Foreword of the Executive Board

Building the best care together, for now and the future

In 2025, we once again took important steps to deliver the best possible care, conduct impactful research and train the healthcare professionals of tomorrow.  

We are proud of – and grateful for – the dedication, expertise, and commitment of all our colleagues. Together, we make a difference every single day.

Patients are central

At UMC Utrecht, the person behind the patient takes center stage. For us, that is self-evident. In 2025, we strengthened this commitment by placing additional focus on the ‘We would like to get to know you’ questionnaire and, for example, by introducing a buddy program for trauma patients. At the same time, we continue to innovate care by organizing care at home more often, whenever possible.

We also advanced the use of artificial intelligence (AI) (new window). We use AI to reduce administrative burdens and to organize care processes more efficiently. At the same time, we are increasingly applying AI in healthcare. An example is a predictive model for patients with metastatic skin cancer (new window) (melanoma). AI can identify immune cells in tumor tissue that indicate the likelihood of success of immunotherapy. Of course, the specialist always remains ultimately responsible; AI merely supports the assessment..

Education and research on the move

In 2025, our research once again contributed to tangible progress for patients. UMC Utrecht plays a key role in the development of regenerative medicine. A promising development, for example, is bioprinting. These types of developments are important because they make us less dependent on scarce donors in the future and allow us to better respond to future healthcare demands. By closely connecting research and care, we bring innovations into practice more quickly.

With the philosophy of De Nieuwe Utrechtse School, we train healthcare professionals who are prepared for the healthcare of tomorrow. This means focusing not only on medical knowledge, but also on interdisciplinary collaboration, addressing societal challenges, and fostering resilience and wellbeing. We train professionals who can adapt to change and contribute to sustainable healthcare.

We don't do this alone. We work closely with partners in the region, nationally, and internationally – from academic institutions to social organizations and companies. Together, we increase the impact of our knowledge and innovations in prevention and care.

Sustainability

Human health and the health of our planet are inseparable. In 2025, we took further steps toward sustainable healthcare, including improving the energy efficiency of our buildings and renewing the Wilhelmina Children's Hospital (WKZ). In doing so, we take responsibility for current and future generations. We are also incredibly proud of our green teams, in which colleagues work on sustainable initiatives.

Towards the future

We do a lot of good at UMC Utrecht, and we can be proud of that. Yet we must transform, precisely so that we can continue to fulfill our societal role in a healthy and successful way in the future. Healthcare demand is growing and becoming more complex, while staff and resources are scarce. At the same time, fewer people are choosing a career in healthcare, and society expects us to keep care affordable. We are transforming to ensure that our work remains attractive, high-quality, affordable, and accessible. This is not easy, but we can do it. Because we are UMC Utrecht.

With a new organizational structure, we are working towards an agile and future-proof UMC Utrecht. We do this carefully, with an eye for our people and with attention to the way we collaborate efficiently, effectively, and with as much enjoyment as possible. Only by continuing to commit ourselves together – as one UMC Utrecht – with enthusiasm and dedication, can we continue to innovate and improve.

By making a difference today, we build the healthcare of tomorrow together.

Because every person counts.

Executive Board of UMC Utrecht