University Medical Center Ho Chi Minh City's Team Spreads the Spirit of Professional Excellence, Strong Health Insurance Knowledge

On the morning of July 4, 2026, University Medical Center Ho Chi Minh City (UMC) participated in the Final Round and Award Ceremony of the 2nd "Physicians Excellent in Expertise, Proficient in Health Insurance" Competition, 2026. The program was co-organized by the Department of Health, the Ho Chi Minh City Social Insurance Agency, and the City Young Physicians Association to mark the 17th anniversary of Vietnam Health Insurance Day (July 1, 2009 - July 1, 2026).

With the 2026 theme "Universal Health Insurance – For the Health and Happiness of the People," the competition is a meaningful professional activity, creating an environment for physicians at hospitals and medical centers across the City to exchange ideas, update professional knowledge, and review regulations on health insurance examination and treatment. Through this, medical staff have additional opportunities to strengthen their ability to apply policy in practice, contributing to ensuring the legitimate rights of the people and improving the quality of patient care.

Previously, at the first round held on June 12, 2026, 566 physicians who are department and division heads from 77 hospitals and medical centers with inpatient beds competed with 60 multiple-choice questions on regulations, professional protocols, and health insurance examination and treatment. Based on the results of this round, the Organizing Committee selected 50 outstanding candidates, divided into 10 teams from 9 hospitals and medical centers, to enter the Final Round, including a representative team from UMC.

Participating in the Final Round, the Hospital's team consisted of 5 members: MSc. Nguyen Thai Hoc – Head of the Health Insurance Department; Dr. Ung Van Viet, PhD, MD – Deputy Head of the Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery; RN. Dinh Long Nhiem – Head Nurse of the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery; Assoc. Prof. Dang Nguyen Doan Trang, PhD, PharmD – Head of the Department of Pharmacy; and MSc. Pham To Trinh – Department of Finance and Accounting.

At the Final Round, the teams went through several rounds designed to assess knowledge, situation-handling skills, and the ability to apply health insurance policy in practical medical examination and treatment. With a serious, responsible attitude and thorough preparation, the Hospital's team members completed all rounds and were awarded an Encouragement Prize. This result recognizes the team's efforts, while also reflecting a spirit of continuous learning, proactive updating of regulations, and enhanced coordination capacity in medical examination and treatment activities.

Sharing on the significance of the competition, Dr. Nguyen Thai Hoc, MSc, MD – Head of the Health Insurance Department, UMC, said that thoroughly understanding and correctly implementing health insurance policy has practical significance in ensuring the legitimate rights of patients. The competition is an opportunity for medical staff to update their knowledge, practice situation-handling skills, and strengthen coordination between professional expertise and health insurance work, thereby contributing to improving the quality of service at the Hospital.

Through the competition, the spirit of "excellent in expertise, proficient in health insurance" continues to be spread among medical staff, contributing to raising awareness and responsibility in implementing health insurance policy. The competition also helps affirm the role of health insurance as a pillar of social security policy, helping people reduce financial burdens when sick, while ensuring the right to timely, quality access to medical services.