Prof. Dr. M.J.G. (Maria) Jacobs is an experienced healthcare executive with an extensive track record. She began her career in the early 1980s as a personnel manager in various hospitals. In 1994, she became a member of the management team of the then Orbis Medical and Care Concern (now Zuyderland MC). During her time at Orbis, she graduated cum laude with several degrees in business administration and organizational development. In 2003 and 2004, she worked as a project manager at the Máxima Medical Center in Eindhoven, where she was responsible for establishing a new center for planned hospital care. In 2005, she returned to Orbis to lead a large-scale merger process, integrating all home care institutions in Southwest Limburg into the Orbis Group. Under her leadership, this complex project was successfully completed. On May 1, 2008, Maria Jacobs joined the board of directors of the Maastro radiotherapy center. In 2015, she was appointed CEO of Maastro.
Experienced and Innovative
In 2010, she began her PhD trajectory, inspired by the ongoing tension between medical ambitions and financial constraints, and the obstacles encountered when implementing innovations. In April 2019, she earned her doctorate at Maastricht University.
Some key achievements during her tenure include structurally improving Maastros financial position in 2009 and 2010, completely replacing all radiation equipment in 2011 and 2012, and opening a satellite location in Venlo in 2012. One of the most significant milestones was the establishment of a proton therapy center in Maastricht – one of three centers in the Netherlands – making this innovative form of radiation treatment available since early 2019 for patients throughout Southeast Netherlands.
In 2019, Maria Jacobs was appointed professor at Tilburg University, holding the chair of Implementation of Innovations in Healthcare. At Maastro, her current focus is on multiple strategic projects, including establishing an international Brachytherapy Center of Excellence and an associated international training school. Additionally, research and implementation projects are underway for new treatment methods, including radiation applications for epilepsy and cardiac conditions such as arrhythmias. Her teams validated implementation approach is gaining increasing national and international attention. She supervises many PhD candidates.
Honorary Medal of the Province of Limburg
The Honorary Medal of the Province of Limburg is an exclusive distinction awarded to individuals who have achieved outstanding merits for the province of Limburg and its population. These merits must have a provincial impact and be of a very special nature.