NETCARE
NETCARE
Healthy Netcare Continues
Delivering Excellence PRODUCTION: Manelesi Dumasi
Leading South African private healthcare provider Netcare is driving forward with several initiatives and awards that demonstrate its industryleading status. Investments into new technology and an unwavering focus on patient care make this powerhouse provider almost unrivalled. www.enterprise-africa.net / 3
INDUSTRY FOCUS: HEALTHCARE
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Things continue to move at pace for South Africa’s leading private healthcare business, Netcare. Even with uncertainty surrounding the future of the country’s healthcare industry, with the onset of NHI, Netcare’s progress is fast. Ongoing development and improvement have helped the JSE-listed group to deliver impressive financial results and outstanding services for patients. Featured in Enterprise Africa in October 2015 and February 2017, Netcare has been growing significantly since its establishment in 1996. With just four hospitals upon listing in the same year as its establishment, the company now has 54 hospitals, more than 10,500 hospital beds, more than 21,700 employees, and seven training campuses among a range of other industry-leading facilities. When it comes to defining excellence and industry-leading business, it is hard to look beyond Netcare as an example. Through 2018 and 2019, the company has further displayed its ambition and quality by completing acquisitions, celebrating anniversaries, achieving African firsts, and collecting numerous awards.
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AKESO After successfully exiting its operations in the UK, Netcare has bolstered its local presence after acquiring Akeso Clinics - a group of 12 dedicated mental healthcare facilities. Approved by the Competition Commission in March 2018, the deal was first announced in November 2016. The acquisition was reported to be worth R1.3 billion. In March, Netcare CEO Dr Richard Friedland said: “We are continuously exploring ways to improve our service offering to patients and have recognised the growing demand for mental healthcare services in South Africa. “The Netcare Group is a leading provider of primary, secondary and tertiary private healthcare services in the country, but is largely underrepresented in the mental healthcare field, as we do not currently have bespoke or dedicated mental health or psychiatric facilities in our portfolio. “Akeso has an outstanding reputation, a well-respected and experienced management team, and an excellent patient-centred clinical programme. We therefore believe that the acquisition of Akeso provides a strong platform from which to expand our
// THIS TECHNOLOGY COULD SIGNAL A NEW ERA IN PERSONALISED JOINT REPLACEMENT // mental health services in South Africa.” Allan Sweidan, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Akeso Clinics said that the deal would help Akeso to grow its footprint and access further investment. Across Africa, there has been an absence of treatment for mental health problems, and in 2018 South Africa, Nigeria and Ethiopia were experiencing 75% and 90% treatment gaps respectively. Clearly, the need for services like those delivered by Akeso are vital - many doctors describe the relationship between mental and physical health as inseparable. SPRINGS In Springs, at the Netcare N17 Hospital, celebrations were underway in August as the hospital celebrated its 20th anniversary. Opened in 1998, with a range of state-of-the-art technology,
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// THE NETCARE GROUP IS A LEADING PROVIDER OF PRIMARY, SECONDARY AND TERTIARY PRIVATE HEALTHCARE SERVICES IN THE COUNTRY //
the N17 was built on the grounds of an old polo club. In its early days it as known as the Tonk Meter Hospital because of its location next to the Tonk Meter Road. After being acquired by the Netcare Group in 2007, the hospital has become even further entrenched in the community while always adding to its impressive and vast range of services. “The 20th anniversary is an important milestone not only for the hospital but also for the communities we serve,” said Jaco du Preez, General Manager at N17. “Our management team and staff members have embraced on-going improvement and our hospital has made a great contribution within the community over the years, with staff having cared for and touched the lives of many thousands of patients and their families.” “Since inception, progress has been the primary objective of the hospital. This was driven by quality medical service delivery, excellent facilities and equipment and a quest for on-going learning. The hospital culture has long been one of efficiency and dedication,
which have always been evident from the excellent relationships between staff and patients,” adds Du Preez. Located on the outskirts of the busiest metros in South Africa, and perfectly positioned on an easy to reach transport route, the N17 has always faced capacity constraints. “One of our greatest challenges through the years has been the facility’s capacity constraints. Today, Netcare N17 Hospital is a modern, 175-bed facility, which serves the communities of Springs and surrounding towns as far as Secunda,” he adds. Fortunately, N17’s service portfolio is wide-ranging. In addition to emergency medical care, a wide range of medical disciplines is provided including ear nose and throat surgery, maxillo-facial surgery, neurosurgery, obstetrics and gynaecology, all of which are supported by diagnostic services. The hospital can accommodate adult, paediatric and neonatal patients requiring intensive care. Facilities also include paediatric, medical, surgical, and combined wards as well as a maternity unit.
AWARD WINNING In September, Netcare celebrations continued when the company was labelled as the best employer in the healthcare sector at the South African Graduate Employers Association (SAGEA) Employer Awards. The awards are based on a survey undertaken by more than 2000 graduates where elements including brand, training and development opportunities, and range of programmes and roles available are reviewed and graduates are asked to pick the company they think has the most to offer. The award is a coup for Netcare, which is highly reliant on the ongoing development of a talented local employee base. “Netcare seeks to distinguish itself as a foremost employer of choice, and we strive to attract and retain talented individuals, including young graduates, to the healthcare sector,” said Peter Warrener, Netcare Group’s Human Resources Director. “This award is therefore a validation of our collective efforts over many years, and I would like
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INDUSTRY FOCUS: HEALTHCARE
to extend the company’s appreciation to all who contributed to this achievement. “We place considerable importance on staff engagement and development to empower our people and encourage innovation, critical thinking, proactiveness, continuous development and life-long learning. At the same time, Netcare is a values driven organisation that emphasises care, passion, dignity, participation and truth in our approach to everything we do. “We look forward to developing more young graduates and nurturing their talents within Netcare in the years to come, knowing that our approach to attracting and retaining quality staff ultimately benefits our patients and the quality of care we are able to provide,” he added. A consumer focussed business, it is vital for Netcare to deliver service of the highest standards ensuring positive outcomes, strong brand recognition, and a culture of excellence. Later in September, Netcare was in Washington DC, picking up the Sub-Saharan Africa Region Corporate Energy Management Award from the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE). The AEE is recognised as the world’s leading authority in the global energy industry and these awards are highly sought after. This is the first time an African healthcare company has claimed an award, and Netcare was delighted. “No company in the world today can afford to ignore the environmental impact of its operations and, as a responsible corporate citizen, Netcare has invested significantly in green technologies and more environmentally friendly and sustainable practices,” said Richard Friedland. The awards reflect the company’s approach to energy sustainability and
follow on from two awards claimed in 2018 from the South African Energy Efficiency Confederation (SAEEC) for Commercial Corporate Company of the Year and Commercial Energy Project of the Year. Over the past six years, the company has undertaken a review of its sustainability programme, resulting in the initiation of several energy saving projects. The result of these projects is a major reduction in carbon footprint of more than 47,000 tons of CO2 per year. The projects include the use of modern heat pumps, optimisation of HVAC systems, installation of solar generating panels across 53 sites, and a major R130 million refit of lighting where more than 100,000 outdated lights were replaced with efficient alternatives. The result of the lighting project alone was a saving of 17,000,000 kWh in just one year (40% of Netcare’s lighting load). “Netcare’s considerable success in environmental sustainability demonstrates our forward-thinking, innovative and disruptive approach, not only in the way we deliver healthcare, but also in terms of future-proofing our operations to play our part in a cleaner, healthier environment for all the people in our country,” said Friedland. “Every member of the Netcare family has contributed towards these achievements. I would like to congratulate the operational and technical teams, as well as the staff members at all of our facilities for the support of the various environmental projects we have undertaken around the country. We especially thank our sustainability team led by Theuns Langenhoven, Johan Durand and André Nortje for their guidance on our environmental sustainability journey
// TODAY, NETCARE N17 HOSPITAL IS A MODERN, 175-BED FACILITY, WHICH SERVES THE COMMUNITIES OF SPRINGS AND SURROUNDING TOWNS AS FAR AS SECUNDA // 6 / www.enterprise-africa.net
// NETCARE AND NETCARE ST ANNE’S HOSPITAL ARE DELIGHTED THAT THEIR EFFORTS AND INVESTMENT HAVE RESULTED IN THEM MEETING THE STRINGENT TSSA LEVEL I ACCREDITATION REQUIREMENTS // and for keeping the Netcare and South African flag flying high. “It is most rewarding that Netcare’s efforts to help secure a ‘greener’ future for our country have been recognised internationally. We remain fully committed to environmental sustainability, as we believe our initiatives are a critical investment in the future of our communities and country,” said Friedland. ROBOTIC SURGERY October was a breakthrough month for Netcare, and the wider healthcare industry, when the group pioneered the use of Mako robotic arm assisted surgery system for the first time ever on the African continent. At Netcare Linksfield in Johannesburg, a total knee replacement was carried out by orthopaedic surgeon, Dr Chris McCready. For Netcare, the hope is that the advancement of this technology, which is common globally and can be used for hip replacements, can help streamline the process, bringing this much needed surgery to more and more Africans. “There is no national register for local total knee replacements currently, but with an estimated 8000 to 10,000 total knee replacements taking place in
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South Africa each year, this technology could signal a new era in personalised joint replacement,” said McCready. “This technology determines the dimensions for the surgical cuts to the bone surfaces, so that the best sized implanted joint components can be selected for each patient, and the placement and alignment of the implanted components can be planned in advance. During the operation, the robotic arm system provides detailed visual, auditory and tactile feedback to the surgeon, which helps to enhance surgical precision in positioning and
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aligning the knee implants. “The robotic arm system, which is controlled by the surgeon at all times, provides an additional safeguard for the patient because it ensures that only the specific areas identified in the personalised pre-surgical plan can be operated on, and thus prevents damage to critical structures within the knee. “Benefits for patients that have been noted in outcomes recorded internationally for this advanced surgical option include the achievement of a better balanced and more natural feeling implanted knee, less post-
operative pain and quicker recovery time,” added McCready. Based on international examples, the hope is that this type of technology can help to reduce the length of hospital stay, improve recovery time and offer more options for those in need. ACCREDITATION IN KZN Proving Netcare’s commitment to the provision of world-class emergency healthcare, the Netcare St Anne’s Hospital in Pietermaritzburg was, in October, recognised by the Trauma Society of South Africa (TSSA) with Level 1 Trauma Accreditation. The facility, which recently went through an extensive upgrade programme, was recently relaunched and was proud to become the first private facility in KZN to achieve Level 1 trauma accreditation. Craig Murphy, Regional Director of Netcare’s coastal region highlighted the importance of such acknowledgement. “This is a memorable day for Netcare St Anne’s Hospital, which has become the first private facility in KwaZulu-Natal and one of only three private facilities in South Africa to achieve this remarkable feat. “Netcare and Netcare St Anne’s Hospital are delighted that their
NETCARE
efforts and investment have resulted in them meeting the stringent TSSA level I accreditation requirements. We congratulate all of those involved in achieving the accreditation, and particularly the practice of trauma surgeons comprising Professor Damian Clarke, Dr John Bruce, Dr Vassil Manchev and Dr Ian Donkin. We also wish to thank the Netcare national trauma team under the aegis of Mande Toubkin for their considerable support in ensuring that the accreditation came to fruition.” There is a dire need for world-class trauma facilities in the region, proven by the 300% increase in severe trauma patients transported to the hospital by emergency helicopter in just one month after the new accreditation. “At the beginning of this month, a patient was electrocuted by a 22-kilowatt high voltage line in a remote part of the Eastern Cape. According to the patient’s employer, the closest ambulance would have taken more than four hours to get the seriously burned patient to the closest hospital from where he would have had to be transferred to another facility that was able to provide the level of treatment and care required,” said Murphy. “The employer said that thanks to the Netcare 911 helicopter emergency
service [HEMS] and the Netcare St Anne’s Hospital’s expert trauma team, the employee’s life was certainly saved as he was stabilised and received life-saving treatment in the shortest time possible.” This recognition is vital for the hospital and significant for the advancement of practice, and medicine, in the province. KZN is home to 78 hospitals which cater for a range of different conditions. Not all are suitable for a trauma centre, and this makes it essential for those with capacity to ensure treatment is of the highest standard. Netcare is well aware of its responsibilities. “Given Netcare’s commitment to improved trauma outcomes, the team at the hospital has worked in close collaboration with the TSSA and Netcare’s national trauma team to facilitate the accreditation. It is impressive to note that Netcare St Anne’s Hospital now joins the renowned Netcare Milpark and Netcare Union hospitals, situated in Johannesburg and Alberton respectively, as the country’s top TSSA-ranked private trauma facilities,” said Mande Toubkin, Netcare’s General Manager: Emergency, Trauma, Transplant and CSI. “Essentially, the Level 1 accreditation is an indication of the
application of best practice and having the required skills and facilities in place to treat alllevels of trauma, including life-threatening Priority One patients with complex and/or multiple injuries.” Currently, 25 Netcare emergency departments are TSSA accredited and the company is keen to continue the roll out across the remaining hospitals. At the core of the Netcare offering is a promise of ‘providing you with the best and safest patient care’, and this accreditation in KZN is the perfect example of the lengths the company will go to to ensure it is sticking to its values. All of the success through the second half of 2019 is just a small example of the fantastic work that has been going on at Netcare, across South Africa, for the past 23 years. Investment into quality technology, development of staff, ensuring long-term sustainability, and growth into modern areas of medicine and healthcare are all underway ensuring that Netcare is well positioned for the future to achieve on of its central goals: ‘Being a leading corporate citizen, proud of our heritage and what we contribute to society’.
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