The exquAIro AI Bootcamp for Healthcare Operations, Logistics & Planning Experts brings together healthcare professionals around a central question: how can AI support smarter planning, more efficient use of personnel, and better predictions for patient care? This bootcamp is specifically designed for experts in operations, logistics, and capacity management, with a strong focus on practical applications in hospitals, healthcare organizations, and governmental bodies.
Participants Christel van Dijk (Coordinator research healthcare cost developments, Dutch Healthcare Institute) and Christian van der Hilst (Head of Strategic Analytics, UMCG) share how the bootcamp helps them deploy data more strategically and strengthen decision-making. As Christel explains: “AI provides us with tools to extract more from large datasets and better substantiate our decisions in practice.”
From Data Analysis to Strategic Insights
At the Dutch Healthcare Institute, Christel van Dijk coordinates research into healthcare cost developments, supervises PhD candidates, and is involved in making necessary data available. Christian van der Hilst established the Strategic Analytics team at UMCG, which leverages data to inform strategic hospital decisions such as capacity planning, financial flows, and portfolio choices.
Both participants see AI as a crucial addition to their existing methods. Christel: “It’s valuable to know what more we can do with data. AI provides extra tools to enhance our analyses and support our decisions.” Christian emphasizes that AI allows them to utilize untapped data sources, such as large textual patient records, and generate predictions that traditional mathematical methods cannot achieve: “With generative AI, we can generate new insights or answer questions that previously had no solution.”
Practical Applications at the Core
The bootcamp integrates technical expertise with immediate application. Participants learn to use AI tools, deploy algorithms in production, and create impact with their own use cases. Christel: “AI helps us identify which groups are clear-cut and where discussion is needed. This gives focus and makes analyses directly actionable.”
Christian highlights the team benefits: “Our entire group works with the same datasets and projects, and by following the modules together, we develop a shared language. This creates synergy, helping us understand each other better and apply insights faster.” Christel adds that collaborating with a colleague from the same institution also enhances learning: “You can brainstorm and bring insights directly back to your organization. That makes the learning far more effective.”
The bootcamp also provides insight into other organizations. Christel: “It broadens your perspective and shows how decisions are made elsewhere.” Christian: “We learn about others’ policy and package choices, while our colleagues at the Healthcare Institute see how we handle internal capacity planning. It’s a rare exchange of knowledge.”
Balancing Technology and Context
Both participants noted that the bootcamp combines technical expertise with contextual understanding. Christian: “The technical part was manageable, but applying it in practice is more complex than I expected. It’s about understanding the business, applying steps logically, and presenting results.” Christel agrees, emphasizing that experience and background matter: “You don’t need a degree in econometrics, but knowledge of statistics and data analysis greatly enhances what you get out of the bootcamp.”
Concrete Applications of AI
Both organizations are already applying AI to translate large datasets into actionable decisions. Christian: “We have enormous amounts of data, such as patient records, which were difficult to use until now. Our personnel mobility predictions can soon be executed in seconds rather than hours. This saves time and provides more accurate information for strategic decisions.”
Christel provides a concrete policy example: “With AI, we can better distinguish groups and initiate policy discussions, for example, determining who is eligible for mental health care.” This illustrates that AI not only delivers theoretical insight but can be directly applied to decision-making and policy development.
Looking Ahead
The bootcamp also encourages concrete follow-up actions. As Christian summarizes: “We believe AI can even outperform some external market analyses. That’s a direct gain for the hospital.” Both participants look forward to further collaboration and AI implementation. Christel: “We’ve already scheduled follow-ups to explore appropriate care solutions beyond the bootcamp.”
The final verdict is clear: both participants found the Healthcare Bootcamp intensive, practical, and well-balanced. Christel: “It was refreshing to not only learn the technical aspects but also see the context and practical applications.” Christian: “The length and intensity were just right; it was hands-on, challenging, and immediately applicable in our daily work.”
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