EUREGHA is excited to introduce another New Member to Our Network 🌟
As part of our ongoing efforts to strengthen regional health collaboration, we’re pleased to announce the addition of a new full member: the Aarhus Kommune Municipality, from Denmark!
In a special welcome interview, we had the pleasure of speaking with Ivan Kjær Lauridsen, Head of Health and Assisted Living Technology and Sonja Hansen, European Project Officer at the Aarhus Kommune, to discuss their vision and contributions to our network. You can find the full interview below!
Additionally, we’re thrilled to share that EUREGHA continues growing and we will be introducing more new members to our expanding community in the coming months. Stay tuned for more updates!
What are the main healthcare challenges currently faced by Aarhus Municipality?
The main challenges we face are similar to those in many other countries: an aging population, which leads to an increase in chronic diseases among older adults. There is also a shortage of care professionals to look after this growing demographic, compounded by declining birth rates. In our strategies, we are working to address these issues.
Other challenges include the early onset of alcohol consumption and smoking among young people, as well as the difficulties faced by vulnerable groups, such as migrants, who often have limited knowledge of the Danish healthcare system and low literacy, making it harder for them to access and use services.
What motivated Aarhus Municipality to join EUREGHA, and what are your key expectations from this partnership?
The motivation came after having discussed the network with our Central Denmark EU-office in Brussels and after having meet Michele Calabrò, the director of EUREGHA. This was during the Transforming Health and Care Systems Partnership (THCS) General Assembly in Brussels in January 2023. We also know them from participating in proposals and through other networks as well. EUREGHA has also participated in a Horizon proposal where Aarhus was Lead. EUREGHA’s expertise could be of great value for Aarhus Municipality – both the network and their expertise in different areas.
Our expectations are to get to know both the partners in the network and the network itself for collaboration and information about what is going on in the area of Health. It could be for future projects or conferences and for getting information and innovation to Aarhus Municipality.
What are your primary healthcare policy priorities for the next few years?
In the Department for health and care we have clues for a better life, the basis for Health and Cares main strategy: Keep citizens away (they want to be self-reliant if possible), All power to the citizens (they know what is needed in their lives), we are together with the citizens (We listens and create solutions together), set the employees free (to be able to do their best), leadership with intension (Set the target and be ambitious).
The overall strategy for Health & assisted living technology is the following:
The Department of Health & Care wants to:
- Improve implementation of Health and and assisted living technology.
- Innovate through new investments areas:
- Health promotion & prevention
- Stay longer and safer in your own home
- The technological nursinghome
- Retention and recruitment of employees
- Efficiency, management and propulsion
- Efficiency management and progress
- House of Health and Assisted Living Technology
Our current health-policy is from 2020-2024, focusing on Mental, social and physical wellbeing for all.
Under our primary healthcare policy priorities and strategies, we can mention:
- Cross sectorial collaboration between the Region, the municipality and the GP’s. Within the policy area the municipality contributes to promote health and prevent diseases.
- Equality in health – strengthen the collaboration between the sectors health, social and labour market, strengthening the area on CRD and the collaboration with the citizens.
- More healthy years – promotion and prevention
- Strengthening rehabilitation
- Prevention for special target groups – as dementia and CVD
- Fall prevention
- Healthy work environment
- Health and culture
- Aerosol-free outdoor environments
What innovative initiatives has Aarhus Kommune recently implemented that could be of interest to EUREGHA members?
In spring 2024 the municipality started Virtual Healthcare. This means the care-professionals are helping the citizen through a screen. Can be instructions or a short “how are you” visit. The benefits are:
- Increased focus on rehabilitation
- More freedom, flexibility and less interference in everyday life
- Improved physical and mental working environment for employees
What fresh perspectives or insights do you believe Aarhus Kommune can offer to the EUREGHA network in the near future?
We can offer insight in our strategies for older people as our model for escalation – nursing, and about our care pathway. We have close collaboration with the digitization department and our eco-system for our IT-systems and data sharing.
It could also be of value for the EUREGHA network and partners to hear about our education-center for our staff/care-professionals for further education, and also visit and hear about our exhibition area /DokkX, where technology and digital solutions are available to hear about. All citizens can get access to the exhibition, and the different companies have the possibility to introduce the devices to care professionals and the staff from the municipality.
Besides this our experience how to build and run a ‘health house’ for all generations, could be of interest, a ‘house’ where young people, older people, families and a kindergarten can have their say.
