UEHP  
  Friday, 25th January 2019  
 
2019 will be a European year!
Major challenges are now facing European citizens, first of all the European Parliament Elections on 23-26 May. We are at a crossroads searching for a new model, in or out will be the question. At this very moment, a Shakespearean tragedy is playing in London concerning Brexit and we hope that a practical solution can be found respecting both the interests of Europe and the UK.
In this unpredictable world, health remains a central question and we intend to raise the issue for debate, asking European policy makers what are the solutions they suggest for the future. Sustainable healthcare systems are not a privilege but remain a chance to be protected. Following OECD recommendations, UEHP is a genuine partner fully committed to improve services for patients and to compete positively according to transparent rules in an open civil society.
19 million of European citizens are living in another EU Member State, 9 million students are studying abroad in the EU. The reality of Europe is the reality of citizens, including free mobility and personal projects. EU is a protected area open to individual initiatives and global social protection. Value-based healthcare is a common goal, including quality and outcome indicators for increasingly informed patients. The professional teams of UEHP national federations are engaged in providing every day care to all. I wish you all a very happy and prosperous New Year and challenge us, in these difficult times, to reshape a successful Europe!
Dr Paul Garassus
President of UEHP
 
       
 
LATEST NEWS
UEHP
UEHP recognised among the most relevant stakeholders in the healthcare sector by HIMSS
Last 14-15 January, the European Union of Private Hospitals was invited by HIMSS & Health 2.0 Europe to a strategic VIP stakeholder meeting in Helsinki, in preparation of the highly anticipated flagship event coming up next summer; the HIMSS & Health 2.0 European Conference 2019 (Helsinki, 11-13 June 2019).
HIMSS is a global advisor and thought leader supporting the transformation of health through the application of information and technology. As a mission driven non-profit, HIMSS provides thought leadership, community building, public policy, professional/ workforce development and engaging events to bring forward the voice of our members. HIMSS encompasses more than 70,000 global individual members, 630 corporate members, and over 450 non-profit organizations. Thousands of volunteers work through HIMSS to leverage the innovation of digital health to improve both the health of individuals and populations, as well as the quality, cost-effectiveness and access of healthcare. (https://www.himss.org/about-himss)
The VIP Stakeholder meeting was attended by HIMSS Governing Council Members, Industry Advisory Committee and nine key Finnish Partners, as well as by a number of high-level stakeholders and influencers from the sector, recognised and selectively invited as key partner in the digital health ecosystem. During the meeting, the colleagues from HIMSS shared their vision for our 2019 conference, what to expect, what's new and how stakeholders can contribute.
UEHP Secretary General, Ms Giannico, who flew to Helsinki to represent UEHP in the meeting, had the possibility to exchange ideas and visions for 2019 with the HIMSS Management Board, and to present the UEHP experience as a supporting partner in different HIMSS initiatives and events, giving an idea of the mutual benefit coming from supporting partners’ agreement signed with HIMSS. In this context, and as every year, UEHP will sign a new cooperation agreement with HIMSS in view of the HIMSS & Health 2.0 European Conference 2019 (Helsinki, 11-13 June 2019). UEHP members and partners will benefit from special discounts and speaking opportunities coming from the agreement.
For more information: HIMSS Conference 2019
 
UEHP
HIMSS Partners Innovation Exchange (HIMSS PIE)
The European Union of Private Hospitals signed a new parternship agreement with HIMSS to cooperate on a new HIMSS’s initiative, called Partners Innovation Exchange (HIMSS PIE). HIMSS PIE is a HIMSS EMEA initiative to convene trusted partners and innovative organisations in the digital health space and lead together endeavors in optimizing health engagements and care outcomes through information and technology.
HIMSS aims at gathering key partners in this platform to discuss and intervene on key insights, to offer educational opportunities, to ensure that partners have the right information at the point of decision and to acknowledge as a thought leader, as well as extending opportunities in HIMSS Communities and engaging events.
What are the benefit of this agreement?
EXCHANGE OVERVIEW
  • Full access to the HIMSS network including 1.5m annual touchpoints
  • Acknowledgement as a thought leader
  • HIMSS Membership
  • Opportunities to engage and intervene on key insights
  • Access to professional development opportunities and HIMSS eLearning Center
  • Preferential access to HIMSS EMEA activities
  • Media opportunities: interviews and publications.
SHARED VISION
  • Working together on our mission and transforming healthcare
  • Dissemination of HIMSS initiatives to your members
  • Advising contributions: expertise, perspectives and best practices
  • Content contributions: for publications, education outputs including nominating speakers/ contributors.
If you are interested in learning more please contact Ms Giannico: secretarygeneral@uehp.org
 
UEHP
UEHP shortlisted in the European Association Awards 2019
We are happy to inform all our members and partners that the European Union of Private Hospitals has been shortlisted in the European Association Awards 2019!
The European Association Awards celebrates the vital work that European Associations do on behalf of their members to ensure their voices are heard throughout Europe.
UEHP was offered a complementary entrance for the award 2019 and it was shortlisted within the category “Overall Best European Association (Secretariat with less than 30 employees)”.
The full list of finalists for each category is available here: http://europeanassociationawards.com/finalists/
The shortlist represents a cross-section of Associations and showcases the real impact that can be made.
We look forward to the award ceremony which will be held in Brussels, on Thursday 28 March where we will find out who wins each category.
We will keep you updated and in the meantime fingers crossed for UEHP!
 
UEHP
Main priorities of Romania’s EU Council Presidency
Romania holds from 1 January to 30 June 2019 the Presidency of the Council of the EU for the first time since it joined the EU.
The Romanian Presidency opens the Trio of Presidencies composed also of Finland and Croatia, and it will be the final Presidency acting throughout the current legislative cycle of the European Parliament, before the European elections in May 2019.
Romanian Presidency will focus on the following four main priorities, under the motto of cohesion, understood as unity, equal treatment and convergence, a Union that leaves no member country and no citizen behind.
Concerning the healthcare sector, the Romanian programme highlights the Importance of “Guaranteeing access to healthcare for all European citizens”.
The key priorities for health and care are:
  • To ensure patients’ access to medication
  • To increase vaccination coverage
  • Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and associated infections
  • Healthcare digitisation (e-Health).
In addition, patient mobility will have a special focus during the Romanian Presidency, especially on the status of the implementation of Directive 24/2011/ EU on the application of patients’ rights in cross-border healthcare.
Finally, the Romanian Presidency will follow and act on the healthcare issues in the proposal for a Regulation on the European Social Fund (ESF+), successor to the EU Health Programme.
 
UEHP
ASEAN Healthcare Transformation Summit 2019
19-21 Marche, Kuala Lumpur
ASEAN Healthcare Transformation is Southeast Asia’s most interactive meeting for healthcare professionals creating critical platform for dialogue focusing on business models and innovation that is disrupting the industry. This two-day summit themed “Revolutionising Healthcare Systems in a Patient Centred World” will highlight many best practices in the healthcare landscape, transformational solutions in healthcare, emerging trends in the industry and new technological solutions to stay relevant in your profession in a challenging and complex operating environment.
Each day presents its own dedicated tracks, which aims to address your concerns and empower you with an in-depth expertise on Demystifying Digital Healthcare, Redesigning Patient Experience Enhancing Quality & Safety in Healthcare and Transforming Healthcare Supply Chain. Join this high profile gathering to hear what the leading healthcare leaders of today have to share about the ongoing transformation of the healthcare ecosystem.
For more information :
UEHP is supporting partner of the event! UEHP members and partners can benefit form a discount on the registration fees! Ask for the special code by sending a email to Ms Giannico: secretarygeneral@uehp.org
 
       
 
MEMBER'S CORNER
SPAIN
The healthcare private sector is an economic engine
According to the 2019 Global Medical Trends report, the Spanish private healthcare sector will represent 4% of GDP in 2019, 0,5% more than in 2018.
According to Cristina Contel, President of the Alliance of Private Health in Spain (ASPE) and UEHP Vice-President, "the private healthcare sector is a key player in Spain and an indispensable partner of public health that ensures the proper functioning of the National Health System. It also plays a very important role in the Spanish economy. If we take into account the sectors indirectly involved like construction, textile, food, technology, transport, etc., there is no doubt about its potential as an economic sector now and in the future."
For this reason, ASPE reminds us of the importance of not politicizing healthcare or taking decisions that put at risk a growing sector. "We can not forget that more than 260,000 professionals work in the private healthcare sector or that the Spanish healthcare system would not work without the collaboration of the private sector", recalls Cristina Contel.
Policy measures can have serious consequences if they are not taken according to factors such as efficiency and the improvement of the functioning of the healthcare system. For Cristina Contel, "It is important to maintain the efforts so that the Spanish private healthcare sector continues to be the engine at both health and economic levels, and is recognized as such."
The Spanish Private Health Alliance federates more than 600 health facilities and represents about 80% of the private hospital sector in Spain. The private sector represents 56% of the total number of Spanish hospitals. ASPE strives to give value to the private healthcare sector in Spain, which employs more than 260.000 professionals and represents 3.5% of Spanish GDP.
ITALY
AIOP presents its yearly Report on Health and Hospitals to the Senate
On the 16th of January in one of the Senate’s seats, the Italian Association of private hospitals presented the yearly Report on Health and Hospitals to politicians and to journalists.
The research (promoted by AIOP and elaborated by Ermeneia, an important research center) analyses the Italian healthcare system from the double point of view of consumers, relating to the access to services and to quality of treatments, and of providers, concerning their answers to the health needs of the population thanks to efficient management and productivity with the available resources.
One of the main results of the Report is that about 20 millions of Italian citizens (38% of the population) experienced the difficulty of waiting lists for the access to specialist examinations or hospitalizations, the first cause for waiving the right to treatments. This inefficiency of the Healthcare system contributes to increase the out of pocket expenses and the interregional mobility for 30% of the patients and it is one of the causes of the inappropriate access to first aid services.
In this context, as the radical structural changes require more time and political consensus, it is obvious that the Italian system urgently needs to become more efficient in its daily functioning. This is possible if both sectors that make up the system, accredited public and private hospitals, have the same responsibilities, controls and remuneration criteria, in the interest of the population. In this respect 90% of people are convinced that private accredited hospitals are an essential component of the system like the public ones and that their choice is not depending on the juridical nature of the institution but on the quality of services provided.
In order to promote this required efficiency, the national Association of private hospitals suggests:
  • to go back to the payment by DRG’s also for the public sector, as provided for by law but never enforced, in order to balance costs and operating revenues also in public hospitals
  • to introduce incentives and disincentives depending on the functioning of the health institutions
  • to promote a virtuous competition among public and private providers within the same process of accreditation
  • to create a third and independent control institution to overcome the conflict of interests for the public sector, which is at the same time controller and controlled.
Barbara Cittadini, President of AIOP
Concluding the meeting Barbara Cittadini, President of AIOP, declared:
“In order to defend the solidarity principle of the universal access to services, it is absolutely necessary to reorganize and to make our National Healthcare Service more efficient from a double point of view: the same quality treatments provided in all Regions and the economic and financial efficiency. The situation described in the Report “Health and Hospitals 2018” must induce us to recover the fundaments and the principles inspiring the foundation of our Healthcare National Service forty years ago. We must update them taking into consideration the changes of the health and demographic and economic situation in order to respond to the real needs of the population looking for an adequate answer to their health expectancy.”
Written by Alberta Sciachi, AIOP International Relations
GERMANY
Hospital Barometer 2018
The economic situation of German hospitals remains difficult. In 2017, every third hospital wrote red numbers (30%), + 1% compared to the previous year. The share of hospitals with an annuel net profit is 60% and the one with a balanced annual result is 11%.
The economic situation of the departments of obstetrics in hospitals is a main topic of the current hospital barometer. Around 57% of hospitals reported that in 2017, the income generated by obstetrics were lower than costs. This means that the majority of maternity wards do not cover their costs.
The German Hospital Barometer is an annual representative survey of German hospitals on current health and hospital policy topics. The results are based on a written survey of accredited hospitals from 100 beds in Germany, which took place from April to mid-July 2018. The survey involved 249 hospitals.
Read further : BDPK annual report
MAJOR EUROPEAN PRIVATE HOSPITAL GROUPS
FRANCE
SantéCité, a French cooperative group
What characterises an independent private hospital?
First of all, an independent private healthcare institution faces the same challenges as other hospitals such as economic return, adaptation, innovation and competitiveness but with one distinctive characteristic, the sustainability of its development. An independent private hospital manager has a long term view and an economic model based on investments. Our cooperative establishments want to be in business for the long term.
Stéphan de BUTLER d’ORMOND, President of SantéCité*
In our model, the manager is one with the institution. Some have founded their hospital, all represent it with energy and share the risks with their practitioners and employees. We are, each of us, rooted in our territory, each manager is responsible for its employees. We all have one vocation, to provide care, and we are fully engaged with the institution because we rely less on external factors. We cultivate the culture of a « Company with a Mission».
In France, the number of independent private hospitals is decreasing. How do you see the future of your model?
We would like to make it a model for the future. SantéCité is a cooperative group with its own values. Many important private hospital groups can be proud of what they have achieved. We do not act in opposition towards these models but rather out of preference. Our model is based on responsible managers who embody their values and who operate closely with their teams and who create, for their physicians, excellent working conditions while first and foremost respecting their independent status.
We would like to develop SantéCité as a brand image and position it on the market so that it becomes a more institutional brand and a label recognized by healthcare professionals and patients. Also, SantéCité identifies with societal challenges such as corporate social responsibility (CSR).
How does the Cooperative Group SantéCité operate?
Our particularity is that we are at a crossroads between the business model, a private limited company for example, and a cooperative business approach. We wanted to further professionalize our organization, which was built by many entrepreneurial initiatives and aspirations. All our co-operators show an inclination for the pooling of actions, the "benchmarking" of the best organizations, so that our cooperators can accelerate their growth. We are doing joint action on purchasing, research and wish to develop many other new projects. The cooperative spirit is the pooling of actions and its collective energy, while maintaining one´s managerial responsibility and operational autonomy.
SantéCité has developed a simple and light structure to better serve its cooperators who are engaged at a personal level and with their employees in the collective actions of the Group. The first strand of my program is the improvement of the performance of the cooperators. This involves consolidating the purchasing subsidiary with Pierre MALTERRE, its President. The second strand aims to accelerate the sharing of best practices via benchmarking in particular. Innovation is our third key action: digitalisation, Article 51, for example, are at the center of our concerns. We have acquired a HiLab and work on the HOP´EN project. SantéCité cooperators can also work together on research projects within our CGS SCERI, chaired by Thierry ROYER, a structure which has allowed those who are engaged together in clinical trials and publications to pool their actions.
The fourth strand concerns capital. We want to give the ability to a cooperator to run his organization in line with its independent status. Beyond that, we could be able to develop a capitalistic vehicle. SantéCité is not intended to become a capitalistic group but it could become a transition vehicle, a vehicle for carrying and transmitting knowledge.
SantéCité in numbers:
133 cooperating establishments, € 2.6 billion of cumulative budgets (2017). Our structure is light with 2 employees at headquarters for overall coordination, 2 to 4 people in charge of purchasing and 2 in charge of research.
*Stéphan de BUTLER d’ORMOND, is the CEO of the private hospital group Groupe Santé Victor Pauchet in Amiens. He was elected on 7 December 2018 President of SantéCité, the first French cooperative group of independent private hospitals.
 
 
AGENDA
 
       
 
8 February 2019
Brussels
UEHP General Assembly
19-21 March 2019
Kuala Lumpur
ASEAN Healthcare Transformation Summit 2019
7 June 2019
Romania
UEHP Council Meeting
11-13 June 2019
Helsinki
HIMSS & Health 2.0 European Conference 2019