Early Career
Graduating from Radboud University (MD, 1980), I started my career with
an internship in orthopedic surgery. After a few years I realized that patient care wasn’t my trade. I began to study epidemiology; a branch of science that wasn’t formerly established during that time in The Netherlands. To acquire the necessary knowledge and skills, students had to travel around the world to study with their textbook authors. This was either at their universities or in the most beautiful places in Europe and abroad (amongst others from Boston, Lyon, Santa Margherita Ligure, Como, Rotterdam, Nijmegen to Lunteren and Zeist). Quite an experience for life.
Setting up GGD department for Drug Addiction in Amsterdam in the 80’s
In the 80’s, the research in and treatment of addiction problems gained scientific interest. The GGD in Amsterdam (also known as ‘Municipal Health Organisation Amsterdam’) was the first center that provided outreaching care to drug addicts and derailed psychiatric patients as well as to illegal immigrants lost in a big city.
Their department of ‘Social and Psychiatric Epidemiology’ was unique in its kind and founded to search for treatments and interventions that would be helpful for these target groups. I was asked to fulfill the position of Head of the ‘Social and Psychiatry Epidemiology’ Department. During my time at the GGD we paved the way (together with the University of Amsterdam) to gain global recognition of the so called “Dual diagnosis”. Meaning that drug addiction and psychiatric diseases are inextricably linked together.
Also during this time, epidemiology had found her place as a basic science in Health care studies at several universities amongst which the University of Amsterdam. The GGD surved as a practice and training place for upcoming epidemiology students. This way I got involved in clinical epidemiology and was co-promotor of several PhD students.
After working in population epidemiology in Amsterdam, it felt like a natural transition to start working in clinical epidemiology again in those fields in which I had my first training; orthopedic surgery and rehabilitation medicine Therefore I went to a specialized hospital with worldwide recognition in these fields, the Maartenskliniek in Nijmegen.
Director of the Rehabilitation Center and the Department of Research Development and Education at the Sint Maartenskliniek
At the Sint Maartenskliniek, I was the ‘Director of the Rehabilitation Centre’ and the ‘Director of the Department of Research Development and Education’ for over 18 years. In those years I’ve completed my management training along with a Master in ‘Management & Innovation’ and followed an additionally two years course at ‘Nyenrode Business University’.
After 18 years, I acted as interim manager or interim director at several research institutes such as the Rotterdam Eye Institute, The Viersprong (psychiatric hospital) and the knowledge centre of Zilveren Kruis / Achmea.
Full circle moment; back to my roots in ‘Public Health’
Now, after nearly 40 years in population epidemiology, public health care, clinical healthcare and clinical epidemiology, I couldn’t resist the temptation to turn back to public health sector when I had the opportunity to do so. I became a Medical Advisor at the largest insurance company in The Netherlands. In this job the application of scientific reasoning and scientific knowledge is of importance in the control of health care expenditures. I also lecture at and lead initiatives that facilitate innovations in health care at the University of applied Sciences in Eindhoven.
Sharing knowledge is key
I strongly believe it’s very important to share knowledge and guide health care professionals and students to become better professionals. It’s important to guide and teach the next generation to have an open yet critical view. A health care professional needs to question health care issues, to question teachers and to have his or her own substantiated view of the world. That’s what makes professional live interesting, fun and worthwhile.