E17 Hospital Network partners formalise cooperation in a dedicated non-profit organisation

The hospitals of the E17 Hospital Network have a long tradition of close cooperation which is based on a shared vision of healthcare. This cooperation is built on solid values such as mutual respect, solidarity, equality and cohesion among the E17 partners.

Because of our long-term, positive experiences, we formalised our cooperation in the form of a hospital network as early as 2015. Under the auspices of an independent network chairperson, our hospital network has grown organically over the past few years. The E17 Hospital Network is characterised by a professional management culture, with clear agreements for the hospitals involved.

This structural cooperation has already produced a good number of concrete results, including:

• The horizontal networking working group works, in consultation with the first-line partners, on the standardisation of procedures and care paths, such as preoperative management.
• The pharmacy working group cooperates closely in the field of drug safety. They aim for joint purchases of medication and medical aids through common specification lists. This results in economies of scale.
• Physician and employee training is increasingly organised jointly. They share knowledge and experience with each other as much as possible.

Many new projects are currently under development. The emphasis is always on the needs and experiences of patients, guaranteeing that patients are provided with care close to home as well as access to top clinical care. We always focus on quality, the wellbeing of our employees and doctors, innovation and efficiency.

The establishment of the E17 Hospital Network enabled the seven hospitals to enhance their mutual relationships within their own legal and management frameworks, and to extend their cooperation as a hospital network. With the establishment of this non-profit association, the E17-Hospital Network received legal status, one of the criteria that hospital networks had to meet by 1 January 2020.

Partners in the E17 Hospital Network non-profit organisation

• Glorieux General Hospital in Ronse
• Groeninge General Hospital in Kortrijk
• Maria Middelares General Hospital in Ghent
• O.L.V. van Lourdes Hospital Waregem
• St Elisabeth General Hospital in Zottegem
• St Joseph Clinic in Izegem
• St Vincent General Hospital in Deinze