Representatives from Romania’s National Agency for Health Infrastructure Development (ANDIS) visited Finland on a week-long tour, which included visits to five big Finnish hospitals. IHDA hosted the visit, which deepened the collaboration between the agency and Finnish experts on hospital design.

In early June, IHDA invited representatives from the construction management agency of the Romanian Ministry of Health (ANDIS), for a week-long visit to Finland. The delegation included 12 representatives from the organisation’s administration, the European Investment Bank, and three hospitals under construction.

“The aim of the visit was to gather information and perspectives on Finnish healthcare to aid the renewal of the Romanian hospital network,” says Jukka Vasara, Deputy CEO of Granlund.

What was found interesting in Finnish healthcare?
The week began with a visit to the Finnish Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, and Henry Pesonen, Head of Hospital Design at Nordic Healthcare Group (NHG), presented the renewal of the Finnish hospital network.

“The conversations focused primarily on the collaboration between primary and specialized medical care, as well as the interactions among various hospitals. Moreover, the visitors were keenly interested in how Finland has implemented its health and social care reform,” says Pesonen.

Dr. Mihnea Samoila, Health Policy Expert from EIB sees that the Finnish Healthcare System is a very good example of integrated care delivered at county level, in which all health care services providers work synergically to achieve common objectives at regional level.

“Health is approached in a more comprehensive way, not as an absence of disease, but as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being. There is an important focus put on prevention and health promotion”, comments Prof. Dr. Dan Timofte, the Manager of Iasi Country Emergency Hospital.

The visitors were also interested in the digitalisation of Finnish hospitals and the construction process. Also new is the Finnish way of involving users in the design process. “The perspective of designing a humane, functional, and space-efficient hospital is exceptional globally,” adds Rami Kolehmainen, CEO of RAAMI Architects.

“Finland has developed a highly skilled pool of expertise in managing projects for building hospitals. It has an extensive experience in matter of “how” very complex projects of building hospitals can be managed and delivered, with an integrated “alliance” approach, based on collaboration, engagement of all parties involved, team work and trust,” says Georgiana Manole the Director of Planning and Financing Strategies Department and Project Manager for the Technical Assistance Program from ANDIS.

Five hospitals in five days
During the week, visits were made to five hospitals that have been recently completed or are under construction. Each was approached from a different perspective. “The visitors particularly appreciated the openness with which we also talked about what each project has taught us and what could be done differently,” says Vasara.

Matti Anttila, chief designer at AW2 Architects, introduced the HUS Meilahti Bridge hospital, explaining how the facilities can be designed for both patients and staff. Kolehmainen, in turn, showcased the only renovation project among the visit sites, the new heart of Kuopio University Hospital, KYS New Heart.

“The guests also went to the construction site to see how the challenges of demolition, renovation, and expansion are tackled in the middle of a 24/7 operating hospital,” Kolehmainen explains.

Toni Salovaara from AINS Group, Minni Paloaho from Granlund, and Ville Holopainen from NHG presented the Oulu University Hospital’s new A and B buildings to the visitors. “The comprehensive service provided by OYS turned out to be exactly what is desired in Romania.”

The Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) method was inspiring
At the end of the week, Vison introduced the Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) model through Laakso joint hospital, which Vison has brought to Finland and many other European countries.

“The Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) method has proved its efficiency in implementing construction projects for the benefit of the project. The idea that all the parties involved in the design, construction and in the delivery of equipment are joined together under a single agreement, sharing the risks, is the key to success for the health infrastructure project in Finland and, for these reasons, we hope that this method of implementing a construction project can be adapted for future projects in our country”, says Cornel Botoraga, Project manager for REH Cluj from ANDIS.

New collaborative opportunities identified
The Romanians were pleased with the arrangements of the visit and the information received from various sites, and new collaborative opportunities were also identified during the week. The Romanian hospital network renewal programme includes besides the three Regional Hospitals, a total of 24 hospitals, some of which are renovation projects.