A Greeting from the President of Kinjo University
Building Bridges between Healthcare and Welfare
The founding philosophy of Kinjo University is “to educate people who will play a leading role in the welfare society in the future.”
Japan is facing an aging society with a declining birthrate, which is unprecedented in the world. This makes it more important to nurture children who will support Japan in the future. At the same time, it is indispensable to promote cooperation between healthcare and welfare for elderly people who have chronic diseases and receive care in their communities. In hospitals, the main focus has shifted from doctor-centered healthcare to multidisciplinary cooperation, in which doctors, nurses, pharmacists, nutritionists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and other professionals work together to provide medical treatment. Elderly people are often not completely cured after a short period of hospitalization, and the shift from “hospital-contained healthcare” to “community-contained healthcare” is under way. Cooperation between hospitals and clinics, between healthcare and nursing care workers, and between healthcare and welfare agencies is important. It is necessary to establish a comprehensive community care system, in which “housing, healthcare, nursing care, prevention, and lifestyle support are provided in an integrated manner so that people can continue to live their own lives in their familiar communities until the end of their lives, even if they become seriously in need of nursing care.” Therefore, leaders in connecting healthcare and welfare are required, which is in line with the founding philosophy of Kinjo University.
What is important for leaders? There are various answers to this question, but I believe that “approval and listening” are essential. I think it is important to approve people who have different values from your own and to listen to them without denying their opinions. Although the coronavirus disaster has reduced opportunities for face-to-face conversations, I hope that you will grow as a person through the experience of communicating well with your classmates, your senior students, the students from other faculties, your university teachers, and the staff members at your training sites.