New professorship in Health Governance
With funding from Carl Bennet, principal owner of the listed companies Getinge, Arjo, Lifco and Elanders, the School of Business, Economics and Law at the University of Gothenburg has established a professorship in Health Governance to develop research and education in this field. The first holder is Ewa Wikström.
The healthcare sector faces major demanding challenges. How can we achieve equal health? How do pandemics and crises impact on our ability to continue to provide emergency and planned medical treatment? What role do digitisation, AI and innovation play in the healthcare professions and the interaction between them? What will the consequences of the current demographic changes be in terms of healthcare?
These are examples of national and global challenges studied in the research field of Health Governance. Research spans areas such as collaboration and reimbursement models between healthcare providers, priorities, implementing new working methods and rules, and health economics.
“Health economics and governance of healthcare are areas that are hugely relevant to society. I am delighted that funding from Carl Bennet and a special investment by the University of Gothenburg have enabled us to set up a professorship in Health Governance. The professorship and the research environment surrounding it, will make the School of Business, Economics and Law being able to contribute new, valuable knowledge for society,” says Per Cramér, Dean of the School of Business, Economics and Law.
A wider investment in Health Governance
The professorship is part of a wider investment in Health Governance. Research from the School of Business, Economics and Law and the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, among others, will be brought under one roof in a new Centre for Health Governance, which will also collaborate with the business community and healthcare actors. Building and developing the research and the centre’s operations is an important part of the professorship.
Ewa Wikström’s research focus is governance, leadership, collaboration and implementation of new practices in the healthcare sector. She has also carried out studies of organisational capability and the work environment with a focus on age and health in the workplace. She was previously Professor of Organisation and Management at the School of Business, Economics and Law and has also held a professorship in Public Health Management at the Nordic School of Public Health.
“My research will focus on transformation of the health care sector, implementation of new practices, preventive healthcare, equal health, demographic changes and coordination between actors in the health care system. Other important questions for the future are how digitisation and AI will affect the work, collaboration between different professions and competence of healthcare professionals. At the Centre for Health Governance we will be working on various collaboration and knowledge dissemination activities. The aim is to get our findings out quickly so the healthcare sector can make use of them on the ground,” says Ewa Wikström.
About Carl Bennet
Carl Bennet has a great commitment to society and is, via his company Carl Bennet AB, a major shareholder in the listed companies Getinge, Arjo, Lifco and Elanders. Carl Bennet AB finances research at a number of universities and higher education institutions, including the University of Gothenburg. The investments in research are intended to build and strengthen knowledge environments from both a national and international perspective. Carl Bennet was Chair of the Board of the University of Gothenburg in 2007–2013.
Ewa Wikström, Professor of Health Governance
School of Business, Economics and Law at the University of Gothenburg
+46 (0)31-786 44 89, +46 (0)720-83 55 78, ewa.wikstrom@handels.gu.se
