This is us: all the people working and learning at UMC Utrecht. 16,000 people sharing the same mission – creating tomorrow’s healthcare in which every person matters.

Our behavior is crucial in achieving this goal. Patients, students, employees, and society must be able to trust in our dedication, honesty, and goodwill. A pleasant and safe working and learning environment is essential, where everyone can be themselves and feel valued. We address behavior that makes others feel uncomfortable or upset. It’s not always easy, but it’s easier when we do it together. Are you in?

It starts with us

The UMC Utrecht should be a pleasant and safe place for everyone. That’s why we need to make clear agreements on how we treat each other, but sometimes, even with us, things go wrong. Since 2019, various departments have investigated how employees and students feel while working and teaching at UMC Utrecht. Fortunately, most people experience the UMC Utrecht as a nice place, but not everyone. Some do not perceive the environment as open and stimulating, feel not free to speak up, or experience unwanted behavior. No one wants it, and yet it happens. Sometimes, we don’t say anything about it, (unintentionally) participate in it, or experience the behavior ourselves. It must and can improve. Together, we can make a difference.

What is our goal?

To actively build an open, socially safe, and inclusive working and learning environment together. An environment where everyone feels comfortable and secure. We aim to create a place centred around honesty, clarity, and attentiveness, enabling us to learn from each other and reach great heights.

How do we achieve this goal?

We will start a conversation and assess what is already going well within the UMC Utrecht and what could be improved. We discuss these matters with each other: one-on-one, in teams, during studies or in specially organised discussions (dialogues). In this way we discover what is important to us when it comes to collaboration and learning together. What is happening? How do we handle it? What does UMC Utrecht need to improve on, and how can we best do that? We then translate this into practical tools and training courses to help you. This way, keep improving every day..

What can you expect?

One by one we highlight important topics that will show up in the places where we work and learn. Based on a number of statements, we ask everyone to respond, so that we can gain an even better idea of what is going on. In addition, we will enter into an active dialogue with each other. One-on-one, in teams, in a study context or in organized dialogue meetings. This will tell us what people think is important when it comes to working together and learning together, what we already have to offer, what we still have to do and how we can continue to work on this. It helps us create insight in the skills we need and offers opportunities for developing them.

Contact

This is us is a collaboration between the Education Center, Marketing and Communication, and Human Resources, with support from consultative and advisory bodies and focus groups.

We value and appreciate your input. Because This is us, that’s all of us together. Send your questions and ideas to ditzijnwij@umcutrecht.nl. You will receive a response as quickly as possible, but no later than within a week.

We are working on This is us