highlights

We have adopted a programmatic approach to address the complex and interrelated elements of systemic change in clearly defined intervention fields. As a pathfinder, Noaber initiates and accelerates such programs with the intent to enhance stakeholder involvement and ultimately hand them over to system-level players or enable others to take on this role if they are up to such a challenge. We seek to remain engaged as long as our involvement results in a meaningful contribution to systemic change towards optimizing health span. We initiated programs focused on population health, lifestyle (medicine), and social health as the main areas that require change and where Noaber can play an enabling role to facilitate the transition toward an active and healthy life. Given the complexity, we plan to remain focused on and actively engaged in these programs for the years to come, while we continually evaluate the need for additional programs that align with the role we want to play and the goal we seek to achieve. 

Buurtdokters’ (Neighborhood Doctors)

General practitioners (GP’s) have less and less time for the core task of being a doctor for their patients. Healthcare is changing and practices are under pressure, while appropriate GP care remains very important for patients. It is defined by access to a doctor in the neighborhood who knows the patients' lives and is available for the long term. ‘Buurtdokters’ is a network for and by GP’s. Together they work on their mission: easily accessible, long-term, and appropriate GP care for everyone.

This starts with a committed team and a well-organized practice. Applying integrated solutions, overview is created and the GP is given time and flexibility so that being a practice owner becomes manageable and attractive. The team is relieved, work processes optimized and, if necessary, IT systems adapted. Follow-up, modernization, training, and guidance will be provided. Everything that is deployed is aimed at improving practice. And all this stems from a future-proof vision and in cooperation with care partners in the immediate vicinity.  

PROGRAM: LIFESTYLE(MEDICINE)

The Dutch Health funds are committed to curing diseases and providing quality of life for people with chronic conditions. But they are also committed to preventing people from getting sick. "And the younger we start doing that the better," they write on The Healthy Generation website. The Collaborating Health Funds (SGF) are implementing a multi-year program to realize a "dream and ambition": the healthiest youth in the world by 2040! Part of this program calls attention to the first 1000 days of a child because these are crucial for a good start. The health of a child before, during, and after birth appears to be an important predictor of problems - both physical and mental - in later life. We are fundraising partners with the Bernard van Leer Foundation for this program because the objective fits with our mission: driving change, improving health.

Program: Population health

Within the Dutch healthcare system, the focus is shifting from a disease-oriented approach to a more population-oriented approach. Since all residents in our country are registered with one general practice, this offers a unique opportunity to perform Population Health Management analyses based on data from general practitioners.

The Johns Hopkins Adjusted Clinical Groups (ACG) system is an internationally used method for predictive population analyses. The model categorizes individuals and maps their health risks based on their health profile, taking into account age, gender, diagnoses, and medications. However, the ACG system was developed with non-Dutch data. Therefore, for wider implementation in Dutch general practice, the system needs to be validated within the Dutch health care system. A study to this end was conducted by Shelley-Ann M. Girwar and Marc Bruijnzeels et al. In 2021, they published an article showing the results of the first use of the ACG system on Dutch GP data. The aim of this study was to investigate how well the ACG system can distinguish between different levels of GP use. The population for this pilot analysis consisted of 23,618 individuals admitted to five participating GP practices within one region in the Netherlands.

Although the use of the ACG system usually recommends the use of both primary care and hospital care data, this study shows that the ACG shows promise when used with only primary care data, especially in a primary care system with a mandatory GP list. "All in all, applications such as the ACG hold great promise for health care systems, as the ability to predict future health use may be beneficial for person-centered health intervention strategies, such as screenings for care management interventions, as well as for local, regional, or even national care management."

Moving with the times, continew! That, too, is a challenge. Sometimes that means changing your logo and corporate identity. We asked Steets, an agency in Veenendaal, for advice. After reviewing our communication wishes, we made a number of decisions. The compound 'oa' had to stay. This so-called ligature has become part of us.

A more radical decision was that we would no longer use the word foundation in the logo because we want to emphasize that all our activities are focused on an unambiguous mission: driving change, improving health. The typeface that was proposed is the Konstant Grotesk. The art director of Steets slightly lengthened the right leg of the 'n': a small, subtle reference to the fact that we seek depth or, in other words, impact. Finally, at the same time as the introduction of the new logo, our website was also revamped with the possibility of choosing a black (modern) or white (traditional) version.

The HealthKIC Foundation was created at the initiative of Noaber and is now also facilitated by Menzis, PGGM, Alles Is Gezondheid, the Bernard van Leer Foundation and the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport.

Our health care system is designed to treat illness. As a result, we lack structural funding for programs that keep people healthy. Moreover, we do not sufficiently measure what does and does not work in the field of health interventions and we lack organizational power. This is why HealthKIC has developed the ‘Kavelmodel’. It adds a number of important and necessary preconditions to the current system. Moreover, it is a model that does not cause a revolution but gives an evolutionary nudge in the necessary direction. In 2021 a start was made to prepare two ‘kavels’: the Achterhoek (the Eastern part of the Gelderland Province) and the municipality of Ede.

Leonie Voragen and Carl Verheijen were guests in the SlimmeZorg podcast in which Arno Rutte talked with them about the Kavelmodel. In the podcast, they talk about how regional care can be organized differently and innovatively. The focus is on improving health within the regional context and working together with all stakeholders in the care and welfare sectors. That means that there is no room for non-commitment

Listen to this episode on your favorite platform!

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/dagBrZ3
Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/dCMNWuX
Soundcloud: https://lnkd.in/dcRZ9R9

Celebrating ‘continew’ity

January 26, 2021 was a special day. Noaber is a family foundation, founded by Paul and Mineke Baan. On Paul's birthday - he turned 70 - the parents transferred the board responsibilities to their children, the second generation. This meant that daughter Annelies and son Rutger became board members of Noaber (Rutger already was) and that Paul and Mineke increasingly distanced themselves from the organization. Of course they are both still active and available for giving advice.

In 2021, we also celebrated our 21st anniversary. To mark the occasion, we released a special ‘triptych’. In a book, author Edwin Venema, described the history of Noaber. Jan den Ouden provided the design and many of the illustrations. Pianist and composer Armin Seggers was asked to interpret the Noaber Journey musically. Finally, the third part of the triptych is a video featuring key people  from the past 21 years, including Paul and Mineke Baan and a few of their children.

The composition, performed by Armin Seggers himself, and the video can be listened to and viewed via:

Spotify
Vimeo