through Partnerships**

Beyond technology, we are shifting healthcare services towards preventive care, addressing social determinants of health. SingHealth's Health Up! initiative collaborates with community partners to provide tailored healthy living activities, increasing participation rates for chronic disease and cancer screenings and helping participants achieve health goals.

Community care sector innovations, like Montfort Care's Active Ageing Centres, offer themed programs and health services. These examples highlight the positive impact of partnerships among health and community care providers, improving residents' support and care.

**Resident-Centric Innovation**

Innovation must be resident-centric, empowering individuals to address their needs. The National Heart Centre Singapore's (NHCS) Local Area Coordination-Empowerment (LACE) program engages heart-failure patients with essential questions to help them define their goals and support structures. This approach has reduced unplanned admissions and improved patients' control over their lives.

One example is Steven, a 65-year-old with recurrent hospital admissions. Through LACE, Steven engaged in meaningful activities like karaoke, which improved his health management and social connections, reducing readmissions and increasing his community involvement.

**Closing**

I commend SingHealth and community partners for their innovative efforts. Today's forum is an opportunity to share insights and learn from each other, addressing challenging problems and improving residents' quality of life. I look forward to seeing the continued impact of these collaborations as we build a healthier Singapore. Thank you.