In 2000, Kuipers was appointed professor and head of gastroenterology and hepatology at the Erasmus University Medical Center (EMC).[2][3] In this capacity, he led a widely reported 2007 study published in the journal Gut which showed that new cases of stomach cancer would likely fall 25 percent over the following 10 years in Western countries because of better living conditions.[5]
On 10 January 2022, Kuipers joined the fourth Rutte cabinet as Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport, on behalf of the Democrats 66.[1] He had been politically unaffiliated before.[8] The installation of the new cabinet occurred during the last COVID-19 lockdown in the Netherlands, and Kuipers was able to announce a relaxation of restrictions that same month. He would later oppose the establishment of treatment centers for long COVID.[7]
Kuipers argued the Dutch healthcare system was no longer top-tier, pointing at shortages of general practitioners and dentists as well as long waiting lists for mental healthcare. He said healthcare had to be reformed to remain sustainable and affordable in times of an ageing population, and he posed increased cooperation and centralization, especially of specialized care, and the replacement of competition by cooperation as solutions.[7] He signed the Integrated Healthcare Agreement in September 2022 to tackle future affordability issues and to improve cooperation between healthcare providers.[7][8] Furthermore, Kuiper decided to reduce the number of specialized pediatric cardiac surgery centers in the Netherlands from four to two.[8] The impacted hospitals took legal action, and the court later blocked the plans.[9] Kuipers did not manage to finish centralization plans in acute care amongst opposition from its trade association. He also determined breast cancer patients would not be reimbursed for the novel medicine Trodelvy due to its high costs. He admitted such decisions would become more common in the future.[7]
Kuipers stepped down as minister on 10 January 2024, when the cabinet had become demissionary, to pursue an unspecified international role.[8] He was succeeded by Minister for Long-term Care and Sport Conny Helder (VVD), while Pia Dijkstra became Minister for Medical Care on behalf of D66.[10] It was announced several weeks later that Kuipers would join Nanyang Technological University in Singapore as Vice President of Research as well as distinguished professor starting 1 May.[11]
^"Ernst Johan KUIPERS". ehmsg.org. European Helicobacter and Microbiota Study Group. Archived from the original on 6 January 2024. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
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