For 15 years, the Telemedicine University Network (RUTE) has worked to promote the advancement of digital health in Brazil, with a high-capacity infrastructure. To celebrate the milestone, last Wednesday (31/03), a commemorative meeting was held to celebrate the years of work and the recognition achieved by RUTE, as well as to determine goals for the coming years.

On that occasion, the coordinators of the Special Interest Groups (SIGs) and of RUTE units invited were present remotely. The national coordinator of RUTE, Luiz Ary Messina, presided over the meeting and began by welcoming the associate director of Institutional Relations, Gorgônio Araújo, who took over the microphones summarizing the reason for the meeting in one word: "pride" when addressing the guests. "This trajectory is a source of pride to RNP! And RUTE, to us, means you, the units. You have implemented an example of a collaboration network. And this trajectory over 15 years shows us how long we have come. You have also shown us the power of education and research in health. This moment is marked by the strengthening of the RUTE model beyond the borders of Brazil, acting through the RNP Digital Health Technical Committee", celebrated Gorgonio.

Then, Messina spoke about the aim of RUTE: "to build collaborative networks, always looking to build new capacities". Looking back, the national coordinator of RUTE recalls the challenges overcome by betting, at the time, on the unknown and explains that the goals are now different, starting by investing in more quality in collaborative research. Luiz Ary Messina also mentioned achievements that demonstrate the organic growth of RUTE in recent years:

• The creation of new SIGs, among them the Covid SIG - which already had over 4,000 participants from 14 countries - and the Health University Students SIG.
• With the expansion of RUTE to Latin America, based on an alliance with Red Clara and the advanced networks of Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Chile, and Ecuador. In March of this year, the first of these was launched: RUTE-Chile.
• The work of the Parliamentary Front for Telehealth and Telemedicine, in the search for a national policy for the practice.
• The recognition and mention of RUTE by the World Health Organization (WHO).
• The relationship with the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP).
• And the 140 RUTE units across the country. The 140th was opened this week, on 30/03, in the Lagartos University Hospital (HUL), in Sergipe.

After the event, the coordinators will receive certificates in honor of the work carried out. Representing the group, the coordinator of RUTE-UFBA and Head of the Telehealth Unit of the Professor Edgard Santos University Hospital (HUPES) in Salvador was one of the attendees who spoke about the importance of RUTE to their local communities. "RUTE has changed our lives and established a routine in the university hospital with a way of working and training professionals," she concluded.