In the presence of patients, political representatives, UCLouvain, and Saint-Luc, the evening themed "Making Possible" retraced the institution's medical and scientific advancements since its opening in 1976 in Woluwe-Saint-Lambert. The event also highlighted the university hospital's current research and future projects.
Over the past five decades, Saint-Luc has contributed to achieving major medical breakthroughs, from early scanners to transplants, in vitro fertilization, the creation of specialized stroke units, the emergence of the Institute for Rare Diseases, and the development of robotics. The construction of a building dedicated to adult and child cancers, the advent of proton therapy, and numerous surgical feats have also marked this history, made possible by the dedication of its teams.
The evening showcased experts working on major societal challenges such as cell therapy, Alzheimer's disease, and rare diseases. These works illustrate the missions of a university hospital where care, research, and teaching are intrinsically linked to address public health issues. This dynamic relies on multidisciplinary collaboration and strong ties with UCLouvain, the Saint-Luc Foundation, the Réseau Santé-Louvain, other hospital partners, and public authorities, as exemplified by the responses during the Brussels attacks in 2016 and the Covid-19 crisis.
Several young professionals from Saint-Luc shared their experiences of what the institution makes possible in their careers, emphasizing that the hospital's operation relies on a broad community of medical, paramedical, technical, and logistical professions.
The "HospitaCité" project, a major renovation and reconstruction of the Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc, including a new hospitalization tower and the restructuring of existing spaces, was also presented. This program aims to meet the future needs of patients and professionals, embodying Saint-Luc's commitment to its ongoing transformation and preparation for the coming decades in service of care, research, and teaching.
