Access Blocking at Ghent
University Hospital
Case study
Reference no 609-007-1

This case was written by Professor Dr Paul Gemmel and Lieven De Raedt,
Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School. It is intended to be used as the basis for class discussion rather than to illustrate either effective or ineffective handling of a management situation. The case was made possible by the co-operation of an organisation that wishes to remain anonymous.
© 2009, Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School.
No part of this publication may be copied, stored, transmitted, reproduced or distributed in any form or medium whatsoever without the permission of the copyright owner.

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609-007-1

CASE STUDY

VLGMS-0903-C

Access blocking at Ghent University Hospital
Prof. dr. Paul Gemmel and Lieven De Raedt

One sunny morning at the end of September 2006, Dr. Paul De Meester, professor of healthcare management at Ghent University, was invited for a meeting with the CEO and the Chief of Medicine of Ghent University Hospital. Professor Van Dijk, the CEO, and
Professor De Clercq, the Chief of Medicine, were concerned about conflicts between the hospital’s emergency department (ED) and some of the internal nursing departments
(INDs). They showed Dr. De Meester a letter from Dr. Peter De Ridder, the chief emergency physician. Dr. De Ridder did not understand why the CEO had communicated a message about the low occupancy rate of the beds in the hospital, although he had been confronted for some years with the phenomenon of access blocking in the ED. In his letter, Dr. De Ridder further indicated