Heated chair, secure locks and food delivery to refrigerator

From April 8 to 11, Jaarbeurs Utrecht was all about healthcare. Naturally, Bouwen aan de Zorg also visited the exhibition trio of Zorg & ict, Zorg & food and Zorg & facility. The exhibitors told with great enthusiasm about what they have to offer to healthcare.

Hospitality, that was Lensen Projectinrichting's main message at Zorg & facility. Brand manager Ilse Masseling: "We want to show that we offer more than just furniture; we provide total projects including floors, walls and window decoration." The company will soon tell this story in its new showroom as well. "We are currently in the process of remodeling, to really make it an inspiration and innovation center. The ideal location to arrive at the best and most unique design with our customers." To make this even easier, Lensen developed a type of game that helps to easily work toward a clear plan. Lensen also showed a special novelty, a heated chair that provides cozy warmth in the seat and back. This furniture should provide targeted heating while allowing the thermostat in the care facility to be turned down. Test chairs will be placed in various locations in the near future to further perfect the design based on feedback. Curious about Lensen's products? A new collection book will soon be available upon request.

Jumbo is of course a well-known supermarket chain, but has also been translating its formula to healthcare for eight years. "Where our strength lies as a supermarket is also a requirement and highly desired in healthcare: customer focus, low prices, flexibility and the local involvement of the stores with healthcare institutions in their neighborhood. This is very much appreciated by customers," says Manager of Commercial E-commerce Kevin Rasenberg. "We want to be there for the customer, for example by actively thinking along with them about transport issues, reducing emissions and delivering even more efficiently." At Zorg & food, Jumbo wanted to introduce even more healthcare institutions to the possibilities it offers. "In the past you had to go along with the rhythm of a delivery service, we actually like to adapt our services to the wishes of the customer. We have learned a lot about the needs of healthcare thanks to our cooperation with Intrakoop. For example, the threshold for orders is low, we offer special options within our ordering environment for healthcare employees and customization is possible for large institutions with multiple locations. Our service has also expanded to include a wide business range, flexible payment options and the ability to change an order up to 24 hours before delivery."

"Zorg & ict is very busy so far," says Managing Director Youssef Benzaim of Dedalus Netherlands. "We meet a lot of existing customers here, but certainly also make new contacts." Dedalus operates worldwide as a healthcare IT company. The company offers solutions based on Open Standards across the healthcare continuum. One example is the general practitioner information system MircoHIS. A new version of this program was delivered in April, ready for Mitz, among other things. With mijnmitz.nl, the patient himself can specify who is allowed to view the GP record. In Utrecht, Dedalus also showed a very new product. "This mini EPD is already being used throughout Denmark and enables 'two way' communication with the hospital from the ambulance. Until now it has only been possible to send information to the hospital, but it also offers many advantages to receive patient information. This allows ambulance staff to provide better care."

With great enthusiasm, Business Development Manager Pieter van Liebergen displays SALTO's new products. "It is incredibly busy, this event absolutely meets our expectations. There was a particularly good response to two different novelties. The first is our Brondool Carelock, which offers many possibilities for locking client rooms. Basically, there is a lot of freedom of movement, but it is also possible to lock a resident in for a short time. After a pre-programmed time, the lock opens again automatically. Setting the locks is easy via an app." Also popular are the lock systems SALTO has added to its range. "Thanks to the acquisition of Gantner, we can also offer lockers, as well as systems to securely lock medicine cabinets. An important advantage is that the associated software can be easily combined with all kinds of other software." Finally, SALTO also showed the Danalock, a replacement of the key cabinet for home care. The motor in the cylinder allows nurses to enter a home with an app.   

At Zorg & ict, KPN showed that the company wants to play a major role in the world of medical data exchange. Since 2006, "You care, we connect," has been the company's motto. "There are so many different applications, links and standards, for healthcare professionals it is almost impossible to keep up," says Information Manager Teun van Bladel. "With KPN Health Exchange, we offer a data infrastructure to bring together ICT solutions for healthcare. In doing so, we facilitate that the sharing and use of patient data is done safely and efficiently." During the exhibition, KPN Health offered several demos, sessions and tours. "Our role is received positively, everyone in healthcare is struggling with security and regulations when it comes to mandatory digitization. We are then a reliable point of contact connecting healthcare system providers with users." Founda Health has been one of KPN's partners since 2023. The Founda Health platform links third-party digital applications such as questionnaires, patient portals or home monitoring solutions to healthcare facilities. The partnership with KPN makes Founda's technology available in full to every healthcare institution in the Netherlands. "For all e-health and other digital applications, this means that they can be connected to healthcare institutions through a single link on the platform."

Human Protection develops restraint products and alternatives in situations of unrest. Many of these products were on display at Zorg & facility, explained by Commercial Manager Roland Kivits, among others. "We are available 24/7 to facilitate a sleep solution or seating solution if needed," he said. One of the latest developments is the Micro-Cosmos bed hood, which, mounted on the back of the bed, eliminates light and noise. The hood allows the patient or client to sleep better. Besides this novelty, Kivits is especially proud of the new Cloudcuddle, developed by students from TU Delft. "Children with disabilities often sleep in a bedbox at home. However, this is not a good solution on vacation or with family. The Cloudcuddle is very light, easy to transport and pumped up on location. An ideal solution to offer children rest and safety, we are currently developing a version for adults as well."

Care Message guarantees tasty and healthy food in healthcare. Cora Heemskerk, Manager New Business and Marketing: "We are a total supplier in the field of food and meals. We deliver these products to the ward or to the refrigerator. In addition, we distinguish ourselves by our specialist knowledge, our seven account managers relieve the customer." In Jaarbeurs Utrecht, Zorgboodschap's new webshop was presented. Important improvements in it are the automatic offer of cheaper or more sustainable alternatives. A budget tool has also been added. "Through our unique meal module, customers can choose to prepare some items themselves while others are pre-cooked. Up to a day in advance, customers can choose how they purchase the food."

"We have a unique position in the healthcare market," says Roland de Bruin, Gerflor's Marketing Manager. "We are an innovative company, offering an innovative solution for every demand, for floor and wall. Thus, we are the top of the top when it comes to floor and wall coverings in ORs." With its technical solutions, Gerflor steps off the beaten path. "We think from the end user's perspective, but also perfect the processing of our products, after all, the whole process is important. Together with the customer, we build technical solutions, for example for new construction projects, but also to renovate without demolition." Gerflor comes up with some 20 innovations every year, from improvements to existing products to whole new collections. Later this year, a new collection book focusing on wet areas will be released. It brings together vinyl decors for walls and floors. "This overall concept shows our customers how easily they can combine these products," says Dr. K. K., who is also the owner of the collection. Natural tones such as sand, copper and clay characterize the collection. The products fit within Gerflor's sustainability goals with up to 30% recycled content, in addition the material is 100% recyclable.