The initiatives Opinion HUB and OpinioNet have been recognized as a valuable contribution to the themes of the 14th EURIPA Rural Health Forum 2025, which will be held under the title: “Rural Reform: Responding to the Needs of Well-being and Healthcare in Rural Communities.”
Although both initiatives are still in their final stages of development and their formal launch is yet to come, I have been invited to participate in the closing panel discussion and exchange experiences with leading experts in the field of rural healthcare.

What message do I want to share with the professional public?
These initiatives were created with the aim of strengthening the professional reputation of general practitioners and opening new career perspectives — without the need to leave their local communities.

My participation in the EURIPA Forum is driven by two key motivations:

1. To present solutions to two major challenges: geographical isolation and the social and professional invisibility of general practitioners in rural areas.
Our concrete responses are:
⦁ new models of care for above-standard services
⦁ new forms of communication between physicians, patients, employers, and local communities
⦁ international networking in a business context
⦁ strategic inclusion in local decision-making processes with global reach

2. To present the Gorski Business-Medical Center:
In Delnice, we are developing an innovative business-medical center for strategic and operational collaboration of international teams, focused on labor market challenges, in partnership with the healthcare industry, policymakers, and employers.

The Forum is an opportunity to:
⦁ personally present this initiative to international colleagues
⦁ gain insight into European and global trends in rural medicine
⦁ explore opportunities for business and scientific collaboration

I would like to thank Prof. Alexander Bauer from Martin Luther University in Halle-Wittenberg for the invitation and the trust he has shown.
I look forward to the exchange of experiences, ideas, and collaborations that will arise from this important international gathering.

Marijan Gjukić