Hennie Boeije has been appointed Endowed Professor 'Organization of (informal) care and support' in the Department of Organization Sciences through The Vilans Foundation. Hennie has a background in sociology and health care policy and management, and she is experienced in the world of research, practice and education.
"The combination of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam with its emphasis on scientific research and education and the Vilans Foundation with its emphasis on the application of knowledge motivates me enormously to get started. What I stand for, such as cooperation, creativity and commitment, come together here," says Boeije. The issues facing care for the elderly and people with disabilities lead to much attention being paid to the coordination of professional care with the care of informal caregivers and volunteers.
Boeije's research focuses on cooperation processes including the development and evaluation of instruments that stimulate and strengthen cooperation. Her interests include the organization of work and the position and identity of professionals in terms of quality of care and job satisfaction. It is these types of questions that the Department of Organization Sciences at VU Amsterdam is concerned with and that are highly topical in long-term care. To answer these questions, the department does a lot of ethnographic research.
Hennie Boeije brings methodological expertise in this field: "Qualitative research and collaboration with experts by experience is important to me. It ensures that the perception and experiences of the people affected are part of the research results. That contributes to feasible and accepted solution directions and instruments."
Department head Sierk Ybema: “We have a tradition in the department in what we call OrgZorg research for short and we are very pleased that Hennie is joining our team. She will succeed Henk Nies with whom we have had great cooperation for many years and whose farewell we are preparing. Hennie's expertise in healthcare change processes, methodological expertise, professional network and academic experience will serve the department and faculty well.”