The Healthcare Poland Foundation is pleased to announce the nomination Marcin Karolewski, MD to the position of Director of the Department of Healthcare.
Dr Marcin Karolewski is a respected physician and healthcare manager who has been involved in the development of the Polish healthcare system for years. His appointment to this prestigious position is a sign of confidence in his competence and achievements and heralds the substantive strengthening of the foundation’s team. As Director of the Department of Healthcare, he will be responsible for coordinating the foundation’s activities in the area of treatment and medical care, as well as for initiatives aimed at improving the quality of healthcare services in Poland.
Marcin Karolewski – experience and achievements
Dr Marcin Karolewski combines extensive clinical experience with achievements in healthcare management. He specializes in internal medicine, hypertension, and geriatrics, demonstrating his extensive medical knowledge and understanding of patient needs across various care areas. He also plays key roles in the medical community – currently serving as Vice President of the Wielkopolska Medical Chamber and President of the Polish Society of Medical Managers (PTLM). In these roles, he has established himself as a leader committed to the professional development of physicians and the improvement of the healthcare system. Among other things, he initiated and organized regular conferences for medical and management staff (e.g., the National Conference of Medical Directors), creating a platform for knowledge exchange and promoting good management practices in healthcare. His involvement in the medical self-government since 2006 and numerous educational projects (such as the EDUWIL platform and the WIL mobile application) have earned him recognition as an innovative approach to solving systemic problems.
New role and priorities
Marcin Karolewski emphasizes that taking up the position of Director of the Department of Medicine is an honor and a responsibility for him. “This nomination is a great honor, but also a great responsibility. I want to use my experience to support the development of treatment quality and patient safety, as well as promote innovative solutions in Polish healthcare.” – declares Dr Karolewski, announcing his personal commitment to the foundation’s mission. The new director plans to focus on a patient-centered approach – in his opinion, any changes to the healthcare system must take into account the patient’s perspective, not just the financial aspect. Dr Karolewski has repeatedly emphasized that reforms focused solely on savings will not bring improvement if they lack patient care and quality of care.
In his new role, he also intends to emphasize improving treatment standards and the efficient use of system resources. He cites staffing shortages and the need to support medical staff – both doctors and nurses – in their daily work as key challenges. He supports initiatives aimed at relieving physicians of excessive bureaucracy through digitalization and the introduction of medical assistants, so they can devote more time to patients. Another key priority for Dr. Karolewski is strengthening preventative care. Currently, only a negligible fraction of funds is allocated to preventative measures, which should change for the benefit of patients and the future of the system. In previous statements, he emphasized that although healthcare spending is increasing, there is still a lack of funds directly for patient treatment. In his opinion, the key to improving the situation is a holistic approach to the system – from financing, through work organization, to service quality – so that Polish hospitals can provide patients with care at the highest standards.
The importance of the nomination for the Healthcare Poland Foundation
The appointment of Dr. Marcin Karolewski as Director of the Department of Medicine is a significant step in the development of the Healthcare Poland Foundation. His expertise, authority, and network of contacts within the medical community will be a significant asset in achieving the foundation’s mission: raising the standards of Polish healthcare and building international recognition for the achievements of Polish medicine. The Healthcare Poland Foundation (established in 2023) works to promote Polish healthcare globally – through initiatives supporting quality in healthcare, the development of patient-centered care, and international cooperation in the field of medicine. The foundation’s board expressed confidence that Dr. Karolewski’s experience will contribute to strengthening these efforts. This appointment also underscores the foundation’s prestige, demonstrating that its staff is joined by opinion leaders and practitioners with the highest qualifications.
Marcin Karolewski, MD, will assume his duties as Director of the Department of Healthcare with a vision for further development of the foundation’s projects and a passion for working to improve the healthcare system in Poland. Both the foundation’s members and the medical community welcome this appointment with enthusiasm, looking forward to fruitful collaboration and positive change for Polish patients. Karolewski brings with him not only extensive experience and expertise but also a passion for pro bono work – qualities that will undoubtedly translate into new initiatives and successes for Healthcare Poland in the coming years.
Sources: Wielkopolska Medical Chamber, Polish Society of Medical Managers, Gazeta Lekarska, Polish Federation of Hospitals, own materials of the Healtcare Poland Foundation
