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Máxima MC: a showcase of excellence for Brainport region during King’s visit
On Wednesday 28 February, His Majesty the King paid a working visit to Máxima Medical Center in Veldhoven, a top clinical hospital in the Brainport region. The theme of the visit was innovation in healthcare, one of the spearheads of the hospital and the Brainport region. The King spoke with directors, doctors, nurses, patients and representatives of universities and innovative companies about cooperation and the implementation of care innovations.
Because in Brainport Eindhoven, accelerating the application of smart solutions for and in healthcare is precisely what is high on the agenda.
Cooperation in the Brainport region
The King was received by the chairman and member of the Executive Board of Máxima MC, Marcel Visser and Carlijn de Ruijter. The King then took part in a discussion on healthcare innovation in the Brainport region. He was given a brief introduction about the hospital and the role it plays in the Brainport region where companies, governments and educational institutions work together on complex machines and innovative products for societal challenges including in healthcare.
"The Brainport region is growing enormously and this also brings challenges for hospitals. We are assuming a 25 per cent growth in demand for care."
Marcel Visser
Healthcare innovations play a very important role in making healthcare more efficient. With the help of new technologies and the right collaborations, these challenges can be met. Two examples of these collaborations are the Dutch Heart Network and the Cumuluz platform. The Dutch Heart Network is an initiative of four hospitals in the region, including Máxima MC, to optimise care for patients with cardiovascular diseases. The Cumuluz platform is a national project to promote the availability and use of data in healthcare. The King spoke to directors, doctors and the chair of nursing about the added value and challenges of these initiatives
Innovations in natal care
The King was given a tour of innovations in birth care, one of Máxima MC's spearheads. The hospital has one of the largest neonatology departments in the Netherlands, taking care of some 400 premature babies every year. Among other things, he saw the Nemo Fetal Monitoring System from local startup Nemo Healthcare, which was developed and tested in a collaboration between Nemo Healthcare, Philips, Eindhoven Medtech Innovation Centre (e/MTIC) and Máxima. The wireless monitoring system Bambi Belt from Eindhoven startup Bambi Medical was also explained. Later, the King learned more about healthcare apps used in the department to support diagnostics and improve and make care more efficient. After that, he spoke with the parents of a patient, who shared their experiences about care at Máxima MC and how they experience their time on the ward with their child.
Accelerating implementation of healthcare innovations
One of the challenges in implementing new technologies in healthcare is bridging the gap between industry and the healthcare sector.
"Healthcare providers, innovative companies and even patients should talk to each other to understand needs. That helps and accelerates implementation of innovations in healthcare."
Heidi van de Mortel, Project leader Complex Implementations Technology and Innovation at Máxima MC
The King listened with interest to Sidarto Bambang Oetomo, chief medical officer at Bambi-Medical, who talked about the challenges he had to overcome to bring the Bambi Belt to a product AND to the hospital: "Creativity, perseverance, decisiveness and belief in the product are needed if you want to achieve success." A broad team with a good eye for business and collaboration with the right parties also play a role. And that is precisely the strength of this region, which is based on informal contacts, short lines of communication and proximity to citizens.
The King was informed about the close cooperation with partners, which ensures that fundamental research and daily care come together. Examples of this can be seen in the partnerships, for example with Eindhoven University of Technology and Catharina Hospital Eindhoven. The early involvement of hospitals in research and developments happening at the University improves the transfer of knowledge and technology between academia, industry and the healthcare sector and therefore accelerates the implementation of healthcare innovations in the Brainport region and beyond.
Appreciation
At the end of the visit, the King thanked all those present for their commitment and enthusiasm. He expressed his appreciation for the innovative power of Máxima MC and the Brainport region and the impact it has on people's health and well-being. As the King left, he was waved goodbye by hundreds of healthcare staff, patients and visitors to the hospital.