Uppsala University Hospital and Uppsala University have collaborated for more than 300 years

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Anna-Karin Wikström, R&D Director at Uppsala University Hospital and Professor at Uppsala University, is very proud of the collaboration between the departments. Photo: Uppsala University Hospital.

The first university clinic in Uppsala, Nosocomium Academicum, was established in 1708 in the Oxenstiernska House at Riddartorget in Uppsala. The initiative for this came from Professor Lars Roberg at Uppsala University, and the clinic is considered the foundation of Uppsala University Hospital. Therefore, Uppsala University Hospital has Uppsala University to thank for its start, and the Hospital and the University have more than 300 years of history of close collaboration.

How do Uppsala University Hospital and Uppsala University work together today?

There are formal management forums for collaboration, where the University Medical Board is at the highest level, and the R&DU (FoUU) councils are at the operational level. However, collaboration is also found in numerous centres in specific areas. The goals of these centres are to provide patients with today’s best care and to conduct research to develop tomorrow’s care.

A key common issue is the management of ALF funds, which are reimbursements the government gives to ALF regions for clinical research and practical teaching of medical students. Every four years, each ALF region is evaluated by the Swedish Research Council regarding clinical research. The last evaluation went excellently for our ALF region (joint first place in the country).

Joint strategy for Clinical Research, Development and Innovation, and Education

For the first time, Uppsala University Hospital, Region Uppsala and Uppsala University have written a joint strategy in these areas. In all these areas, the Hospital and the Region depend on each other’s knowledge and structures to jointly identify and solve the most important medical research issues and secure tomorrow’s skills supply in healthcare.

Collaboration through joint staff

However, the greatest collaboration between Uppsala University and Uppsala University Hospital does not go through management but through our joint staff. At Uppsala University Hospital, we currently have almost 200 employees who are adjunct professors, senior lecturers or have combined employment. These people share their positions between Uppsala University Hospital and Uppsala University. Added to this are all the other researchers at Uppsala University Hospital who contribute to the approximately 1,500 annual publications authored by the Hospital’s staff.

As R&D Director at Uppsala University Hospital, I am very proud of the collaboration between the University and the Hospital. Another sign of this collaboration is my position, which is an assignment from the Hospital to a person with a combined position at Uppsala University. My task is to facilitate research and education at Uppsala University Hospital – in the spirit of the University.

Anna-Karin Wikström
Director of Research and Education, Uppsala University Hospital
Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Uppsala University

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