Nearly all services are performed in Finland by government institutions that are concentrated in health centers and clinics. Privately run facilities such as the Fresenius Medical Care centers are very much the exception.
From product supplier to innovation driver
The 24-strong team at the Finnish branch was therefore all the more proud to be awarded the contract for the two dialysis centers in 2018 by the Hospital District of Helsinki and Uusimaa (HUS), one of the largest administrative entities in the Finnish health care system.
“This success story goes back ten years,” Väänänen explains. “At the time, we had built up a totally new, multidisciplinary team,” recalls Minna Väänänen, Sales Director of Fresenius Medical Care Finland.
Marja Stenborg also came on board back then as part of the medical management team. The nephrologist contributes her medical expertise to turn employees in both product sales and patient care into experts in their field by teaching them specialist medical knowledge. “Our employees are often the first to bring the latest findings and innovative products into hospitals,” says Stenborg.
This has helped to gradually shape the Company’s image as an innovation driver in Finland. In the meantime, Fresenius Medical Care is no longer regarded as just a supplier of machines and materials, but is considered a partner when it comes to improving dialysis care in Finland. “I would say that our joint efforts in the last ten years were instrumental in winning the contract for the two centers,” says Stenborg.