Strategy at Nordsjællands Hospital

In 2024, the new and state-of-the-art Nordsjællands Hospital will be finished. Before the approximately 4,000 employees move in, they have to be trained in order to work and cooperate in new ways and within a new framework. The vision of the hospital is called ‘Vitality’ (‘Livskraft’), and it consists of six strategic targets that define the ambitions in those areas where the hospital must perform and stand out such that it will become a future point of reference. These ambitions include creating the best treatments and services, clearing the way for a holistic notion of health, becoming a powerhouse for health innovation, and developing intersectoral cooperation.

What is the main challenge in your strategy realization?

Words and taxonomy are incredibly important for a strategy. You must be very precise, as well as clear, with regards to the change you want to happen. We have, for example, worked with descriptions in the strategy such as “right of use rather than ownership” or “as much as possible takes place around the patient”. The short and precise sentences indicate a significant change in the way we approach our patients and our tasks, and they signify a considerable difference between the present and the future. Our words imply that we confront habits and the existing culture.

How do you understand the term "strategy"?

As I see it, a strategy is a direction that shows how a vision can be realized. You must develop a strategy when you have a vision. Normally, strategies last up to three years, but when we build a new super hospital, we need to look further into the future, more than 10 years. The strategy helps us reach the targets that we aim for. We have stressed that it is not a problem if it takes time to decide on a vision and draw up a strategy – because we must be able to hold on to our vision and strategy all the way. In this way, a strategy is a thorough, robust, forward-looking, and ambitious undertaking. One deflates the concept of strategy if one uses it about action plans. Strategy is an ambitious directedness towards the future.

How do you manage your strategy realization?

The task is to build a new hospital. We wanted to challenge the common way of approaching this type of task, so we chose not only to invite healthcare companies for the strategy process but also companies with knowledge about design, architecture, innovation, technology – and about the future that will face us in 5-10 years. If we, as part of the healthcare system, are not constantly sharing our challenges and problems with our surroundings, then we will not come up with any new ideas – and we need those. Our employees can also present possible solutions, but first and foremost they should be part of the early stages of testing new solutions. Otherwise, they will be shocked when they realize that new and different things are actually happening around here.

‍