University Hospital, Tampere, Finland

09. May 2025

On May 9, 2025, the FESSH Hand Trauma audited the Department of Hand Surgery at Tampere University Hospital in Tampere, Finland, confirming the department’s recognition as a FESSH Hand Trauma and Replantation Centre.This department already holds the distinguished Hand Trauma and Replantation Centre designation, recognised by FESSH as a centre of excellence. With Finland hosting the FESSH Congress 2025, the department is campaigning for the renewal of this title.

You can view the full article about the audit by clicking the link. FESSH Audit Tampere 2025

If your clinic or hospital is interested in joining the FESSH Hand Trauma Network, check the criteria here:

https://fessh.com/htc-criteria/

Careggi Hospital, Florance, Italy

07 June 2024

The representatives of the Hand Department of the Careggi Hospital in Florance led by Sandra Pfanner welcomed the FESSH Hand Trauma team and introduced the hospital that is one of the biggest in Italy, a hub in Tuscany open 24h/365 and serves 3,7 million people. The Hand Department was founded in 1978.

Hereby the FESSH Clinical Practice Committee HTC team declares that the Careggi Hospital has fulfilled the FESSH HTRC criteria listed on the FESSH webpage (http://fessh.com/htc-criteria/ ) and the approval of the Hospital as HTRC has been confirmed.

 

                   

 

 

Ribera Povisa Hospital, Vigo, Spain

13 January 2023

The FESSH Hand Trauma Committee visited the Ribera Povisa Hospital in Vigo, Spain on  13 January 2023. The team of the Hospital introduced both the data requestedby the FESSH HTC Committee and the department’s infrastructure guiding the team around. The Hospital covers the hand care of approximately 2 million people in Galicia.

Dr. Sonsoles Leal Ruiloba, medical director and Rafael Cabadas Avión, Chief Executive Officer answered the HTC Committee members’ questions.

The HTC Committee’s main impressions:

  1. Detailed protocol created by the hand surgeons is available
  2. Team work between the hand surgeons and their orthopaedic and plastic colleagues
  3. Hand therapy is available in the hospital
  4. More training could be offered regarding hand care (including microsurgery training)
  5. Regular internal conferences between departments for follow-up patients and giving feedback to protocols are highly recommended
  6. The creation of an independent hand unit has been suggested by FESSH HTC Committee with more surgeons specialized on hand.

Hereby the FESSH HTC Committee declares that the Ribera Povisa Hospital has fulfilled the FESSH HTRC criteria listed on the FESSH webpage (http://fessh.com/htc-criteria/ ) and the approval of the Hospital as HTRC has been confirmed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rhön Klinikum, Bad Neustadt, Germany

6 March 2020

Dr. Jörg Schoonhoven, director of the Klinikum introduced the Rhön Klinik both the data requestedby the FESSH HTC Committee and the department’s infrastructure guiding the team around. The Klinik is in a unique situation in Europe as 24 hand surgeons work independently from other departments supported by 14 full time hand therapists covering an area of 300-400 km distance from Bad Neustadt in a brand new hospital complex (finished in 2019).
Dr Schoonhoven, dr Prommersberger, directors and Mr Bochlett, director of administration answered the HTC committee members’ questions.
Hereby the FESSH HTC COmmittee declares that the Rhön Klinikum has fulfilled the FESSH HTRC criteria listed on the FESSH webpage and the approval of the Clinic as HTRC has been confirmed.

 
     

 

 

 

Isala Clinic, Zwolle, the Netherlands

7 June 2019
The FESSH HTC Committee visited the Isala Clinic in order to gain experience regarding the best way of auditing a centre. The HTC Committee analysed the experience and created an audit guide for the coming years (from 2019 on 2 hand trauma centres are planned to be visited yearly).
The audit had 2 parts:
  1. DATA CHECK with the head of the Isala Clinic Plastic Surgery Department the FESSH HTC audit team revised the data provided by the Clinic in a very detailed booklet (prepared exclusively for this occasion) including the statistics of the procedures.
    It became obvious that the different terminology and coding in each FESSH country make comparison and standardizing very difficult.
  2. INTERVIEWS – the HTC Committee and the person giving the interview were without any control from the Clinic’s staff:
    • W.R.Spanjersberg– general trauma surgeon.
    • C.H.Emmelot- rehabilitation doctor
    • H.C.V. de Boer, board member of the Clinic
The HTC Committee’s main impressions:
1.      motivated employees
2.      intense team work
3.      well-structured system (the work is shared)
4.      outcome is checked
5.      there is a medical protocol and hand therapy protocol for all injuries
Hereby the FESSH HTC Committee declares that the Isala Clinic has fulfilled the FESSH HTRC criteria listed on the FESSH webpage on 7th June 2019 and the approval of the Clinic as HTRC has been confirmed.