" Planners form the backbone of the hospital. Everything stands or falls with a good planner. "

Two weeks ago I visited Joey Court; the first contracted planner of Kayak Care. He has been working as a planner in Gynaecology & Urology at the Martini Hospital in Groningen for almost a year now. We spoke to Joey at his regular workplace in the hospital, where he gave us a tour and introduced us to several colleagues, including Miranda, Joey's supervisor. Together with Miranda and Joey, we had an extensive discussion about Joey's progress, what makes a good planner, and the collaboration with Kayak Care.

When Joey started at the Martini Hospital, he had just graduated and had no experience as a planner. I asked Miranda how she was sure that Joey was the right person for the job. She explained that it was a difficult profile to fill. They were looking for someone who was highly analytical, could think strategically, had strong communication skills, and possessed specialized knowledge. 'A planner must have a helicopter view and be able to develop and contribute to strategy'. It was also important that there was a connection between the person and the team, as a large part of the role involves communication and acting as a link between different departments. 'The feeling simply had to be right, and it was with Joey.'

During our conversation, Miranda emphasized how essential planners are for the functioning of the hospital. She said: "The planners are the backbone of the hospital. Everything depends on a good planner."

Joey talked about his onboarding process, where he received a lot of attention for his development and progressed quickly. He never felt abandoned and received a lot of guidance, both from Miranda and the clinic coordinators. He also had the opportunity through Kayak Care to attend the Planning in the Clinic & Day Treatment training to sharpen his skills. The Martini Hospital invested a lot of time and effort in a good onboarding process, which made Joey feel comfortable and fully integrated into the team.

During the conversation, it became clear that Joey, the Martini Hospital, and Kayak Care are very much aligned. We share the same vision and mission, which results in a very pleasant collaboration. Joey knew exactly who to turn to for different matters and felt 100% connected to his department at the Martini Hospital and his colleagues at Kayak Care. This way of working not only results in a good planner but also a satisfied and confident employee who is clearly passionate about his work.

Joey and Miranda, thank you very much for the enjoyable and open conversation!