News

RegioStars Awards is an annual event which aims to put light on successful projects within regional development, and is arranged by the European Commission’s directorate general for regional and urban policy. This year, one of the themes is smart growth. It is under this category that the BRIDGE programme at Sahlgrenska Science Park, supported by the European Regional Development Fund, has been acknowledged.

The idea of the project is to provide business support for Swedish companies that are involved in the medtech industry, and this in order to strengthen their role on the international market. This is done by roadmapping and establishment of partnerships, which has resulted in 27 medtech ideas that have been test pilots within the programme. In the jury’s motivation, they state that the successful programme has strengthened Sahlgrenska Science Park’s position as an important partner for regional development and smart growth and as an attractive business partner for medtech startups with growth potential.

The project will now, along with other finalists, be judged on certain criteria. These involve the innovative character of the project, expected financial sustainability and possibility to spread the project as a good practice to other regions.

Congratulations to our neighbour on the Medical Hill in Gothenburg. We are looking forward to the announcement of the winners on October 11. The award ceremony acts as a part of the annual European Week of Regions and Cities.

Earlier this year Sahlgrenska I.C., our fellow Care companies in Sweden and Swecare published a report on how to create better conditions for the export of Swedish healthcare services. As we continue the dialogue with the Department for Promotion of Sweden, Trade and CSR and the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs, we were once again on site in Almedalen advocating the importance of this issue.

As usual the programme was extensive and healthcare the number one subject when it comes to the amount of seminars and events. The themes in focus vary from year to year, but as last year healthcare’s digital future was among the ones on top of the agenda.

But to us as a company with international customers, one seminar particularly caught our eye. Docrates Cancer Centre in Helsinki, Finland, shared their experiences on how to offer cancer patients care under one roof throughout the duration of the treatment and follow-up. This attracts many patients from other countries, every fourth patient and from 50 different countries to be more exact.

Simplifying the often complicated treatment chains allows patients to focus on becoming healthier, not having to waste time on trying to find the right way through the system. This patient-centered approach is something we know that Sahlgrenska University Hospital is working hard on to implement within certain areas, breast cancer treatment is just one of several examples. In this way we are able to offer patients a better customer experience, which the public healthcare system must continue to work on improving as the patient becomes more informed and the regulations create an easy path to cross border care.

To summarize, one should not underestimate the power of healthy benchmarking. All healthcare organizations are different while at the same time sharing a common ground. Once in a while it is important to look up from your own reality and gaze on others. It is not about finding a copy paste solution, but to question the ways things are done in your own backyard.

Sahlgrenska International Care (Sahlgrenska I.C.), in cooperation with the Swedish-Bosnian umbrella organization Integrium and the Bosnian Federation of the Red Cross, has just completed a major medical equipment donation in Bosnia-Hercegovina.

What does Cecilio Santander, Gastroenterologist, from Madrid and Brigitte Shmoll-Hauer, Nuclear medicine physician, from Vienna have in common? They have both been selected to participate in the European Hospital and Healthcare Federation (HOPE) Exchange programme. Together with Chalmers University of Technology, Region Västra Götaland is the proud host of this year’s edition.

A unique place is currently under construction at Sahlgrenska University Hospital. Here different medical specialties will share a common space, all with one focus – to offer minimally invasive surgery with the use of state of the art imaging and intervention technology.

Sweden and Sahlgrenska University Hospital has come a long way with the patient centered approach in health care. Challenges remain, but some medical areas have come further than others. Today they got the opportunity to share their story with participants at the International Forum for Quality and Safety in Health Care.

We are back in office on March 29th.  

Sahlgrenska I.C:s International Aid Coordinator Anders Lygdman is back in Sweden after a joint field trip to Tanzania with partner organization Human Bridge. The main purpose of the journey was to follow-up and assess the Nkinga Referral Hospital located in Tabora County in the western parts of Tanzania. The hospital has since 2010 been a major recipient of medical equipment donations from Human Bridge and thus also from the Region of Västra Götaland.

The Swedish government launched an export strategy in September last year. The work to implement it has already started and actions plans for prioritirized export sectors are to follow. Today Care companies and Swecare Foundation meet with Karin Olofsdotter, Head of the Promotion of Sweden and EU Internal Market, and Niclas Jacobsson, Deputy Director-General at Ministry of Health and Social Affairs. Discussions about Swedish health care export today and steps forward to create an environment where it can grow are on the agenda.

Congratulations to our five new specialists!

Coming from Spain, Turkey, Poland, Saudi Arabia and Greece they started their journey here three years ago. They have now completed a Postgraduate Specialist Training Program in Periodontology at the Specialist Clinic in Periodontics at the Public Dental Service, Region Västra Götaland.