The UMCG is the only university medical center in the northern part of the Netherlands, and therefore the final point of referral for many patients. Patients go to the UMCG for basic care as well as highly specialist top clinical and top reference care, such as organ transplants, complex neuro-surgery, neonatology, clinical genetics, In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), pediatric oncology, renal dialysis and traumatology. All medical specialties are represented, as well as education programs for all medical disciplines.
The UMCG focuses on healthy ageing in all priority areas: research, clinical care and education. The healthy ageing-related research is bundled in the Institute of Healthy Ageing. This institute forms the shell in which the healthy ageing activities are embedded, such as the cohort study LifeLines, the UMCG Center for Geriatric Medicine (UCO) and the European Research Institute on the Biology of Ageing (ERIBA).
The more than 10,000 employees and 1,300 beds make the UMCG one of the largest hospitals in The Netherlands. It is sometimes called ‘a city inside a city’, because of the architecture, with covered streets that lead to the nursing units and outpatients clinics. Moreover, thousands of employees provide numerous services to even a greater number of patients and visitors. Each year, many symposia are organized in the hospital, with participants from abroad. There are shops, a branch of one of the national banks, gardens, as well as lunchrooms, in order to make patients less aware that they are in a hospital. This philosophy has led to a hospital that is unique in Europe.
Research at the UMCG is characterized by a combination of fundamental and patient oriented clinical research. The interaction between these two stimulates the development of new clinical and research opportunities. Problems that occur in the clinical practice act as a catalyst which sets new fundamental research in motion, whereas fundamental research can come up with new clinical possibilities.
The UMCG is demonstrably among the best scientific educational institutes in the Netherlands in the area of medicine, dentistry and human movement sciences. Groningen is not only renowned for its successful modernization of scientific education, but also has a reputation for its innovation of nursing education and competency-based continuing education, training and courses to (para)medics and nurses. The fact that the UMCG is a forerunner in the development of education and training is underlined by the hyper-modern UMCG Wenckebach Skills Center. In this mini hospital, with operating and patient rooms and an Intensive Care Unit, healthcare providers from different disciplines and educational levels undergo virtual and ‘almost real’ training to practice skills, new surgery techniques and treatment methods. Training for other aspects, such as teamwork, is also available in the Skills Center. At the bottom of this page, you will find a link to more information.
The UMCG is one of the very few hospitals worldwide that perform all organ transplants. This does not only concern kidney, heart, lung, liver, and small bowel transplants, but also combined organ transplants, such as heart-lung, lung-liver, and liver-kidney transplants. The UMCG annually performs over 150 organ transplants. Apart from organ transplants, also skin, thin bowel, heart valve, cornea, bone and bone marrow transplants are carried out.
The UMCG is one of ten recognized trauma centers in The Netherlands. It has all the necessary specialties and facilities at its disposal to immediately treat patients from serious traffic accidents, work-related accidents or violent crimes. In addition, the UMCG has its own trauma helicopter. The UMCG's catchment area covers one-third of The Netherlands. Moreover, many locations are remote and difficult to reach. Therefore, a helicopter is indispensable in getting the specialized medical team, the Mobile Medical Team (MMT), quickly to the scene of an accident. The MMT consists of consultants who can anaesthetize patients on the spot, and are capable of performing small surgical procedures. The trauma helicopter is especially equipped for accident victims. For them, quick, high-quality treatment is crucial.
The UMCG architectures sets it apart from other hospitals. The influence of the patient has played a decisive part in this. The UMCG is designed to embody the reliability of a bank and the kindness of a community center. Construction began in 1983 and is still ongoing. Architects and builders succeeded one another, and each of the outpatients’ clinics was designed by a different interior decorator. Each outpatient’s clinic has its own image and unique identity. The building itself does not dominate or overwhelm, but instead empowers the patients who visit it and the people who work there. This makes the UMCG one of the finest state-of-the-art hospitals of Europe.
Facts (2013)
- Number of employees: 12,425
- Number of medical students: 3,850
- Number of hospital beds: 1,339
- Number of consultations: 521,309
- Number of admissions: 37,249
- 181 PhD defenses per year
- 2,050 scientific publications per year