Drenthe introduces FlexDrenthe500 to tackle healthcare staff shortages with regional collaboration
Drenthe launches FlexDrenthe500, a regional initiative to address critical staff shortages in healthcare and social services. By 2027, 500 professionals will share talents across organizations, offering flexible roles and better work-life balance for workers while improving care for residents.
| Key Data Point | Details |
|---|---|
| Project Name | FlexDrenthe500 |
| Goal | 500 professionals sharing talents across organizations by end of 2027 |
| Region | Drenthe |
| Lead Organization | Gezonde Marke (with Stichting ZorgpleinNoord as lead partner) |
| Project Duration | Until end of 2026 |
| Key Stakeholders | Vanboeijen, Dignis, Province of Drenthe |
| Provincial Support | Financial and content support from the Province of Drenthe |
| Innovative Approach | Combined roles, flexible deployment, regional coordination hub |
The Province of Drenthe plays a pivotal role in supporting regional initiatives like FlexDrenthe500 to address labor market challenges in healthcare and social services. By providing financial and strategic backing, the province helps foster collaboration among organizations to create sustainable solutions for staff shortages. Gezonde Marke, the network behind this project, focuses on building a resilient and future-proof healthcare system in Drenthe.
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Drenthe launches FlexDrenthe500: new step in addressing staff shortages in healthcare and social services
With the signing of a symbolic regional employment agreement on Friday, March 6, the FlexDrenthe500 project by Gezonde Marke (links to another website) was officially launched. Healthcare and social services organizations in Drenthe are collaborating on a regional approach to tackle the growing staff shortage. The goal is for 500 professionals to share their talents across organizational boundaries by the end of 2027.
The kick-off event was attended by, among others, Yonas Tewelde, Chairman of the Board at Vanboeijen (links to another website), and Leo Wanders, Board of Directors at Dignis (links to another website). Provincial Executive Willemien Meeuwissen of Province of Drenthe (links to another website) received and signed the regional employment agreement, marking the start of joint experiments with innovative regional employer initiatives in Drenthe.
Smarter collaboration
The pressure on healthcare is increasing due to aging populations and rising shortages. At the same time, many professionals are willing to work more hours if their jobs and schedules better align with their preferences. FlexDrenthe500 therefore focuses on the deployment of combined roles and flexible deployment across organizations and sectors.
Various cross-domain experiments are being launched within healthcare and social services organizations in Drenthe as part of the project. The ambition is to create a single Drenthe coordination hub, making schedules more robust and retaining professionals in the region. The approach is intentionally scaled to Drenthe: we will learn what works here and scale successful solutions regionally.
According to Leo Wanders, administrative owner of FlexDrenthe500, the current tight labor market demands a different way of organizing:
By developing attractive combined roles, we can retain and attract more professionals by offering greater variety, challenge, and job satisfaction. This is desperately needed in a sector where workloads are high.
During the kick-off, it became clear that the movement in Drenthe is already well underway. Yonas Tewelde highlighted the regional deployment of specialized expertise.
The specialized physicians (physicians for people with intellectual disabilities) from Vanboeijen now work for eleven other care providers in the region. This broadens and strengthens expertise in Drenthe, precisely where it is most needed.
Broad labor market challenge
The Province of Drenthe is providing financial and content support for this project. Provincial Executive Willemien Meeuwissen emphasized during the meeting that efforts in the healthcare sector are part of a broader labor market challenge:
Innovative projects like FlexDrenthe500 are incredibly valuable for our province. They require extensive preparation and coordination behind the scenes, but they contribute to a stronger region and the earning potential of Drenthe’s professionals. That’s why we fully support this project.
FlexDrenthe500 is being carried out under the banner of Gezonde Marke, with Stichting ZorgpleinNoord (links to another website) as the lead partner. The project runs until the end of 2026.
About Gezonde Marke
Gezonde Marke is the Drenthe movement for a healthier life. In this network, healthcare and social services organizations, municipalities, the province, health insurers, and residents collaborate to build a vibrant Drenthe. The partnership aims to create future-proof healthcare, positive health outcomes, and resilience for people. This is achieved by investing in a strong social foundation, a healthy living environment, a healthy labor market, and accessible care.
The Labor Market Coalition is committed to retaining employees, attractive employer initiatives, regional collaboration, alternative training methods, smarter work through innovation, and hybrid care. In this way, Gezonde Marke is building a future-proof healthcare labor market in Drenthe and the professional of the future: flexible, broadly deployable, and focused on what residents need.
Want to know more?
Visit www.gezondemarke.nl (links to another website).