bouwens& OLVG

Since Covid-19 hit our society, Dutch hospitals are receiving and treating an impressive number of patients, employees, and guests. The OLVG in Amsterdam contracted bouwens& to streamline this operation. Our 1.5 Meter Hosts create a safe and inviting care environment for both of the city’s locations.

The OLVG is a city hospital for the greater Amsterdam area, with main locations in the east and west side of town. With 24/7 basic care and emergency units, an intensive care, and a unit for mothers and their new-born children, the OLVG is a pillar in the city’s care structure. Each year, more than 500.000 patients pass their front desks.

Joyce van der Putten is OLVG’s Head of Front Office Operations. She’s responsible for a safe reception and departure of everyone that visits the hospitals. “Obviously, corona presented us with some new challenges to deal with”, says van der Putten. “We receive thousands of patients and visitors and employees a day. It’s essential that they all do so in a safe, responsible, and pleasant fashion. At the moment we work with restricted numbers of visitors. This asks for a firm yet friendly way of supervising. That’s where the bouwens& 1.5 Meter Host steps in.”

1.5 Meter Host

“Supervising 1.5 meter regulations is crucial when it comes to protecting general health, but for organisations it’s also quite an important condition in their daily operation”, says bouwens& COO Tessa de Grijff. “We train our professional hosts to become specialists in this field. They help organisations with the implementation of social distancing regulations. In crowded environments, our 1.5 Meter Hosts provide safety and clarity.”

De Grijff stresses the importance of an inviting, service minded, and accessible attitude. “Especially in a hospital, where people are likely to feel out of place, nervous, or sad, hosts should make people feel at home. They should truly take a load off their shoulders and support them whichever way they can.”

General Health

Van der Putten: “The 1.5 Meter Hosts and our own security officers monitor the number of visitors in the hospitals, to ensure that regulations are complied with. At the same time, they see to appropriate social distance and perform health checks. These pragmatic checks consist of a short survey and symptom diagnosis. The OLVG is known for its hospitality and accessibility, as a hospital should be. Even in these challenging times, we want to live up to this reputation.”