Vacancy: New Member Client Council Zuyderland Medical Center and MSB Zuyderland

Do you want to contribute to hospital care that aligns with what patients and their loved ones need? The Client Council of Zuyderland Medical Center and MSB Zuyderland is looking for a new member. You will think along about important developments, assess plans from the patient perspective, and advise the Board of Directors both proactively and reactively.

Zuyderland Medical Center is a top-clinical teaching hospital with main locations in Heerlen and Sittard-Geleen. As a member of the Samenwerkende Topklinische Ziekenhuizen (Collaborating Top-clinical Hospitals), Zuyderland offers excellent basic care and highly specialized, complex care. Education, scientific research, and innovation are important pillars in this regard.

The mission of Zuyderland Cure is to provide excellent, local, and innovative patient care in a welcoming environment, focused on improving quality of life and in collaboration with partners. The joint course is: the best care, as much at home as possible.

Within the Zuyderland Medical Specialist Company, private practitioners and medical specialists employed by Zuyderland Medical Center are united. The approximately 400 medical specialists have merged into departments. As one of the 27 Collaborating Top-clinical teaching Hospitals (STZ), Zuyderland is a national leader with 19 Top-clinical expertise centers and has been NIAZ-accredited since 2003.

The client council represents the common interests of patients of Zuyderland MC and their legal representatives. Additionally, the client council keeps an eye and ear out for family members, caregivers, companions, and visitors. We think along about developments that affect patients and advise the Board of Directors and MSB board primarily at a strategic and tactical level, within the frameworks of the Client Participation in Healthcare Institutions Act 2018.

We actively gather experiences and signals, follow relevant developments, and always assess proposals from the same core question: what does this mean for the patient? Members participate in, among other things, committees, working groups, patient panels, and reflection meetings.

The client council consists of seven members with different backgrounds, expertise, and portfolios.

In the coming years, the client council specifically asks for attention to:

• Social safety and undesirable behavior towards clients
• The (digital) healthcare transformation;
• Being involved and thinking along during the implementation of the strategic course;
• Increasing the visibility and recognition of the Client Council.

Workplan-CR-ZMC-2026-2028

We are looking for a committed and independent thinker with a heart for care. You can translate diverse signals into the common patient interest and are able to assess complex topics at a high level.

From the new member, we expect you to:

• demonstrably think and act from the perspective of patients and loved ones;
• be able to analyze strategic and policy-related issues and take a substantiated position on them;
• be critical and constructive, ask good questions, and be able to listen well;
• enjoy collaborating, but also dare to take a differing position;
• communicate clearly, both orally and in writing;
• have sufficient time and flexibility to attend meetings and gatherings;
• preferably reside in the service area of Zuyderland.

We preferably seek a candidate who can assess developments and policy proposals at a strategic level and can grasp financial and organizational considerations at a high level. In doing so, attention is paid to the influence of healthcare innovation, digital developments, the physical care environment, service provision, and logistical processes on the accessibility, safety, and experience of patients. The candidate can translate these topics from an independent and critical perspective into what they mean for patients and their loved ones.

We strive for a diverse client council that forms a good reflection of the patients in our region. Different ages, backgrounds, expertise, and a good regional distribution contribute to this.

Candidates from the Westelijke Mijnstreek region are explicitly invited to respond.

Time commitment: on average approximately 5 hours per week; the commitment may vary per week.

Client council meetings: monthly, usually on Tuesday from 5:00 PM, supplemented by meetings during the day.

Term of office: four years, with the possibility of one reappointment.

Compensation: an appropriate volunteer allowance, paid out twice a year.

Appointment: on nomination of the client council by the Board of Directors.

To prevent conflicts of interest, you cannot be a member if you:

• are employed by or perform volunteer work for Zuyderland MC or MSB Zuyderland;
• represent client interests professionally;
• are politically active as a member of a representative body or party board.

Do you recognize yourself in this profile? Then send your motivation letter and CV no later than November 30, 2026 to clientenraad@zuyderland.nl. Selection interviews are expected to take place in December 2026.

For questions, you can contact Mr. E. Slangen, chairman, or Ms. M. Reitsma, administrative secretary, via the same email address.

Reachable via: clientenraad@zuyderland.nl

More information about the client council and Zuyderland can be found at www.zuyderland.nl.