Case Study: Sant Joan de Reus Hospital, Spain
Putting the patient first
in times of austerity
Nestled in the Tarragona province in the
southern part of Catalonia since 1986,
Sant Joan de Reus Hospital experienced
a major change when it was relocated
to a neighbouring new, leading-edge
healthcare facility in 2010.
With the ambition to be of service to
the community and become a model of
excellence in the provision of healthcare,
the public hospital’s management team
took up the challenge to transfer its
operations from an aging and obsolete
health centre to a new state-of-the-art
hospital at the heart of a technology park.
In Spain, a country largely affected by
economic austerity and cost pressure, this
was no easy task.
In a three-year time frame, Reus Hospital
has become South Catalonia’s most
up-to-date healthcare facility and one of
Europe’s newest and most technologically
advanced hospitals which has strongly
improved the patient experience
throughout the region. At 92,000 square
metres, the brand-new health centre
trebles the size of the old hospital and has
become a reference site for treatments
such as oncology, bariatric surgery, plastic
surgery and repair and thoracic surgery.
that he faced to fund the relocation of the
hospital in 2010. In times of financial crisis
and severe public spending cuts in Spain,
the hospital needed to find a solution to
cope with the lack of funds and obtain the
required cutting-edge medical equipment.
The complexity of the situation came from
two conflicting priorities: on the one hand
the aspiration to serve the community
and enhance the patient experience, on
the other hand the need to be financially
viable and sustainable in the long term.
The mission of funding a state-of-the
art hospital in a challenging economic
context
With the aim of unlocking resources to
focus on what matters most for patients
and acquire the desired technology, the
hospital was looking for a partnership
with a leading medical equipment
manufacturer who could offer an
Carles Abelló Pellicer, Financial Director
of Reus Hospital, recalls the challenges
innovative financial solution through
leasing. Further to a public tender process,
GE was selected as Reus Hospital’s sole
supplier of medical equipment and leasing
solutions. Thanks to its close collaboration
with GE Healthcare, GE Capital stepped
in to help the hospital overcome strong
cost pressure and budget constraints,
offering a tailored and flexible financing
structure. Reus Hospital and GE Capital
engaged in a 10-year Active Technology
Partnership strategic plan whereby GE
Capital will support the hospital’s growth
plans during the term and automatically
refresh the hospital’s technologies with
the newest equipment.
“We have been able to leverage the enhanced
level of technology to offer a more human and
personalised service to our patients.”
Carles Abelló Pellicer, Financial Director of Sant Joan de Reus Hospital
“GE Capital extensively structured the deal
to meet our financial requirements. Its
bespoke approach, demonstrated through
its advanced pricing tool and expert team,
has clearly made the difference in the
public tender process and the selection of
GE Healthcare,” states Mr Abelló.
Benefiting from GE’s holistic offer
encompassing the equipment, funding,
insurance and maintenance, Carles Abelló
Pellicer was able to equip the new centre
with the latest healthcare equipment with
zero impact on the hospital’s balance
sheet and debt level.
Delivering world-class patient
experience through leasing
By enabling Reus Hospital to access
sought after medical equipment, GE
Capital has been a key contributor to the
delivery of high quality patient care in the
new premises. The leased equipment’s
high technical performance has been
paramount in achieving the primary
ambition of the new centre – fighting
against the tough economic environment
to put the patient first. The outstanding
technological progress has resulted in
faster processes, enhanced efficiency
and higher levels of productivity and
performance for doctors, medical staff
and nurses. The leased equipment,
encompassing radiotherapy and
diagnostic imaging equipment, nuclear
medicine equipment, surgery and
laboratory equipment as well as electro
medicine equipment, has been critical
to deliver a great patient experience
regarding diagnosis, comfort and
promptness. Carles Abelló Pellicer reveals:
“We have been able to leverage the
enhanced level of technology to offer a
more human and personalised service to
our patients. For instance, the improved
accuracy of the CT’s image results in
much more accurate clinical diagnosis
and can save the life of our patients in
critical cases.”
As the hospital partners with a
neighbouring medicine university, 600
students train on the leased equipment
from GE Capital on a regular basis. By
providing first-class medical equipment
to the students, Reus Hospital and GE
Capital contribute to the professional
development of the doctors of tomorrow.
Our Financial Solution
•€6m leasing facility.
•Active Technology Partnership:
10-year strategic plan.
•Operating lease.
•GE Healthcare chosen as sole
supplier of the medical equipment
in the new healthcare facility.