Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) today announced that it has signed a strategic partnership agreement with Heart Hospital in Tampere, Finland, to jointly innovate in cardiac care and further reinforce Heart Hospital as a European center of excellence for heart treatment. The multi-year agreement has a value of approximately EUR 19 million, and is the first strategic partnership awarded to Philips in Finland and the third in the Nordic region.
In order to meet the growing demand for cardiac care in the region and beyond, Heart Hospital is renewing its operations, building new facilities, and renovating sections of its existing facilities. The strategic partnership with Philips includes a managed services agreement through which Philips will install, integrate and manage cardiac angiography imaging, cardiac ultrasound imaging, clinical informatics, and patient monitoring solutions, as well as providing maintenance, training and consulting services under a unified payment structure. The contract was awarded following a public European tendering process and covers a multi-year term that runs until 2030. Philips will regularly update the installed systems, making it easy for the hospital to adopt new technologies, procedures and processes as they become available.
Heart Hospital specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiac diseases, with sites in Pirkanmaa and southern Finland, and is owned by Tampere University Hospital. Heart Hospital operates in conjunction with Tampere University Hospital and treats patients in the region who require cardiac care, including (minimally invasive) surgery. The quality of treatment it provides also attracts public and private patients from all over Finland and abroad. The hospital strategically focuses on employee well-being, flexible access to care, the patient experience and partnerships in order to attract the best clinical professionals and offer the best treatment for patients. An essential element of that strategy is equipping the hospital with the most up-to-date and performant equipment, systems, processes and working environments. In particular, the hospital aims to offer its patients a fully integrated, seamless and personalized care pathway that requires the type of informatics-based connected care solutions offered by Philips.
"By partnering with Philips, we will be able to engage in a close and deep collaboration related to the most crucial areas of the Heart Hospital," said Kari Niemelä, Chief Executive Officer and Medical Director at Heart Hospital. "By concentrating on a single equipment and service supplier, this strategic partnership will allow us to get the best possible benefits from the related medical technologies and meet our operational and strategic objectives."
"Healthcare enterprises need a dedicated partner that not only brings technology but also brings in-depth healthcare and patient expertise, together with resources and solutions that will help to accelerate the transformation of their organization," said Jarno Eskelinen, CEO Philips Finland. "Our partnership with Heart Hospital reinforces our leadership in long-term, strategic collaborations, allowing health systems to expand access to quality care and manage costs. This allows them to focus on what matters most - delivering better care to the people in their communities."
The agreement with Heart Hospital places a strong emphasis on innovation and long-term collaboration to achieve coordinated, continuous and collaborative care delivery. In addition to having access to state-of-the-art cardiac imaging solutions and services, such as Philips' IntelliSpace Cardiovascular image and information management system, the hospital will also have access to other advanced informatics and analytics solutions. By delivering the right information to the right place at the right time throughout the flow of care, these systems will support the hospital's cardiologists in making care informed, efficient and sustainable.
To further enhance the experience for patients, their families and the hospital staff, Heart Hospital will have the option of adding Philips' Ambient Experience solutions. Ambient Experience integrates technology (dynamic lighting, projection and sound), spatial design, and workflow improvements to create a comfortable and calming environment for patients, and an efficient, clutter-free workspace for the hospital's staff.
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About Royal Philips
Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology company focused on improving people's health and enabling better outcomes across the health continuum from healthy living and prevention, to diagnosis, treatment and home care. Philips leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver integrated solutions. The company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, image-guided therapy, patient monitoring and health informatics, as well as in consumer health and home care. Philips’ wholly owned subsidiary Philips Lighting is the global leader in lighting products, systems and services. Headquartered in the Netherlands, Philips posted 2015 sales of EUR 24.2 billion and employs approximately 104,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries.
About Heart Hospital
The Heart Hospital is a full service hospital specialized in the treatment of the heart. It is a limited company owned by Tampere University Hospital and provides services for public and private sector patients who require cardiac care or cardiothoracic surgery The Heart Hospital is responsible for providing specialized care for heart patients in the Pirkanmaa district. It also provides services for other municipalities, hospital districts and health care operators. The hospital employs approximately 400 experts, including approximately 60 physicians and has more than 33 000 patients annually. Multidisciplinary competence ensures that patients have a safe, reliable and uninterrupted treatment experience. The Heart Hospital has units operating in Tampere, Valkeakoski and Helsinki.