The University of Twente’s Technical Medical Centre (TechMed Centre) has appointed Jouke Tamsma (55) as new medical director. Tamsma assumed his new position at the TechMed Centre on 15 August, but he will also continue his work as medical specialist with Leiden University Medical Centre (LUMC). With the appointment of Tamsma, the board of the TechMed Centre in Enschede is now complete.
Connecting science and clinical practice
The TechMed Centre is specialized in healthcare innovations through personalized technology and brings together students, scientists, healthcare professionals and entrepreneurs to achieve this aim. One of the key roles of the medical director is to facilitate cooperation with clinical practice, and Tamsma is looking forward to his new role. ‘I will have one foot in medical practice and the other in technology, innovation and science, so I can help students and researchers move between these two worlds. It will be an exciting challenge,’ he says.
New technology indispensable for the future of healthcare
The sector will be faced with many challenges in the coming years. ‘Take the increasing shortage of staff, the fact that people live at home for longer, and the question of how to keep the costs of the healthcare system manageable,’ says Tamsma. ‘At the same time, we want to continue to improve the outcomes of treatments and reduce the burden of disease for patients. New technology can make an important contribution to the future of healthcare.’
International hotspot
‘You could say that all major breakthroughs in medicine are the result of technological developments. The X-ray, MRI scans and, more recently, the emergence of the surgical robot and eHealth are examples of such technologies. The TechMed Centre does not only conduct research into new technology, it is also involved in implementing the innovations in practice and training healthcare professionals to meet the requirements of the rapidly changing medical world. As such, the TechMed Centre is set to become an international hotspot for modern medicine and healthcare and a meeting place for anyone in the healthcare sector who is interested in creativity and innovation. If I can make a small contribution to achieving this goal, I’ll be happy,’ says Tamsma.
About Dr Jouke Tamsma
Jouke Tamsma studied Medicine at the University of Groningen. In 1998 he was awarded a PhD by Leiden University. Since 2000 he has been working as an internist specialized in vascular medicine at LUMC, where he was appointed Director of Medical Affairs in 2010. In addition to his work as internist, he has been a medical specialist advisor to the LUMC Board of Directors since 2018, in which role he is involved, among other things, in establishing regional collaborations between LUMC and partners in healthcare and in the development of innovative care concepts.
About the TechMed Centre
The Technical Medical Centre (TechMed Centre) is a leading innovation hub and contributes to improving healthcare through personalized technology using a combination of excellent research, education and state-of-the-art facilities. The new TechMed Centre site will open this year, on 29 November. The new building will house education and research facilities and the simulation centre all under one roof, which will make the TechMed Centre unique in the world.
