Tessa Roseboom is the world’s first Commissioner for Future Generations in an academic hospital. She underlines the importance of looking beyond healthcare alone: “We must also invest in prevention, in healthcare professionals who can contribute to this, and in scientific research that can provide solutions. With a focus on the earliest start of life, because that is where you can make the biggest difference.”
Making an impact for future generations
Through research, sharing knowledge and putting that knowledge into practice, Amsterdam UMC aims to make an impact on society. The goal is to help create an environment in which future generations can develop as well as possible, wherever they are born. Roseboom: “That is a big mission and a broad field. Fortunately, there are already many inspiring examples of colleagues who contribute to it.”
Examples from practice
One of the examples featured is the work of paediatric intensivist Berber Kapitein. She noticed that many patients with asthma seen in the hospital come from families with low incomes, poor housing conditions or a migration background. Together with the Public Health Service (GGD), the municipality of Amsterdam and sociologists from Utrecht University, she set up a consortium to investigate how to address asthma inequality in Amsterdam and the surrounding area. Kapitein says: “Dare to step off the beaten path. That is where equal opportunities for health begin.”
Future Generations Magazine
The Future Generations Magazine was launched especially for Future Generations Day. In it, colleagues and partners share their experiences, including Willem de Vries, Arne Popma and Public Health Service director Anna van der Hulst. During the launch, Roseboom presents the magazine cover to Willem de Vries, head of Emma Children’s Hospital, together with a symbolic gift: children’s shoes. “So that we continue to realise that the children of today, and the children not yet born, are counting on us.”
Are you curious to read more? Explore the Future Generations Magazine and discover how colleagues and partners are contributing to a healthier future for the next generations.