Course18 Visibly Better
Visibly Better
Course18 is subtitled ‘Visibly Better’. ‘Visibly better’
is how we want to do what we do at Erasmus MC.
We are working hard to improve and renew
the healthcare of today and the public health of
tomorrow. In addition, we make it visible to our
patients, students and other stakeholders what we
do and where we excel. This booklet contains photos
of new and former patients and students who are
proud that their health is visibly better thanks to
the healthcare, education and/or research at
Erasmus MC.
COVER
Production: team Course18
Text editor: Stefanie van Doorn-Kemperman
English translation: Kirsten van Hasselt
Photography: Martin Hogeboom
Photo on page 66: Alex Orrow
Design: Ernst de Jonge
Contact: [email protected]
Fons Vervoort was admitted to
the Erasmus MC’s South West
Netherlands Trauma Center as
a polytrauma patient after a
very serious industrial accident
in the Port of Rotterdam. Fons
spent almost five months in
the ICU of the Thorax Center.
Thanks to the specialist care at
Erasmus MC he can once
again work with pleasure in
his beloved port..
Vera van der Hagen is a fourth
year medical student at
Erasmus MC. She has always
wanted to be a doctor, which is
why she joined Erasmus MC’s
Junior Med School while she
was still in high school. Vera is
pictured studying in the brand
new Education Center; a
learning environment where
students meet and develop
themselves together with
other professionals and
lecturers.
Course18 Visibly Better
Erasmus MC
Table of contents
Foreword
1
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
1.4.1
1.4.2
1.4.3
Erasmus MC
The story of Erasmus MC: A healthy population and excellent healthcare
Mission
Vision
Core values
Responsible
Uniting
Enterprising
5
9
9
11
11
12
12
12
13
2 Erasmus MC in motion: External and internal developments
2.1 External developments
2.2 Internal analysis
15
15
21
Ambitions and goals: added value and distinctive profile
An organization with a distinctive profile
Primary focus areas of excellence
Distinctive training: healthcare of the future
Strong international position
Leader in added value for the patient
Firm foundation of quality
Greater health benefits for the patient
Social and economic valorization
Prevention
25
25
25
27
29
29
30
30
32
32
3
3.1
3.1.1
3.1.2
3.1.3
3.2
3.2.1
3.2.2
3.2.3
3.2.4
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Table of contents
4
4.1
4.1.1
4.1.2
4.1.3
4.2
4.2.1
4.2.2
4.2.3
4.3
4.3.1
4.3.2
4.3.3
4.4
Strategy Achieving our vision and ambitions
Creating a leading organization
UMC of the future
Infrastructure and support services
Efficient and effective operations
Working on culture and reputation
Professional work culture
Appealing employer, professional employees
Legitimacy and reputation
Connected to the world
Medical Delta
BeterKeten Foundation and other partnerships
International cooperation
Phased implementation
5 Finances and approach to change
5.1 A sound financial basis
5.2 Capacity for change and our approach to change
Glossary
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35
35
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36
37
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39
40
40
41
43
43
45
45
46
47
When Eline Goossens was
nine months old, she had
acute meningitis and septic
shock. She was taken to
Erasmus MC Sophia Children’s
Hospital South West
Netherlands Trauma Center
from the southern province of
Noord-Brabant. Eline is now
19 years old and fortunately in
good health. She is now doing
a teacher education Health
and Wellbeing training degree
and regularly visits her
grandma, where she feels right
at home.
Foreword
We are Erasmus MC. We are working hard to improve and renew the healthcare
of today and the public health of tomorrow. We do so by conducting
groundbreaking research, training the healthcare professionals of the future,
and by providing healthcare. In addition, we emphasize prevention: deterring
illness through the early detection of abnormalities and diseases and avoiding
the worsening of symptoms or the recurrence of illness. This is our approach to
achieving our mission, which is to promote a healthy population and excellence
in healthcare through research and education. It is our ambition to be visibly
better by choosing focus in our research, education, training, and healthcare.
Course18 describes what those choices are, how we will make our choices, and
how we intend to achieve our ambitions. This document was developed by the
staff of Erasmus MC in conjunction with patients, students, and other
stakeholders. Together we are working on a visibly better Erasmus MC.
We want to be an appealing employer for our staff. We want to be an appealing
alliance partner for organizations and companies. In the years to come we will
reap the benefits of our current alliances and we will work on expanding them.
This includes the Medical Delta, which is the alliance between Erasmus MC,
Erasmus University Rotterdam, LUMC, Leiden University, and TU Delft. This
alliance is devoted to creating innovations for good health and healthcare by
establishing links between medical disciplines and other disciplines such as
IT and technology. Our relationship with the Haven Hospital, a subsidiary of
Erasmus MC since 2006, will be expanded further. We want this relationship to
become a shining example of cooperation between a university hospital and a
general hospital. We also work with other healthcare facilities in the region to
improve the quality and effectiveness of healthcare. We do so through the
BeterKeten Foundation, which is an alliance between Erasmus MC, the
St. Francis Hospital, the Maasstad Hospital, and the Haven Hospital. We intend
to expand our activities with hospitals in the Education and Training Region
(OOR) to include research and healthcare. In the coming period we will also be
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When Juda van de Wetering
was six months old, he was
diagnosed with cardiomyopathy. His heart was unable to
pump blood properly. Juda
received a ventricular assist
device at Erasmus MC-Sophia
Children’s Hospital. He spent
11 months in the ICU. After a
while, his own heart worked
better and the ventricular
assist device was removed. His
parents are very grateful to
Erasmus MC for their excellent
care. And Juda? He is very
happy that he can play with
his brother and sisters again.
Foreword
preparing for the Horizon 2020 international alliance, which is a European
funding program for research and innovation.
The ambitions of the Erasmus MC seamlessly apply to the top sector policy of
the Dutch government. The research of the Erasmus MC for Life Sciences &
Health ranks among the international top and contributes greatly to the quality
of health, solutions to social issues and more economic activity and prosperity.
The Medical Delta adds to the top sector High Tech and makes the Netherlands
in this sector internationally distinctive.
We will also be expending tremendous effort in the years to come on our new
buildings and other facilities. In 2017, the entire organization will be housed
in a single location: the premier university medical center of the future.
An environment where patients, students, and staff are visibly better.
On behalf of all employees of Erasmus MC,
The Board of Directors
Prof.dr. Ernst Kuipers, chairman
Prof.dr. Jaap Verweij, dean/vice chairman
Drs. David Voetelink
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Lyda and Rein van Neck are
having friends over for dinner.
Lyda was diagnosed with liver
cancer last year and had to
undergo surgery. Erasmus MC
surgeons removed a tumor
and a large part of her liver
during this complex operation.
Fortunately, she has now fully
recovered.
Erasmus MC
1
1.1 The story of Erasmus MC:
A healthy population and excellent healthcare
Conducting groundbreaking work, pushing boundaries, and leading the way in
research, education, and healthcare. This is what Erasmus MC stands for. We
employ practical thinkers. Driven professionals with a can-do mentality who
use their expertise to expand the pool of knowledge about health and disease,
who improve diagnostics and treatment, and who continually look for ways to
innovate. Their commitment helps us to help our patients and others with a
healthcare need even more effectively, and enables us to keep healthy people
healthy for longer.
The drive to continuously improve healthcare is in our blood. Andries Querido,
founder of the Medical Faculty in Rotterdam, had the same drive. We still
endorse his vision on the synergy between research, education, and healthcare.
Patients benefit fully from the latest findings thanks to the broad scientific
background of our healthcare professionals and students.
Erasmus MC consists of:
ó
ó
ó
9
Erasmus MC (Hospital and Medical Faculty of EUR)
— Erasmus MC Sophia Children’s Hospital
— Erasmus MC Cancer Institute
The Haven Hospital (a subsidiary of Erasmus MC since 2006)
Erasmus MC Holding BV and all Erasmus MC businesses and initiatives
(Life Science) Incubator
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Scope to excel
ó
ó
ó
ó
ó
ó
ó
Erasmus MC encourages employees to grow and develop so that they can excel.
We do so by giving them the scope they need and by expecting them to take
personal responsibility for their careers. We adopted this vision from our
namesake Desiderius Erasmus. He strove for freedom of ideas. At Erasmus MC
we strive for freedom of ideas within the frameworks that we have agreed on
together. Our employees signal opportunities, think ahead and push
boundaries, enabling us to promote excellent healthcare and putting us at the
forefront in research, education, and medicine. This is evidenced by the fact that
Erasmus MC:
performed the first heart and bone marrow transplants in the Netherlands;
assisted in the conception and delivery of the world’s first IVF baby;
was instrumental in discovering how DNA can be repaired and thus how we
can prevent aging and cancer;
unraveled the mysteries of the SARS virus and developed the first drug for this
serious, acute lung disease. New patients no longer die from the disease and a
pandemic has been prevented;
developed a drug to treat Pompe disease, a hereditary, incurable affliction of the
muscles, allowing children with the disease to live longer and develop normally;
discovered that the Alzheimer's disease is caused by abnormalities of the blood
circulation, and thereby made prevention of the disease possible. (It was
discovered during the long-term population study ERGO among 15,000 people
aged 45 and older in the Rotterdam district Ommoord);
and many other firsts.
Unusual needs are no exception
In terms of the size of the population we serve, Erasmus MC has by far the
largest coverage area of the eight university medical centers in the Netherlands.
This means that we treat a wide variety of patients and diseases. Specific
healthcare needs that are unusual at other medical centers, are all in a day’s
work at Erasmus MC. Every patient at Erasmus MC is therefore in good hands,
especially when the specific healthcare need is out of the ordinary.
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Our vast experience in complex pathologies offers tremendous opportunities
for research. We also apply our expertise to encourage prevention. This
approach enables us to promote good healthcare, and we will continue to do so
into the future. This will only be possible, however, if we focus our efforts, and
in doing so our research activities will take priority. The choices we make in the
area of research will determine the choices we make in education and
healthcare. Our focus will be on areas in which Erasmus MC already has a solid
track record, but we are also looking at other areas where we can excel. To
sharpen this focus we work together with professionals, governments, health
insurers, and companies in the Netherlands and abroad.
1.2 Mission
Our mission expresses the core of who we are, what we do, and what we want
to achieve:
Erasmus MC is committed to a healthy
population and excellence in healthcare
through research and education.
1.3 Vision
Our deepest conviction is that we can improve healthcare and that we wish to
keep healthy people healthy as long as possible. With drive and determination,
we are therefore continually on the lookout for innovation, for the best
diagnostic and treatment methods, and the latest findings in the field of health
and prevention. Innovation alone is not a goal unto itself, however. By
innovating, we want to promote the further development of good healthcare.
Professionals who are trained by Erasmus MC unite the latest scientific insights
with practical application, so that patients and people with a healthcare need
can benefit fully from this link. Innovation and state-of-the-art treatment go
hand-in-hand at Erasmus MC.
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Our vision paints an ambitious picture of what Erasmus MC wants to be in 2018
and what our added value is:
Erasmus MC is a recognized leader in
innovations for health and healthcare.
1.4 Core values
Responsible, Uniting, and Enterprising. These are the basic principles behind
Erasmus MC. They are not isolated concepts, but inextricably linked.
Responsible – Uniting – Enterprising
1.4.1 Responsible
At Erasmus MC we take responsibility and it is given to us, and we are held to
account. By the patient and his family, for example, by the student, by society,
and by each other. Our work is worthwhile: we do the right things and we do
them well. We are professionals with integrity, and we are also open. We share
knowledge and insights. Others may hold us to account on our results and
actions. Erasmus MC employees are accountable for their results and actions,
but also our organization as a whole.
1.4.2 Uniting
Uniting – forging links – is a way for Erasmus MC to improve and to innovate.
By working together one can achieve more, after all. Employees are team
players who feel connected with patients, students, colleagues and Erasmus
MC. They are involved, engaged, and show empathy. We work together with
partners, both within and outside our organization, on the basis of trust and
respect. As an institution, Erasmus MC is an active part of society. We are
oriented to the world around us and we are open to the questions and wishes of
our patients and society. Both now and in the future.
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1.4.3 Enterprising
Erasmus MC is quick to show initiative: we identify opportunities and we are
prepared for them. We do not hesitate, but we get down to business and we
raise relevant issues. Full of courage, ambition, and optimism. We know how to
take on challenges and we are innovative.
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Erik den Adel was treated for
thyroid cancer at Erasmus MCDaniel den Hoed in 2011. Since
then, he has become an avid
cyclist: in 2012 and 2013 he
took part in Alpe d’HuZes.
Erasmus MC in motion:
External and internal
developments
2
Society and healthcare do not stand still, and neither does Erasmus MC. All of
these developments require adjustments to the current strategy and require
constant adjustment. We need to be flexible.
2.1 External developments
The Dutch healthcare system is changing at a rapid pace. More and more
diseases are now treatable, and thanks to many kinds of screening procedures,
diseases are often discovered at an early stage. This means that mortality is on
the decline, and that more people are afflicted by chronic illnesses. The aging of
the population is also a double-edged sword: the percentage of elderly people in
the total population is increasing, and people are living longer and longer. We
also observe an increase in comorbidity: patients increasingly have multiple
disorders simultaneously. Treatments are often more complex and specifically
tailored to individuals. All of these factors mean that the need for healthcare is
on the rise and that this need is in a state of flux.
More people are
afflicted by chronic
illness and patients
increasingly have
multiple disorders
simultaneously.
The wishes of the patient and society are changing
Changes in healthcare needs are also related to the fact that patients are
becoming more assertive and critical. Moreover, they are increasingly willing to
travel for good treatment: patients increasingly choose their care providers
based on their track record for quality. This means that the wishes of the
patient and society are becoming more crucial. This includes individually
tailored information and self-management (the involvement of patients in their
own treatment and the desire to be involved in the decision-making process).
Technological developments are helping to make it possible to fulfill these
wishes. The advent of eHealth is supporting and improving health and
Patients want to
choose their own
treatment options
and demand
transparency.
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healthcare. This approach allows patients to take more control of their own
treatment options. An additional consequence is that healthcare is no longer
confined to the hospital. In some instances, healthcare professionals can monitor
and treat patients remotely – in their own home or trusted environment. We also
observe that today’s patients demand transparency and place higher requirements
on the care that they receive: they can only compare healthcare providers if they
have insight into their past results. We also see that the government and society
consider healthy living and prevention to be increasingly important.
The rising demand for healthcare will continue to drive up costs at least until 2020.
One of the major challenges in the Netherlands therefore is to make sure that
healthcare remains good, affordable, and accessible for everyone. In order to
guarantee quality, scientific associations have established treatment quality
standards. These are then related to volume standards, which require that
healthcare providers must perform a specific treatment at least a certain number
of times per year. Health insurers use these quality and volume standards for more
selective and cost-effective contracting with healthcare providers. The result is that
healthcare providers focus more on improving quality and reducing costs. Medical
centers are therefore specializing and making choices: expensive, complex, and acute
care is being concentrated more and more in specific centers. Regional cooperation
is becoming more important, university medical centers are joining forces more
frequently, and the care portfolios of individual UMCs may well become less
comprehensive. The UMCs will have to cooperate closely with the STZ hospitals on
concentrating healthcare. This is the only way to use the knowledge-intensive and
expensive infrastructure for complex and innovative care as efficiently as possible.
Quality and volume
standards have an
increasing impact on
the reimbursement of
healthcare treatment
costs.
Medical centers are
specializing and
cooperation between
healthcare centers is
becoming more
important.
It currently seems that the years of volume growth in peripheral hospitals has stalled
and that volume may even be contracting. It is still too early to draw conclusions
with regard to the effect on patient volume at the UMCs. However, initial analyses
indicate an increase in the proportion of complex care provided by the UMCs.
It is not only the
quality of treatment
that is becoming
more important, but
also the effect of
treatment on a
patient’s quality of
life.
We see increasing emphasis on the outcomes of care in the broadest sense of the
word. This not only involves the quality of treatment and related costs, but also the
effect of a particular treatment on a patient’s quality of life. This leads to intensive
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External developments
ó
The wishes of the patient and society
are changing
ó
Greater supervision on operations
ó
Cooperation and specialization
ó
Innovation and investment
ó
Developments in education
ó
Work in healthcare is changing
Erasmus MC
discussions about cumulative treatments in the elderly or continued treatment
at the end-of-life stage.
Greater supervision on operations
We are experiencing not only a change in the demand for healthcare, but also a
shift in the way university medical centers are run. Performance-based funding
and the Treatment Combination (DOT) system are intensifying the complexity
of hospital finances. The cost of real estate has also become part of performancebased funding. The government is calling for greater accountability on the use
of public funds in education, healthcare, and scientific research. The Ministry of
Health, Welfare, and Sport, for example, is requiring all UMCs to legitimize their
academic component, and the extent of the academic component is under
pressure. In addition, there are uncertainties regarding the funding of research,
education, and healthcare in the long term. For healthcare, this means that
budget availability is no longer a matter of course, while the demand for
healthcare is on the rise. The available budget for education and research is also
declining in the Netherlands, while the competition for European funds
continues to increase.
The financial
administration is
becoming increasingly
complex.
The funding of
research, education,
and healthcare is no
longer a matter of
course.
Cooperation and specialization
Major developments in information and communication technologies in recent
years have made it easier to work together in an international context and to
share data and expertise. The boundaries between disciplines, specializations,
and even organizations are fading. Cooperation is commonplace. The government
expects a university medical center to take on a coordinating role when it comes
to healthcare in the region, for example by facilitating acute care. In addition, the
Healthcare Inspectorate (IGZ) is placing increasingly stringent requirements on
treatments. To meet these requirements, both general and university hospitals
are working together to increase the concentration of specialist healthcare.
UMCs to take on a
coordinating role in
the region and the
concentration of
specialist healthcare
will increase.
Innovation and investment
To continue to improve health and healthcare we need to strive for constant
innovation. This requires investments, for which less and less money is available.
Among other consequences, this has a negative impact on fundamental research
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Erasmus MC in motion: External and internal developments
and research into rare diseases. Erasmus MC is therefore actively pursuing the
acquisition of funds from the European Union. We are also establishing alliances
and partnerships, for example with the business community. The government
encourages this kind of cooperation with business through the ‘top sector policy’.
The government is also holding knowledge centers to account specifically with
regard to their research valorization activities.
Acquiring funds and
establishing
partnerships with the
business community
are becoming more
and more important.
Developments in education
Education is developing rapidly. Lectures and exams are becoming less and less
dependent on time and place. Students can attend lectures at their own
institution or anywhere around the world from home via the internet, or tackle
a problem and practice skills in a ‘serious game’ on their computers. Simulation
techniques and serious games in medical and nursing education are enabling
more and more students to learn skills and techniques without direct patient
contact. Training in the classical classroom will wane in the years to come.
Practical training will continue: to this end we have created a new Education
Center at Erasmus MC. It is increasingly important to both students and the
government that the quality of training programs can be demonstrated. We are
also aware that the government is making cuts. New admissions to specialist
training programs are expected to be reduced, and the duration of the programs
will be reduced by three to six months, depending on the specialization. The
reduction in new admissions to the specialist training programs will also affect
new admissions to the general medical programs.
Education is changing
as a result of new
techniques such as
serious gaming.
The quality of
training programs is
increasingly
important but at
the same time these
programs are faced
with cuts.
Work in healthcare is changing
The number of people working in the healthcare industry is still increasing every
year, which is partly due to the increasing demand for healthcare. This growth
will likely continue in the years to come. The increasing complexity of healthcare
will also lead to an increase in the need for college-educated nurses and other
healthcare professionals with advanced degrees. Moreover, replacements will be
needed to make up for increasing attrition due to retirement. Because the
working population as a whole is shrinking, this will mean finding solutions that
will increase productivity on the one hand, and encourage the self-management
capacity of those with a healthcare need on the other.
The increasing
complexity of
healthcare calls for
more highly
educated staff.
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Internal analysis
ó
Research and innovations
ó
Prevention
ó
Inspiring students
ó
Broaden and intensify
ó
Responsibilities and our culture
ó
International reputation and talent recruitment
Erasmus MC in motion: External and internal developments
We wish to use innovation not only to improve healthcare, but also to realign
the proportional relationship between healthcare need and the number of
healthcare providers available to respond to that need. In the longer term we
will need fewer people in the healthcare industry thanks to technical
developments and patient self-management. The number of people working in
healthcare will then stabilize or even decline. Another development involves
task reallocation in healthcare. This means that certain tasks that were
traditionally the domain of physicians may be performed by other healthcare
professionals (e.g. specialist nurses). This will result in greater efficiency
(decreased workload for physicians) and better cost control, and it will also
enhance the career prospects for nurses.
In the longer term
fewer people will
work in the healthcare
industry as a result of
innovation. Another
development will be
task reallocation.
2.2 Internal analysis
Erasmus MC is committed to a healthy population and excellence in healthcare
though research and teaching. Our new buildings will provide a healing
environment for patients, allowing us to become the premier university
medical center of the future. The new buildings will also provide staff and
students with an inspiring learning and working environment.
Research and innovations
Erasmus MC is among the best academic medical institutions in Europe, a
position we have attained thanks to the robust interaction between research,
education, and healthcare. The combination of clinical, biomedical, and health
sciences research also puts us in an excellent position to contribute to the
development of new forms of prevention, both within the hospital
environment and in society in general. We have been part of the Medical Delta
since 2006. In this alliance we create new opportunities for innovation in the
field of health and healthcare. Patients benefit directly from the results of our
research and education; we offer them the latest diagnostics and treatments of
unparalleled efficacy. Our goal in this alliance is to shorten the path from
innovation to actual application in healthcare, for this process can be very timeintensive at present. We continually emphasize the human side of healthcare in
our pursuit of innovation and renewal.
We want patients to
benefit directly from
innovations in the
field of healthcare and
health.
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Prevention
Erasmus MC is committed to a healthy population. We not only work on better
diagnostics and treatment, but also on prevention. The greatest health gains
can be achieved in the prevention of disease. We therefore conduct a great deal
of research into factors that can cause disease such as obesity, smoking, poor
working conditions, and poverty. Some of this research takes the form of large
cohort studies. Thanks to long-term population studies as ERGO and
Generation R we know more and more about the origins and course of illness
in the elderly and the growth, development and health of children. We prevent
diseases by developing methods for the early detection of abnormalities and
afflictions. We also contribute to the application of this knowledge in practice.
The prevention of the recurrence of disease and the worsening of symptoms is
an important component of this work, as is our cooperation with other
healthcare organizations that also focus on prevention. The greatest
opportunities for health gains are generally to be found outside the walls of the
hospital. All of these efforts help us to contribute to a healthy population.
We work on
prevention of diseases
by, among others,
conducting large
cohort studies.
Inspiring students
Erasmus MC offers a wide range of medical, paramedical, nursing, and research
programs in an inspiring environment: the brand new Education Center opened
its doors to students in September 2012. It is a learning environment where the
professionals of the future meet and develop in interaction with other students
and lecturers. Our programs, and especially our medical degree programs, focus
on academic and scientific education and innovations in healthcare. We
continually innovate in our teaching activities and we are always on the lookout
for new opportunities. Erasmus MC was the first university medical center to
introduce the system of decentralized selection in admitting first-year medical
students. This system has now been adopted by all educational institutions in
the Netherlands. Another striking example of our innovations is the ABCDE
game, a serious game that allows physicians to prepare effectively for acute care.
Our programs focus
on academic and
scientific education
and innovations.
Broaden and intensify
In Course ’013, Erasmus MC’s previous long-term strategy plan, we expressed
the ambition to broaden and intensify our teaching programs. We have
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Erasmus MC in motion: External and internal developments
implemented those plans, which include the new Bachelor’s program in
Nanobiology in collaboration with TU Delft. We are currently working on
establishing a Bachelor’s program in Clinical Technology together with LUMC
and TU Delft. At Erasmus MC, there are multiple dimensions to broadening and
intensification, just as at Erasmus University. We give excellent students whose
ambitions reach further the opportunity to develop to their full potential. We
encourage the development of talent. Examples of how we do this include our
honors programs and a Research Master’s for outstanding students. Education
at the department level will also receive appropriate emphasis in the future.
Responsibilities and our culture
The organizational culture of Erasmus MC is characterized by commitment,
hard work, and drive. In our pursuit of excellence in health and healthcare, we
of course recognize that it will be impossible to continue to do everything that
we wish to do. Nevertheless, we at Erasmus MC find it difficult to make choices,
something we will be required to do in the years to come. Other pitfalls at
Erasmus MC include the island culture (partly due to Erasmus MC’s sheer size),
the lack of a critical attitude, and an unwillingness to accept criticism. These are
obstacles to achieving our mission, vision, and ambitions, and we are working
hard to remove them.
We are working hard
on making choices,
cooperating, and
being more receptive
to feedback.
International reputation and talent recruitment
Erasmus MC has an excellent reputation in the region and throughout the
Netherlands. Internationally, however, there is a gap between the quality of our
work and the image we project. We score significantly higher on research
output than is reflected by reputation indicators. When our international
research colleagues rank the best institutes, they list Erasmus MC lower than
we would expect. This makes it more difficult for us to recruit talented
international students and staff members. The underlying cause is that
Erasmus MC has no active alumni policy and an inconsistent marketing
strategy for our Research Master’s programs. We also do not participate in
enough international research consortia.
Erasmus MC’s
international
reputation is not
strong enough.
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The family outpatient clinic for
hereditary cardiovascular
diseases at Erasmus MC tracks
down people with these
disorders at a young age and
treats them. Heleen and Cees
Beentjes have both inherited
the high cholesterol gene.
Their son Sander and daughter
Evelien have unfortunately
also inherited this gene. They
were the first patients in
Europe to be prescribed a new
drug to lower cholesterol.
Ambitions and goals:
added value and distinctive
profile
3
We at Erasmus MC are working on achieving our vision and ambitions based on
our mission. We will therefore have to make choices. This is why we have
identified ambitions and set goals that we wish to achieve in the next five
years. These ambitions and goals will give focus and direction to our actions.
3.1 An organization with a distinctive profile
Erasmus MC’s vision is to be the recognized leader in innovations in health and
healthcare. We cannot excel in absolutely every field, however. This is why we
will be making choices over the next two years regarding the content of our
work. Our financial resources are also forcing our hand in this regard. In
consultation with our stakeholders, we have established a number of primary
focus areas. These will also help to ensure that Erasmus MC has a distinctive
profile. Our research activities will take priority: the choices we make with
regard to research will determine the choices we make in the areas of
healthcare and education. With regard to healthcare, Erasmus MC will shift the
focus in the years to come to complex and innovation-related care, which of
course includes acute care as a key component of this profile.
We will make choices,
together with
external stakeholders.
3.1.1 Primary focus areas of excellence
Erasmus MC has chosen a number of primary focus areas of excellence in order
to attract the right patients, students, and members of staff. Patients will know
why they should choose Erasmus MC. Moreover, by promoting excellence as our
calling card, we will attract talented students and staff and we will generate
revenues and acquire grant funding, helping us to further reinforce our
excellence.
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Erasmus MC will create Academic Centers of Excellence based on the primary
focus areas of excellence in which we will link excellent research and
healthcare, in most cases is conjunction with educational activities. These
Academic Centers of Excellence will enjoy international recognition from
patients, students, and researchers. Together, they will help to ensure that
Erasmus MC has a distinctive profile. We will work with national and
international partners on innovations and investment in the field of prevention,
diagnostics, and treatment. We will convert our research results as rapidly as
possible into practical improvements in health and healthcare, and we will
involve the patient, a key partner in the care process. This is how we will
endeavor to better meet the healthcare needs of the patient and society’s
requirements.
The Academic Centers
of Excellence will
make us more
attractive to patients
and employees.
Erasmus MC’s
academic profile will
be strengthened.
Excellence as a calling card
Excellence is gauged based on objective and measurable criteria. Examples
include the citation score and impact factor in research, the number of
international students in the Research Master's programs, and treatment
outcomes for the patient in relation to the cost of care. We will compare our
performance to national and international benchmarks. Our guiding principle is
to be ‘visibly better’. We will ensure that money is subordinate to excellence, not
only in our contractual agreements with health insurers, but also in the internal
allocation of resources. For example, the introduction of performance-based
funding will create a direct relationship between performance and
compensation. We will enhance our level of excellence in the years to come
through a focused investment strategy and by forming strategic alliances with
partners.
Our guiding principle
is to be ‘visibly better’.
Special care
Erasmus MC intends to excel in the years to come in complex and innovationrelated healthcare. We will assume responsibility for acute care in the region
and we will provide acute care in accordance with our profile. Naturally, the
excellent care we provide will be in conjunction with research and education,
organized in Academic Centers of Excellence. We will treat greater numbers of
patients needing special and complex care by engaging in exchanges with
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Ambitions and goals: added value and distinctive profile
other healthcare providers; they will take over part of our basic healthcare
functions in exchange for the complex and innovation-related healthcare that
we can provide.
In addition, the care we provide in the coming years will be grouped
thematically by clinical picture, with the primary goal of achieving maximum
health benefit for the patient and the general population. We have already
implemented this approach in previous strategy plans. We will also encourage
patients to join us in thinking about ways to improve and renew diagnostics and
treatment, and we will give them a vital role in their own healthcare process.
3.1.2 Distinctive training: healthcare of the future
Students are the medical specialists, nurses, lecturers, and researchers of the
future. Students at Erasmus MC have an academic attitude that is focused on
the continuous acquisition of knowledge and the translation of theoretical
insights into practical application. Distinctive elements of our programs are:
academic and scientific training, working as a team player in multidisciplinary
and multiprofessional treatment teams, striving for continuous quality
improvements (including in terms of safety) and ever increasing health
benefits for the patient (higher outcome). Other important aspects are:
transferring knowledge (teaching), dealing with patients from different
cultures, and cost awareness. We will use evidence-based methods to renew our
teaching programs, and we will measure their effectiveness. Diversity will
continue to be the hallmark of our teaching programs in the years to come: we
will offer many different programs and students can gain a broad orientation
though a variety of minors. And when it comes to encouraging talent, Erasmus
MC will continue to emphasize diversity in gender and cultural background.
Our healthcare
training programs are
distinctive in their
academic and
scientific education,
cooperation, focus on
safe healthcare and
knowledge transfer.
Erasmus MC’s focus on research and the associated healthcare choices we make
means that the composition of our patient population will shift. We will
increasingly treat complex diseases. Erasmus MC will work with the hospitals
in the South West Netherlands Education and Training Region so that we may
continue to offer our education and training programs. We will also involve our
patients in these programs.
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Internal medicine trainee
Dr. Edward Visser earned a PhD
with honors from Erasmus MC
on the regulation of the
thyroid hormone at cell level.
Thanks to Dutch and European
grants he can now conduct
basic and translational
research on diseases in this
area. A prestigious European
Marie Curie Fellowship has
now enabled him to carry out
research at the University of
Cambridge (England) on
patients with reduced
sensitivity to thyroid hormone.
Ambitions and goals: added value and distinctive profile
3.1.3 Strong international position
Erasmus MC intends to be an internationally recognized, leading center for
quality and innovation in health and healthcare. We will achieve this position
by focusing on diagnostics and treatment, as well as on prevention. We know
that innovations arise precisely at the interfaces between different disciplines.
This is why the biomedical sciences, health sciences, and clinical sciences
cooperate closely at Erasmus MC. We will also search for opportunities for
cooperation in international consortia and in the Medical Delta alliance, for
example with disciplines such as information technology. This approach will
enable us to make best use of the expertise available at other universities and
medical centers, and help us to establish a strong international position as a
research institute.
We look for
opportunities for
cooperation in
international
consortia and in the
Medical Delta
alliance.
Studying abroad
Erasmus MC has a large international network of researchers. We intend to use
this network to offer our students more international internships. We also hope
to increase the intake of international students in our five Research Master’s
programs. English is already the language of tuition in our research-related
programs (Bachelor’s and Master’s) and in a number of minors in the medical
program. We will explore opportunities for expanding English-language
teaching in the medical curriculum. We will also investigate whether we can
give our students the opportunity to take the United States Medical Licensing
Examination (USMLE) upon earning their medical degree.
We encourage and
support national and
international
exchange of students.
3.2 Leader in added value for the patient
Erasmus MC is driven by what we wish to achieve and by what we are able to
achieve for patients, students, and healthcare. We want to be a leader when it
comes to creating added value for the patient and society, and we wish to make
our leadership qualities clear to the world around us. Not only in terms of the
quality of our medical services, but also in an organizational and financialeconomic sense. We need to become more effective and efficient in our
leadership role in the years to come. Our goal is to provide the best possible
quality at the lowest possible cost. This will enable us to continue to offer
quality and affordable healthcare. We are also committed to addressing the
Our guiding principle
is creating added
value for the patient
and society.
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societal problems of accessibility and affordability of healthcare, education, and
science. We are committed to ensuring healthcare for all in the future.
3.2.1 Firm foundation of quality
Erasmus MC delivers quality, and we are continually working to improve our
quality so that we can continue to be visibly better. We will continue to improve
the care we provide to patients and their families. Our concerns go beyond the
walls of Erasmus MC. Here, too, we take our responsibility seriously and we do
so in consultation with our stakeholders. One of the ways we do this is to get
them involved as partners in the healthcare process. We use the results of
process and satisfaction surveys among patients, students, and staff as an
indicator of quality. This is the basis for our activities in the area of quality
improvement. This is how we are creating a learning organization. The
outcomes of healthcare – not the interventions themselves – will form the basis
for agreements with health insurers and patients or their representatives on
quality, quality standards, and activities aimed at quality improvement. These
outcomes will also form the basis for external accountability to regulators and
insurers. This will enable us to focus squarely on improving the quality of care
and allow us to disregard many (irrelevant) process and structure indicators. In
cases where there are no standards (or only inadequate standards), we will
identify a new standard together with our patients and partners. We will
guarantee patients, referrers, insurers, government agencies, and other
professionals good quality and safe healthcare, in accordance with the latest
professional expertise and standards and in line with our own Erasmus MCwide standards. The healthcare we provide will also meet the expectations of
our patients and their families.
Our focus on the
outcomes of
healthcare is aimed
at quality
improvement.
3.2.2 Greater health benefits for the patient
The primary goal of the healthcare we provide is to improve healthcare
outcomes: increasing the health benefit from treatment, shortening the
recovery process, and increasing the sustainability of health following
treatment. We intend to work with patients and health insurers in the years to
come to create even more value for the patient. For example, by:
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Ambitions and goals: added value and distinctive profile
ó
ó
ó
ó
ó
preventing or reducing the loss of good health;
preventing complications;
increasing the quality of life;
increasing life expectancy;
achieving treatment goals (even when measured over
a significant span of time (sustainable outcome)).
We will measure the health gains we achieve (outcome) against outcome
indicators. We will always do this together with the patient. We at Erasmus MC
intend to become the premier center of knowledge providing true added value
to healthcare.
ó
ó
ó
ó
The goal of innovations in health and healthcare is to create a sustainable
increase in the health benefit for the patient, as well as to improve the health of
the entire population. Innovations at Erasmus MC have both a technological
and a non-technological character. They take place at various levels: in applied
medicine, nursing, and education, and in several dimensions:
transformational: a new technique makes an old technique redundant;
substantial: a significant improvement to an existing technique;
incremental: small, step-by-step innovations, such as the improvement of a
protocol or method of stitching;
social: workfloor reorganization in which both employee productivity and
performance quality increase.
Personalized medicine is an example of innovation in healthcare and of
creating greater value. In personalized medicine, treatment is not based on a
group of patients. Rather, treatment is individually tailored to the patient based
on clinical data, genetic information, lifestyle, environment, and personal
preferences. The patient’s individual values play a role in the choice for certain
treatments, although this is subordinate to accepted and proven medical
practices. The entire treatment and care process must become science- and
value-driven: the treatment we provide will be evidence-based and in balance
with the patient’s wishes and values. Shared decision making is one example of
this approach. However, this can only take place if the patient is adequately
Innovations are
focused on
personalized
medicine.
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informed, can participate in his own treatment process, and also wants to be
involved in this process.
3.2.3 Social and economic valorization
We share expertise,
thereby creating
value for society and
healthcare.
Erasmus MC translates knowledge into useful, innovative products, services,
and healthcare concepts, thus contributing to the health of individual patients,
the health of the population, and improved healthcare in general. We are eager
to share our expertise and experiences with all interested parties, especially
those whose health can benefit from our vast repertoire. This social valorization
enables Erasmus MC to contribute to solving major public health problems and
brings us into compliance with the eligibility requirements as set by the Dutch
and European authorities.
We will enter into
alliances to engage in
measurable
valorization activities.
Economic valorization (the commercial exploitation) of medical expertise is
becoming increasingly important for Dutch knowledge centers. The
government urges economic valorization efforts, because they enhance the
economic competitiveness of the Netherlands. Along with the other university
medical centers, Erasmus MC has agreed to engage in measurable valorization
activities. Patents and partnerships with private parties will provide a portion
of future revenues for our research programs. Erasmus MC will therefore enter
into sustainable alliances with industry partners and non-profit funding bodies
in close cooperation with the Medical Delta alliance. These are organizations
that fund scientific research, for example in the form of fellowships. Erasmus
MC is developing a ‘valorization ecosystem’ with these partners in which the
entire spectrum of valorization activities is fully embedded.
3.2.4 Prevention
Erasmus MC stands for a healthy population. We not only work on better
diagnostics and treatment, but also on prevention. The greatest health gains
can be achieved in the prevention of disease. We therefore conduct a great deal
of research into factors that can cause disease such as obesity, smoking, poor
working conditions, and poverty. Some of this research takes the form of large
cohort studies. We prevent diseases by developing methods for the early
detection of abnormalities and afflictions. We also contribute to the application
We work on
prevention by
developing methods
for the early detection
of diseases and
enabling the
application of
this knowledge in
practice.
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Ambitions and goals: added value and distinctive profile
of this knowledge in practice. The prevention of the recurrence of disease and
the worsening of symptoms is an important component of this work, as is our
cooperation with other healthcare organizations that also focus on prevention.
The greatest opportunities for health gains are generally to be found outside
the walls of the hospital. All of these efforts help us to contribute to a healthy
population. The Academic Centers of Excellence will therefore also focus on
prevention.
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Eddeny Wiebers had preeclampsia. She was glad to be
referred to Erasmus MC. Her
healthy son, Lucas, was born at
34 weeks. As a university
medical center, Erasmus MC
has added value: research on
difficult pregnancies provides
insights for the future and
results in specific advice for
new patients.
Strategy: Achieving our vision
and ambitions
4
This strategy plan will be the guidepost for all of our activities at Erasmus MC
in the years to come. The goal of everything we do is to achieve our mission,
vision, and ambitions.
With our enthusiasm and go-getter mentality, making choices is not something
that comes easy to us. This is why we are now focusing on the first phase
(2014 – 2015) while keeping our gaze firmly fixed on the final goal (2018). In the
next few years we will be streamlining our operations and we will ensure a
sound financial basis for the choices we will make in our research and care
portfolio. In 2015, we will reemerge in our new position and we will present the
Academic Centers of Excellence.
4.1 Creating a leading organization
Erasmus MC will grow to become a leader in innovations in health and
healthcare. We are therefore creating an environment that will facilitate and
encourage this development.
4.1.1 UMC of the future
All Erasmus MC units will be located in a single location in the center of
Rotterdam by 2018. This will be the premier university medical center of the
future. The new facility will provide a healing environment: a pleasant, healthy,
and safe setting for patients, students, and staff. Sustainable materials will be
used throughout. The facility will feature many innovative details, including
flexible floor plans and single-patient rooms.
Erasmus MC recognizes that the new buildings present an excellent
opportunity to optimize medical center logistics and to improve healthcare
processes in order to enhance quality and efficiency. We are therefore seizing
this opportunity to modernize our laboratory systems and healthcare systems,
We are building the
university medical
center of the future.
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ó
ó
ó
ó
ó
ó
among other activities. The new infrastructure that we are creating is in
accordance with our principles of standardization, integration, and optimization
of diagnostics, care processes, education, and research. In the years to come, we
will be deploying state-of-the-art information technology to work on:
a single, integrated patient record;
better order management;
comprehensive planning;
‘track & trace’ systems for patients and resources;
decision support;
integrated and accessible knowledge databases.
4.1.2 Infrastructure and support services
Whether scientific research, education and training, or healthcare: by 2015,
the products and services that support our core business will be of the highest
quality and attest to the utmost efficiency. As part of a clear strategy, we will
assess which services and products we at Erasmus MC will provide ourselves,
and which we will outsource. We will also identify the most efficient
outsourcing means. We will work together with other healthcare institutions
and others to see if we can centralize specific services.
All support services, products, and systems will provide clear added value to the
primary processes and the (international) ambitions of Erasmus MC. We will
endeavor to optimize this support. We will ensure easy and reliable systems
that are designed to enhance quality. We will also work on improving the
communication between employees in the primary process and employees in
our support services. Currently these two groups occasionally seem to exist in
different universes.
We optimize the
integrated support of
the primary process
and the national
and international
ambitions of
Erasmus MC.
We will also continue to work on Erasmus MC-wide and shared core facilities
for research, for example by bundling activities in the field of Next Generation
DNA Sequencing of genetic material. We will also create storage for vast
amounts of data and a system for analyzing this data. We will also establish an
Erasmus MC-wide Biobank, which will enable further research using existing
clinical research data and patient material.
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Strategy: Achieving our vision and ambitions
4.1.3 Efficient and effective operations
We will refine all of our operations processes in the years to come. Quality is the
foremost priority for every employee, and it will become an even more
important component of our operations. We will also actively promote careful
and consistent registration of healthcare and teaching duties, better, more
uniform record-keeping, and the reuse of data. Our programs and projects will
be brought in line with the organizational objectives of Erasmus MC.
Programs and projects
are in line with the
organizational
objectives. Budgets
are allocated based on
performance.
We will implement performance-based funding over the next few years in
order to allocate departmental budgets transparently and to align ourselves to
external funding sources. Departments will be allocated a budget based on
their performance. The goal of performance-based funding is to improve
quality and to promote cost-consciousness among staff members. They will be
able to see for themselves how much something costs, and what the revenues
are in return. The Planning & Control cycle will become a management tool for
the organization: the cycle specifically emphasizes the aspirations and
objectives of Erasmus MC. Every manager must be able to issue an ‘in control’
statement at all times. This is a declaration stating that work is being conducted
in a controlled way, responsibly, according to a preconceived plan, with an
active form of risk management, and according to an environmental analysis.
4.2 Working on culture and reputation
Everything at Erasmus MC revolves around being visibly better. A distinctive
profile, a professional work culture, and a good reputation are essential to
achieving this aim. These aspects ensure that we at Erasmus MC will be valued
and rewarded for who we are and what we do. Patients, students, and
organizations will know why they should choose Erasmus MC. Furthermore, a
solid brand will also contribute to generating more grants and revenues.
4.2.1 Professional work culture
In the years to come Erasmus MC will establish a professional work culture in
which the core values of responsible, uniting, and enterprising will be anchored
as points of reference for managers and staff members. The core values
‘cooperation & connection’ from our strategy document Course ’013 have
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Erasmus MC
resulted in greater openness and collaboration at Erasmus MC. In the years to
come we will strengthen that foundation and add the values of ‘responsible’
and ‘enterprising’. We will also strive for greater mobility, both internally and
externally, and long-term employability of our staff.
All employees will be fully aware of the tasks, responsibilities, and the authority
assigned to them and to their colleagues. It will also be clear how these tasks
will contribute to achieving the objectives of Erasmus MC. This will lead to a
professional work culture. And this culture is the foundation for the effective
and sustainable performance of our employees and of the entire organization.
Together, we will visibly achieve more.
4.2.2 Appealing employer, professional employees
Our employees are
responsible, uniting,
and enterprising
professionals.
We want to be an appealing employer for our staff. Erasmus MC’s greatest
asset is our loyal and committed employees, after all. It is they who conduct
groundbreaking research and provide innovative education and excellent
healthcare and all required support services. They are responsible, uniting and
enterprising professionals who together ensure a pleasant working and
learning environment that engages and excites. When composing teams at all
levels of the organization, we will continue to strive for diversity in gender,
cultural background, and age.
We at Erasmus MC wish to attract talent. Our research departments will
actively recruit talented professionals from the Netherlands and abroad. We
will not only look at candidates’ academic performance, but also take their
personal and social qualities into consideration. We will work with our partners
in the Medical Delta alliance to explore whether we will develop MOOCs
(Massive Open Online Courses). MOOCs can contribute to educational
innovations, to improving Erasmus MC’s reputation and to discovering and
retaining talent. With a team of talented researchers and lecturers, Erasmus MC
will remain a major player in the international competitive arena for research
and training.
One of our primary
focus areas is
attracting, training,
and retaining national
and international
talent.
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Strategy: Achieving our vision and ambitions
4.2.3 Legitimacy and reputation
Erasmus MC is a socially driven organization. We work sustainably and allocate
our resources as efficiently as possible. We are transparent about our results in
all areas. Legitimacy and a strong reputation are vital.
An organization’s reputation stands or falls with the confidence that others
have in it. This confidence is dependent on what we do, and what we promise to
the outside world and to each other. We at Erasmus MC will be valued and
rewarded for who we are and what we do if we can secure and maintain a solid
reputation in the hearts and minds of patients, students, employees, partners,
and investors. We will ensure professional marketing so that we can reach out
to potential students and staff, and also to establish contacts with key external
parties such as alliance partners, referrers, and healthcare insurers.
Openness
Openness is the basis for our reputation management and marketing activities.
We will be open about the quality of research, education, and healthcare, and
we will be transparent in our activities, what we stand for, and how we allocate
our resources. In measuring the quality of health and healthcare, we will use
indicators aimed at the outcome of health and healthcare. This will help us to
further enhance the quality of health and healthcare.
We are transparent in
what we stand for,
what we do, and how
we operate.
Personal reputation
It is not only the reputation of an organization that counts; the reputation of
individual employees such as medical specialists and researchers is becoming
an increasingly important factor. Patients today are more and more likely to
choose a particular physician; students and PhD candidates insist on a specific
supervisor; and medical interns opt for a specific teaching facility.
Higher in the rankings
We at Erasmus MC intend to increase our position in international reputation
rankings and in benchmarks. We will therefore be enhancing our reputation in
the years to come by working together with Erasmus University Rotterdam and
the other Medical Delta alliance partners. We will manage our reputation
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further by participating in international research consortia, through better
alumni relations policies, and consistent marketing for our Research Master's
programs and other educational activities.
4.3 Connected to the world
Erasmus MC is connected to its environment, at the regional, national, and
international level. We will continue to closely follow external developments,
analyze them, and translate them into improvements and innovations. We will
maintain close contacts with target groups and stakeholders. We will conduct
focus groups and hold round-table discussions with patients and students so
that we can improve and modernize our processes. We are convinced that this
kind of dialog and connection will result in added value for all parties.
We seek cooperation
with stakeholders.
Cooperation and courage create new opportunities. Erasmus MC is an attractive
partner for cooperation. We make agreements with healthcare providers in our
region regarding care and educational pathways for tertiary care. Erasmus MC
intends to add research to these agreements. In this way we will be able to
arrange research, education, and healthcare with the utmost degree of
efficiency.
4.3.1 Medical Delta
Erasmus MC participates in various strategic alliances such as the Medical
Delta, a triple helix. This is a collaboration between industry, government, and
the academic knowledge centers in Leiden, Delft, and Rotterdam. Our activities
in this alliance will enable us to innovate on a larger scale, for example by
connecting different scientific disciplines. In addition, the Medical Delta
alliance is a springboard for the creation of international research consortia and
for acquiring European funding for this purpose.
Alliances such as
Medical Delta
offer opportunities
to conduct
more national
and international
research.
We work with a number of university medical centers, however LUMC is our
preferred partner. This extensive alliance will manifest itself through the
appointment of joint department heads, mutual teaching and research
programs, and possibly a joint proton center for the treatment of cancer.
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Strategy: Achieving our vision and ambitions
4.3.2 BeterKeten Foundation and other partnerships
Erasmus MC will be working regionally in the coming years in the BeterKeten
Foundation. This is an alliance between Erasmus MC, the St. Francis Hospital,
the Maasstad Hospital, and the Haven Hospital. Obviously, the partnership is
not only limited to healthcare. We will also be engaging in strategic cooperation
with foundation partners in the fields of education, training, and research.
In the coming period, the hospitals in the partnership will be examining,
together with other healthcare providers, which institutions can offer added
value in specific areas. The BeterKeten Foundation network partners will thus
establish measurable, effective cooperation between providers of primary
healthcare, university medical centers, hospitals, home care organizations, and
nursing homes. Healthcare providers in the network will be able to benefit
immediately from each other's expertise. We want to ensure that the interests
of the patient always come first. In doing so, we will keep each other focused
and together we will ensure that each patient is referred to the best treatment
site in the chain, be it at Erasmus MC, or at one of the other hospitals or
healthcare providers in the network. This is the only way to achieve visibly
excellent healthcare for the patient.
Together with other
healthcare providers
in the BeterKeten
Foundation we ensure
that patients are
referred to the best
treatment site in the
chain.
The choices we make with our network partners in the BeterKeten Foundation
will ensure that patients receive the best care at the best location. The
agreements we make will serve as reliable guides for hospitals and create
clarity for patients, healthcare insurers, and policy makers. And also for general
practitioners: they may need to adjust their customary referral patterns. In
some cases it may be more efficacious to refer a patient to another hospital
than the physician is accustomed to. We intend to communicate thoroughly
and effectively with general practitioners about developments in the chain.
Another partner is the South West Netherlands Education and Training Region
(OOR ZWN). This partner not only offers the opportunity to work with the
hospitals in the region in the areas of education and training, but also in the
areas of research and healthcare.
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Course18
Phase 1: 2014-2015
Phase 2: 2016-2018
Phase 3: 2018 >>>
Focus on optimization
Focus on strengthening our
leading position in innovations
for health and healthcare
We are a recognized leader in
innovations for health and
healthcare
Achieving a work culture
worthy of Erasmus MC
ó Optimizing operations
ó Improving contact with
the outside world
ó
ó
Achieving the ambitions
set out in Course18
Our mission and vision will guide and focus all of our activities at Erasmus MC in the years to come.
Strategy: Achieving our vision and ambitions
4.3.3 International cooperation
We currently conduct research in cooperation with many universities all over
the world, producing large and excellent research output. The excellent working
relationships with these partners will be extended to the field of education,
both in the medical program and in our Research Master’s and PhD programs.
4.4 Phased implementation
Erasmus MC will work with a rolling forecast strategy. This means that our
mission, vision, and ambitions have been defined for the near and distant
future. In addition, every two years we will define SMARTi objectives: objectives
that are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, time-bound and, inspiring.
Course18 sets the goals for the years 2014 – 2015. The Planning & Control cycle
will be used to manage our objectives and strategy. We will then adjust our
course and define new objectives for two years.
The chart on the left page shows the priorities in Course18.
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Jan Breen is a member of
Friends Fund Erasmus MC. He
is committed to the Erasmus
MC Academic Colon Center, a
collaboration between
Erasmus MC and its subsidiary
the Haven Hospital.
Finances and approach to
change
5
5.1 A sound financial basis
Erasmus MC requires a sound financial basis to be able to continue investing in
innovation, ICT, and housing on the one hand, and, on the other hand, to be able
to cope with the main external financial risks. This will ensure the envisioned
continuity of operations (conducting research and providing education and
healthcare).
Erasmus MC depends on various external sources of funding. The social
responsibility on expenditure of funds is becoming increasingly important.
This is requested by banks, the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS),
the Ministry of Education, Culture, and Science (OCW), insurance companies,
EUR, and grant providers. This also changes the risk profile. Market forces in
healthcare, more competition for research resources, and the financial crisis
have resulted in Erasmus MC, as an organization, running more risk. To cover
these risks, banks and regulatory bodies are calling for greater financial
resilience and increased operating cash flow.
Cutbacks are nothing new. Over the past years, the cuts could usually be offset
by production growth. The successive general agreements will make this
impossible for the coming years. If revenues cannot be increased, then costs will
have to be reduced. Erasmus MC will achieve this by optimizing processes and
our operations, which is also in line with our ambitions: we want to do the right
things and we want to do these things effectively.
We will reduce
costs by optimizing
processes and
operations.
In order to achieve the strategic goals of Course18, EUR 5,3 million will be
earmarked in 2014 and in 2015 this amount will be EUR 6 million.
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5.2 Capacity for change and our approach to change
Naturally, funds are required to achieve our ambitions, but equally important
are our staff and our organization’s capacity for change. Together, we will have
to decide how to address the envisioned changes. The chosen work methods
will determine how we will allocate our efforts without exhausting them.
And we will have to determine what our basic principles are in this regard. A
well-designed Planning & Control cycle, enabling up-to-the-minute monitoring
(including risk management) of activities and giving central control of
programs and cross-theme projects, thereby creating a coherent understanding
of the change activities at Erasmus MC, is a vital tool to properly channel the
available resources. This all contributes to our mission (a healthy population
and excellence in healthcare through research and education) and our vision
(a recognized leader in innovations for health and healthcare).
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Glossary
BeterKeten Foundation The alliance between Erasmus MC, the St. Francis Hospital, the Maasstad
Hospital, and the Haven Hospital.
Cohort study A scientific study in which people (patients and/or non-patients) are monitored
during a specific period of time and are studied and compared after a set period
based on characteristics, exposures, and pathology. The following are examined:
the cause of the illness, detecting treatment side effects, disease progression,
and predictors for disease progression.
Course ’013 The Erasmus MC long-term strategy for 2009 – 2013.
eHealth The use of information and communication technologies to support and
improve health and healthcare.
EUR Erasmus University Rotterdam.
Healing environment A pleasant, healthy, and safe setting.
LUMC Leiden University Medical Center.
Medical Delta The alliance between Erasmus MC, EUR, LUMC, Leiden University, TU Delft,
the municipalities Rotterdam, Leiden and Delft and county Zuid-Holland.
OOR ZWN South West Netherlands Education and Training Region.
Outcome The results of healthcare: the health benefit for the patient or someone with a
need for healthcare. This benefit manifests itself in the reduction or prevention
of loss of health, increased life expectancy, and/or increasing the quality of life.
However, it also means: detecting illness or the loss of health as early as
possible and preventing complications.
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Personalized Medicine Patient treatment based on clinical data, genetic information, lifestyle,
environment, and personal preferences.
Prevention Deterring illness (primary prevention), early detection of abnormalities and
illnesses (secondary prevention), and avoiding the worsening of abnormalities
or illnesses or deterring the recurrence of illness (tertiary prevention).
Quality of care Safe, effective, efficient, patient-centered, accessible and on time care.
STZ The association of Tertiary Medical Teaching Hospitals is an alliance of 28
major teaching hospitals. The core of the alliance is formed by: training
programs in healthcare, tertiary medical care and tertiary referral functions,
applied scientific research, and innovation.
Triple helix The alliance between Medical Delta, businesses, and government.
TU Delft Delft University of Technology.
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Visibly Better
Course18 is subtitled ‘Visibly Better’. ‘Visibly better’
is how we want to do what we do at Erasmus MC.
We are working hard to improve and renew
the healthcare of today and the public health of
tomorrow. In addition, we make it visible to our
patients, students and other stakeholders what we
do and where we excel. This booklet contains photos
of new and former patients and students who are
proud that their health is visibly better thanks to
the healthcare, education and/or research at
Erasmus MC.
COVER
Production: team Course18
Text editor: Stefanie van Doorn-Kemperman
English translation: Kirsten van Hasselt
Photography: Martin Hogeboom
Photo on page 66: Alex Orrow
Design: Ernst de Jonge
Contact: [email protected]
Fons Vervoort was admitted to
the Erasmus MC’s South West
Netherlands Trauma Center as
a polytrauma patient after a
very serious industrial accident
in the Port of Rotterdam. Fons
spent almost five months in
the ICU of the Thorax Center.
Thanks to the specialist care at
Erasmus MC he can once
again work with pleasure in
his beloved port..
Vera van der Hagen is a fourth
year medical student at
Erasmus MC. She has always
wanted to be a doctor, which is
why she joined Erasmus MC’s
Junior Med School while she
was still in high school. Vera is
pictured studying in the brand
new Education Center; a
learning environment where
students meet and develop
themselves together with
other professionals and
lecturers.
Course18 Visibly Better