Invitation
Healthcare & Life Sciences Event
‘Closing the health gap”
with:
Carina Hilders (Chair of the Executive Board UMC Utrecht)
Marike Knoef (Dean Tilburg University and Crown Member SER)
Hedwig Vos (Chair Public Health and Primary Care Leiden University Medical Center)
Lieke Luttmer (Executive Board Member Zorg en Zekerheid)
Utrecht, 24th of March 2026
Closing the Health Gap: Innovations and Insights for Equitable Healthcare
Closing the health gap remains one of the most urgent challenges in healthcare today. Health inequalities continue to challenge healthcare systems worldwide, impacting access, quality, and outcomes for diverse populations. Closing the health gap demands innovative solutions, cross-sector collaboration, and inclusive leadership.
At this INSEAD SIG Healthcare & Life Sciences event – in collaboration with University Medical Center Utrecht – we bring together leaders from hospital, university, general practitioners and health insurance to share experiences and insights on overcoming barriers and driving meaningful change. We look forward to an interactive session where you can exchange experiences, build valuable connections and take away concrete ideas to advance Closing the Health Gap in your own practice.
Join us for an inspiring session featuring insights from three leading experts:
- Carina Hilders, Chair of the Executive Board University Medical Center Utrecht, will share her perspective on why it is important to close the health gap.
- Marike Knoef, Dean Tilburg University and Crown Member Sociaal-Economische Raad (SER), will discuss “health gap”: insights from research, key game changers and the policy challenges ahead.
- Hedwig Vos, Chair Public Health and Primary Care Leiden University Medical Center and General Practitioner, will explore the increasing complexity of optimal patient care with intertwining medical and social challenges, the importance of a strong primary care system to bridge these gaps and an uncomfortable truth: healthcare professionals and systems themselves contribute to persistent health inequities.
- Lieke Luttmer, Executive Board Member Zorg en Zekerheid, will explore the importance of positive health, the social domain, caring neighborhoods and the role which insurers can play
Together, they will unpack practical strategies and fresh perspectives on how to bridge disparities and build more equitable healthcare systems.
Program:
18:30 Welcome at UMC Utrecht including soup and sandwiches
19:00 Niki Papadopoulos, Chair INSEAD SIG Healthcare & Life Sciences, Opening
19:02 Carina Hilders, “Why should we close the health gap?”
19:10 Marike Knoef, “The health gap; an integral approach is essential”
19:30 Hedwig Vos, “Optimal patient care; our challenge is bias”
19:50 Lieke Luttmer, “Realizing Health and Care together; the Health Insurer’s role”
20:10 Discussion, “How do we remove barriers to move this topic forward?”
20:25 Recap and lessons learned
20:30 Networking Drinks
21:00 End
Register here
Address:
UMC Utrecht
Heidelberglaan 100
3584 CX Utrecht
We are looking forward meeting you in Utrecht!
Annemarie Blotwijk, Theo van Iperen, Niki Papadopoulos
Healthcare & Life Sciences club – NAA NL