"During the merger, which led to the creation of the St. Lucas Andreas Hospital in Amsterdam, I held an executive position at the construction office. Even before the architects started their activities, I was talking to doctors and nurses about how they were used to working, what they would like to change and what their needs were ... This therefore meant that I got to speak to the staff of all the hospital's departments. At AMPC an important part of our work is also listening to hospital staff and then using the information to the fullest. The foundations which were laid during that period, also in terms of know-how about how hospitals are organised, have proved to be extremely useful in my activities at AMPC.  

 

What I really like about our work is that we turn ideas into reality. We start with a (financial) plan, a drawing or a room book and then see it grow under our hands. This means that we are literally creating something, often in areas where small things can mean great progress. This is also the main theme in our work: structural improvement of the healthcare sector. We are very practical attitude: just delivering a report is not enough for us. Realising projects, that is what it is all about.  Even when we do not carry out the realisation ourselves.  

 

Furthermore, one of our spearheads is that we make the people on the ground responsible for the project. Local people need to take over and be self-supporting in running the hospital or department. This is why we do not stop at installing a new MRI scanner, but also coach the doctors and specialists in using the equipment. We train them, stay in touch in order to learn how the department is doing and carry out a thorough project evaluation. Only then can we be sure that the investment has been effective and was therefore worth the effort.  

 

We are knowledgeable about the entire chain: from the business and financing plan up to implementation, training, after-care and evaluation. This is essential if we want to be able to do our job well, also when we are asked to take responsibility for just one segment of the chain. But I believe that the personal attitude of our consultants and our intense involvement in what we do contribute towards the success of our projects as well. You go to an area with an ultimate wish: would it not be great if there was a first-class hospital here in four years’ time. We know that getting there takes a long time, but we know how to get there. We know where the bottlenecks are and make sure that we minimise the risks in advance. In doing so we look two steps ahead of others.  

 

The level of healthcare differs greatly from country to country, but in my eyes the end result is the same: a successful clinic or hospital. In some countries you simply have to produce different and sometimes new solutions. This is usually also a matter of analysing the problem properly. I see that as a challenge, something that really makes the job enjoyable."