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. 

Fit4Surgery

Program: Lifestyle (Medicine)

“Surgery has the same effect on the body as running a marathon or cycling a tough mountain endurance race. In preparation for the stress of such physical exertion, you train. So why don't we prepare patients for surgery using a training schedule?”

Dr. Baukje van den Heuvel
 

Baukje is a gastrointestinal and oncological surgeon at Radboud UMC and one of the initiators of Fit4Surgery. Patients who ‘prehabilitate’ prior to major surgery reduce the risk of complications by up to 50% and increase the likelihood of a quick and full recovery; ‘better in, better out,’ in other words. Prehabilitation is done with a customized plan focused on mental and physical health that fits the patient's wants, needs, and abilities. Prehabilitation not only improves hospital outcomes, it lowers healthcare costs and improves the long-term health of patients.

The Prehabilitation Delta Plan is an initiative of the Fit4Surgery Foundation and aims to implement multimodal prehabilitation uniformly and qualitatively in all care pathways in all Dutch hospitals in which patients undergo major systemic surgery. The effects of nationwide implementation are scientifically evaluated.

Program: Population health management

In recent years nearly 400,000 Dutch people have used the Personal Health Check (PHC). This has already led many to a timely diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, kidney disease, etc., and inspired participants to take an active approach to their health. They receive insight into and advice about their health, with the guiding principle always being: do it yourself if you can and only get help when necessary. The PHC, therefore, focuses only on the necessary questioning, screening, and measuring in order to avoid unnecessary medicalization and unnecessary healthcare costs.

A first pilot in which a general practitioner deployed the PHC in her practice provided insight into the early detection of risks of, for example, CVRM (cardiovascular risk management), burnout, stress, sleep, and smoking-related disorders. In addition, it has also shown cost savings for blood tests that are more expensive and time intensive when performed through the traditional GP route than the lab tests offered through the PHC.

A national pilot with 15 GP practices starts to further demonstrate the relevance of deploying the PHC through GPs to (specific groups of) clients and to develop an approach for a sustainable, scalable national approach that fits seamlessly with GPs' practices and needs.

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BeBright

Investment theme: Health systems
 

Pushing the boundaries of vitality. That is the mission of BeBright. They believe that the key to success lies in the ability to anticipate and adapt to complex and changing circumstances. In addition to vision and courageous leadership, this requires the vital energy of people, organizations, and ecosystems. As a strategy and innovation agency, BeBright's energetic team of experienced strategists advise, guide and help organizations achieve their goals. They help build regional collaborations and work for organizations in the following areas: healthcare, government, pharma & life sciences, nutrition & prevention, and regional collaboration and ecosystems.

Noaber Ventures invested in BeBright in 2015. Since then, the organization's consulting practice has taken off. In recent years, there has certainly been synergy and cooperation with other activities of ours. Among other things, we have been actively involved in a number of ‘transformation programs.’  Currently, BeBright's areas of focus are less in line with ours. For this reason and because the organization has matured sufficiently, it has been decided to sell our share to management

News

Buurtdokters and Lexmond

Two residents of Lexmond took the initiative to recruit a permanent family doctor for the village. The 2,960 residents of the village had to deal with a string of temporary doctors for quite a long time. When the practice was finally up 'for sale', they took action and contacted Buurtdokters (Neighborhood Doctors), which was willing to take over the practice.

Buurtdokters partners with family doctors to take over existing practices. The doctors are responsible for the medical side and Buurtdokters for the business side: administration, personnel management and, for example, help with innovation.

For more information and media coverage (Dutch only):

• Website Buurtdokters
• Algemeen Dagblad
• Medisch Contact
• RTVUtrecht

Newsitem on Dutch television about Buurtdokters:

News

NewCompliance

Investment theme: Health systems

NewCompliance, a leading innovator in the field of interoperability, data management, and analytics for surgical pathways, has realized a significant new investment to fuel its growth in the USA and Europe. To further emphasize its commitment to the US market, Steve Ross, a seasoned American executive, became the new CEO of NewCompliance. He will guide NewCompliance toward the future by expanding its worldwide market position and strengthening the ACTIQ product portfolio. Both the team of NewCompliance and the investors (Noaber Ventures, Royalis Investments and InnovationQuarter) express their gratitude for founder and former CEO Bo Wiesman's entrepreneurial vision and leadership.

NewCompliance, with offices in The Hague (South-Holland, Netherlands) and Houston (Texas, USA,) utilizes modern interoperable platforms to improve safety and efficiency levels in hospitals throughout the entire surgical patient journey

Powered by its ACTIQ platform, NewCompliance supports healthcare teams with smart and actionable decision support, allowing them to minimize complications and errors while maximizing focus and the amount of time spent with patients.

Current customers include major (academic) hospitals in both the Netherlands and the US such as Maastricht UMC and US-based Memorial Hermann. In 2021, NewCompliance partnered with leading medical technology innovator Stryker Corporation to create the "OR of the Future."