Organizers - Mother and Child Startup Challenge

Iniciator

The Institute of Mother and Child is a scientific research unit. It has a tradition spanning over 70 years and a significant body of work recognized both nationally and internationally. It was established by a resolution of the Council of Ministers in 1951 and has since continuously participated in addressing the health and social issues of mothers, children, and youth. Its development has paralleled medical advancements, and the Institute has become a leader in many medical fields related to perinatology, neonatology, gynecology, and pediatrics.

The Institute of Mother and Child functions as a research institute, focusing on conducting scientific research related to healthcare, primarily concentrating on family protection, motherhood, women’s health, and developmental age medicine. Its activities also include comprehensive service and medical care, focused on treating the most complex developmental age diseases.

Additionally, the Institute plays a role in providing expert opinions on products for the developmental age population at the request of manufacturers and state offices.

In the educational and publishing field, the Institute engages in postgraduate training for medical personnel and conducts public health education, organizing courses and publishing the quarterly “Developmental Age Medicine,” which is internationally indexed in MEDLINE and Index Copernicus.

Co-organizers

The Bonifraters Medical Center is an exceptional network of modern, Catholic hospitals and healthcare facilities. Drawing from nearly five hundred years of history of the Hospitaller Order of St. John of God, it provides patients with comprehensive medical care ranging from diagnostics to hospital treatment, rehabilitation, and continuous care for the elderly and terminally ill.

The “Mother and Child Health Center” Institute is the largest research center in Poland, providing multi-specialty and comprehensive care for mothers and children. It is the only center in the country that offers diagnostics and treatment for fetuses, newborns, children, and mothers. It is also a leading reference center in neonatal intensive care, obstetrics, neonatology, gynecology, and pediatrics.

The CZMP Institute specializes in infertility treatment, prenatal diagnostics, and prenatal treatment when necessary, and cares for pregnant women, including those with oncological diseases. Newborns receive access to all essential high-specialty procedures immediately after birth, without the need for transport. The institute houses one of the largest neonatal intensive care units in the country. Since 2019, the CZMP has operated a professional Human Milk Bank, where breast milk is safely collected, tested, and supplied to infants in need, following the latest knowledge and safety standards.

The institute conducts research and development work on early diagnostics and prevention of health threats and diseases in newborns, children, and adults, particularly focusing on lifestyle diseases. It utilizes artificial intelligence, telemedicine, and robotic techniques in its research and development activities, which can be applied in the diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment of diseases in children and adults.

Szpitale Pomorskie Sp. z o.o. is a high-specialty healthcare provider excelling in various fields including radiotherapy, oncological surgery, clinical oncology, hematology, vascular surgery, urology, and orthopedics, among many other specializations. Within our structure, we feature the Kashubian Center for Heart and Vascular Diseases as well as the Center for Lung Diseases and Interventional Pulmonology with a Pulmonary Rehabilitation Subdivision.

The company was established in 2017 through the consolidation of three entities: the Specialist Hospital named after Florian Ceynowa in Wejherowo Sp. z o.o., the Pomeranian Center for Infectious Diseases and Tuberculosis Sp. z o.o., and the Provincial Hospitals in Gdynia Sp. z o.o.

The units that make up Szpitale Pomorskie Sp. z o.o. include the Maritime Hospital named after the PCK and St. Vincent a Paulo Hospital in Gdynia, the Specialist Hospital named after F. Ceynowa in Wejherowo, and the Smoluchowski Medical Center in Gdańsk.

Within the company operates the Pomeranian Oncology Clinical Research Support Center, distinguished by its innovative infrastructure, experienced research team, and extensive experience in conducting international projects. By combining the efforts of clinicians, pharmacists, and biology specialists, the center provides patients with the highest level of care and support in accessing pioneering therapies. To date, more than 240 clinical trials have been conducted, primarily in the fields of oncology and hemato-oncology, cardiology, radiotherapy, and oncological gynecology.

The hospital began its operations in 1988 and is currently the largest diagnostic and treatment center for children and adolescents aged 0 to 18 in the Podlasie region.

It is a modern, full-profile diagnostic and treatment facility, providing multi-specialty medical services in both inpatient and outpatient care. As the only hospital in the Podlasie province, UDSK has a Clinic of Pediatrics, Pediatric Oncology and Hematology, a Pediatric Rehabilitation Clinic, and a Children’s Dialysis Station. It is also the only hospital in Białystok with a Pediatric Orthopedics and Traumatology Clinic and a Pediatric Surgery Clinic. Additionally, it is the only facility in the Podlasie region that treats children with growth hormone and recombinant insulin-like growth factor for those with growth deficiencies. Notably, the hospital provides dental services under general anesthesia for children with certified disabilities, which is a rarity in the region.

Within UDSK, Zespół Szkół nr 15 operates, allowing children to continue their education during hospitalization. The hospital eagerly adopts innovative solutions, and since the beginning of 2021, it has been maintaining patients’ medical records exclusively in electronic form.

The University Clinical Center (UCK) is the largest high-specialty clinical hospital in Poland, affiliated with the Medical University of Gdańsk. Patients benefit from the services of a specialized staff, have access to innovative treatment methods, and world-class medical equipment.

UCK offers a full range of medical services in almost all fields of medicine, with particular emphasis on oncology, cardiology, and neurology. The hospital provides advanced diagnostics and treatment, various surgical procedures, comprehensive rehabilitation, and palliative care.

UCK is a thriving transplant center, performing heart, kidney, bone marrow, and cornea transplants for the past 15 years. In 2018, lung and liver transplant programs were also initiated.

The UCK employs nearly four and a half thousand people and has a capacity of 1,200 beds. The facility includes 36 clinics (including the Clinical Emergency Department), 8 treatment centers, and 77 outpatient clinics for children and adults.

In 2023, the hospital conducted nearly 150,000 hospitalizations, 218,000 diagnostic tests, almost 4.5 million laboratory tests, provided over half a million specialist consultations, and performed more than 35,000 surgical operations.

The Regional Specialized Children’s Hospital in Olsztyn is the largest specialized medical facility providing comprehensive and interdisciplinary treatment for children in northeastern Poland. Annually, it hospitalizes over 40,000 patients, and approximately a quarter of a million patients receive outpatient treatment. The hospital holds the status of a Pediatric Trauma Center and belongs to the elite group of facilities involved in the European Reference Networks – CRANIO (rare diseases in the head and neck area) and ITHACA (rare neurodevelopmental disorders of genetic origin). It also holds the status of a Rare Disease Expert Center.

Thanks to the development of highly specialized services with a supra-regional reach, the hospital meets the health needs of children from all over Poland in areas such as the diagnosis and comprehensive treatment of rare diseases in the head and neck area, neurodevelopmental diseases, vascular diseases, surgery of congenital defects in newborns and premature infants, treatment of burns and multiple organ injuries in children, and treatment of scoliosis and other conditions.