LACK OF PSYCHIATRISTS 

HOSPITAL UNIT: Psychiatric departments in Region South Jutland, Denmark

THE CHALLENGE: Like many regions in Western Europe, the region of South Jutland experienced a shortage of psychiatrists. Individual departments were forced to implement very costly temporary solutions that sometimes also resulted in less continuity in terms of patient care and colleagues in the department.

OUR PROPOSAL: Psychiatry is among the most difficult specialties to recruit internationally. Having recruited several specialist psychiatrists in the past, in close cooperation with the hospital, we agreed on a new approach: to recruit young doctors who wish to specialize in psychiatry in Denmark. The young doctors would pass Paragona's training programme to learn Danish fluently, and complete the professional and cultural integration modules. But their clinical training would be completed in Denmark.

THE RESULT: A team of young doctors were successfully recruited and trained and all commenced specialist training in Denmark. Because of their young age they learnt Danish faster and had an easier task to integrate professionally and socially. The project continued for several years until the demand for psychiatrists was no longer so pressing.

BUILDING A NEUROLOGY DEPARTMENT

HOSPITAL UNIT: Newly formed neurology department, Centre Hospitalier de Douai, Nord-Pas-de-Calais Region, France

THE CHALLENGE: The brand new and ultramodern hospital at Douai opened its doors in November 2008. Although the working conditions in this new hospital are exceptional, they have experienced great difficulties in finding neurologists willing to invest in a long term commitment to build the newly opened neurology department. After the departure of their last neurologist two years ago, the CH Douai has had to send patients to the town of Lens and Valenciennes for neurological pathologies. Since the CH Douai aims to serve a population of 250 000 inhabitants the lack of neurologists puts a lot of pressure on their neighboring hospitals and a solution had to be found.

OUR PROPOSAL: To include the CH Douai in our first project, thoroughly analyze the need of the department, interview heads of departments and hospital management. With that information we screened CVs and invited the most promising Romanian neurologists to our mapping days. We found a senior neurologist with many years of experience. After travelling to Douai t meet future colleagues and the see the town, both parties accepted to work together. The neurologist entered Paragona's training with great motivation and a willingness for a long term commitment.

THE RESULT: The neurologist started to work in Douai on the 10th of February 2009 to gradually develop the neurological activities at the Centre Hospitalier de Douai.

URGENT HELP WITH MAMMOGRAPHY SCREENING

HOSPITAL UNIT: Radiology Department, Aalborg hospital (Århus University Hospital), Region North Jutland, Denmark

THE CHALLENGE: Changes in Danish legislation regarding mammography screenings resulted in significant increase of cases needed to be analyzed within a given time period. The radiology department in Region North Jutland, Denmark, was already stretched in terms of competence for specialist Mammographers and therefore had difficulties in analyzing all images on time.

OUR PROPOSAL: At very short notice, Paragona would send a team of three highly experienced mammography experts. All formal authorization issues as well as practical travel schedule and preparatory training issues would be cleared and all cases would be analyzed according to the EU standard of Mammography Screenings.

THE RESULT: Within a few days the team successfully analysed thousands of cases that had immediate priority. Thereafter the work-flow was planned more smoothly. Paragona is working together with the hospital to combine a Teleradiology solution with regular visits by the flexible specialist teams of Mammography experts. The hospital is able to meet the ambitious targets in terms of amount of analyzed cases on time.