The annual budget of Karolinska University Hospital exceeds 10 billion Swedish kronor (SEK). Our hospital is fully owned by the Stockholm County Council and managed under a corporate structure.
Responsibility for hospital organization and management rests with the Board of Directors, whose members represent a range of professional backgrounds and skills. They support the management team to assure that our hospital fulfills the care contracts established with the County Council. We have formulated a strategy for the future based on our current position, our assessment of future trends, our corporate vision, and the framework established by political decisions. We maintain open lines of communication concerning our current activities and future aspirations. As a key player in the medical arena, we have an obligation to encourage debate about health care.
Our management team is backed up by a sound financial strategy. We use the balanced scorecard approach in strategic management, which is a unified system for leadership, management, and quality improvement. It can be applied throughout the hospital, benefiting the executive level, the divisions and departments, and individuals.
In April 2004, our hospital adopted a new environmental policy and three strategic goals related to the environment. Environmental actions in 2005 focused on informing and educating hospital leaders, administrators, and staff about the new environmental management system, the chemical registry, and the environmental auditing system. In July 2005, we achieved environmental certification covering of the entire Karolinska University Hospital complex.