{"id":10973,"date":"2026-01-27T10:14:07","date_gmt":"2026-01-27T09:14:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/svd.kmde.nl\/?p=10973"},"modified":"2026-01-27T10:28:25","modified_gmt":"2026-01-27T09:28:25","slug":"het-managen-van-dit-soort-projecten-is-mensenwerk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/svd.kmde.nl\/en\/het-managen-van-dit-soort-projecten-is-mensenwerk\/","title":{"rendered":"Managing these kinds of projects is people work!"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>\na {\n    text-decoration: none;\n    color: #464feb;\n}\ntr th, tr td {\n    border: 1px solid #e6e6e6;\n}\ntr th {\n    background-color: #f5f5f5;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div>\n<p><strong>Building in the healthcare sector is a discipline of its own. One that we gladly and frequently practice, guided by the DNA of Stevens Van Dijck. But what exactly is our approach when it comes to healthcare projects? A conversation with project manager Tjessy Lensvelt about the collaboration with Nij Smellinghe Hospital in Drachten.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Since last year, you have been involved as a project manager from Stevens Van Dijck in various construction projects at Nij Smellinghe. What does your work entail?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cTogether with my colleague Hillebrand Hartholt, I supervise new construction and renovation projects within the hospital. Construction projects in a hospital environment are often complex, because medical functions generally require advanced layouts and installations, involve many stakeholders, and must comply with legal, regulatory, and operational requirements. Ultimately, for every question that arises, we either ask for or make a decision based on one key thought: what is best for the hospital?<\/p>\n<p>In renovation projects, the relevant department often remains operational during the work. Creating phases and temporary facilities is a fun challenge that comes with this.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Is it interesting to work on these kinds of construction and renovation projects?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cAbsolutely. It\u2019s precisely the diversity of issues in these projects that makes them so challenging. You\u2019re dealing with many high\u2011stake interests. And meanwhile, healthcare continues uninterrupted. It\u2019s rewarding that we can contribute with our knowledge and experience. It\u2019s also gratifying to see that, after completion, high\u2011quality care can be delivered in the improved space. That is ultimately the goal.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>So you are also working in areas of the hospital that remain operational?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s right. At the moment, work on the hospital\u2019s Gastroenterology (MDL) Lab Department is in full swing. The department is located along a corridor used daily by staff and for patient transport. That can be tricky: construction generates dust, and materials must be moved in and out. A construction site isn\u2019t sterile, so we need to create alternative routes for patients and other traffic. In these situations, we consult with all stakeholders and look together for solutions in the phasing or temporary arrangements. These are practical considerations, but at the same time project management remains very much people work\u2014especially in a hospital environment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>You\u2019ll need to explain that. What makes it \u201cpeople work\u201d?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere are many different stakeholders involved in such a project. Take the move from the old to the new lab, for example. That relocation is organized in close coordination with the hospital department and with the construction partners, who actively think along. A construction project where the department remains in operation often comes with some disruption for the users. But by discussing together how to make the process as smooth and efficient as possible, we always arrive at the best possible solution.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>How do you ensure everyone is aligned?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cBy continuously talking, calling, asking questions. For the MDL lab, we fulfill the role of project manager and site supervisor. We work in a construction\u2011team setup, meaning the contractor is involved in the design phase. From Stevens Van Dijck, we lead the construction team and ensure the process runs smoothly. We push for everyone to take responsibility instead of waiting for someone else to act. You need one another.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>These are your first experiences working on healthcare construction projects. What are you learning?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat I\u2019m learning most is that collaboration within the construction team\u2014and between the construction team and the hospital\u2014is crucial to safeguarding project progress. Human interaction plays a significant role: you talk to each other, you see that the other person doesn\u2019t always have an immediate solution either, and precisely through that, you figure things out together\u2014each from their own expertise.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m learning from the senior site supervisor how important it is to keep asking in\u2011depth questions, especially when it involves complex technical matters. Often, that leads to clarity on the best solution or approach. This ensures the right people are at the table and can make the right decisions together.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>How do you look back on your first experiences in healthcare?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cWith our expertise as project managers and site supervisors\u2014through process control, but also through substantive knowledge\u2014we at Stevens Van Dijck meaningfully contribute to hospital projects. That\u2019s not nothing. My work has changed the way I look at hospitals. So much happens here every day. No day is the same; that keeps it challenging and interesting.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Building in the healthcare sector is a discipline of its own. One that we gladly and frequently practice, guided by the DNA of Stevens Van Dijck. But what exactly is our approach when it comes to healthcare projects? A conversation with project manager Tjessy Lensvelt about the collaboration with Nij Smellinghe Hospital in Drachten. Since [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":8287,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[93,94],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10973","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-project-update-en","category-sustainability"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/svd.kmde.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10973","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/svd.kmde.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/svd.kmde.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/svd.kmde.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/svd.kmde.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10973"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/svd.kmde.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10973\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/svd.kmde.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8287"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/svd.kmde.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10973"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/svd.kmde.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10973"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/svd.kmde.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10973"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}