VU University Medical Center

VU University Medical Center Amsterdam ( or VUmc) is the university hospital affiliated with the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. It is rated as one of the best academic medical centers in the country in terms of patient care and research. It is located next to Amsterdam's A10 ringway in the southwestern part of the city, next to the campus of the Vrije Universiteit and close to Schiphol airport.
On 30 October 2015, researchers at the VUmc Cancer Center Amsterdam reported developing a blood test that, from a single drop of blood, can diagnose cancer with a probability of 97%, and about 6-8% probability of a false diagnosis, in healthy patients. Also since October 2015 the VUmc got the first "MRIdian" system in Europe, currently the most advanced radiation therapy system to treat tumors, because the system has a built-in MRI scanner to aim the radiation optimally.
History.
VU University Medical Center Amsterdam was opened in 1964 as the Academic Hospital of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam(VU). This was made possible by the "Vrouwen VU-hulp" () charity, which was started in 1932 and aimed to support the Vrije Universiteit. Money was collected in the now iconic green tins with the likeness of Abraham Kuyper. These tins were distributed to families of the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands, specifically to the housewives of those families. After the end of the Second World War the charity's goal became to raise money to start a medical school. It took about 7 years before sufficient funds were raised, with the government footing 85 percent of the bill. Because of this, the idea that VUmc was funded by the 'kleine luyden' () still exists today.
VU University Medical Center Amsterdam was created in 2001 by the merger of the Academic Hospital of VU with the medical school of VU, nowadays called VUmc School of Medical Sciences. In June 2013 Wouter Bos was appointed as chairman of the board of directors of VU University Medical Center.
Cooperation and merger.
VU University Medical Center Amsterdam is in the process of merging with the other university hospital of Amsterdam, the Academic Medical Center, which is affiliated with the Universiteit van Amsterdam, Amsterdam's other university.
Care.
Tertiary care departments include advanced trauma care, pediatric and neonatal intensive care, cardiothoracic surgery, neurosurgery, infectious diseases and other departments. VUmc has the largest Level I trauma center in the country and an air medical services helicopter is affiliated with the hospital, covering three provinces.
Special units include:
Research and Education.
The VUmc has one of the highest publications in the Netherlands and has a well known reputation worldwide for class leading research. VUmc has several special research units, some of which are:
The VUmc also focuses on education and has different departments for their students. These are:
The Center of Expertise on Gender Dysphoria (CEGD; or Kennis- en Zorgcentrum Genderdysforie, KZcG), a transgender clinic, is located at the VUmc.
Reputation.
The medical center installed 35 high-grade security cameras and 35 microphones in the emergency department of the hospital for 16 days in January and February 2012 to film the TV program "24 uur: tussen leven en dood" (based on 24 Hours in A&E. After broadcasting the first episode the show was cancelled at the request of the VUmc.
Initially, three patients brought charges against the hospital and the production company for breaking doctor-patient confidentiality, illegal wire-tapping and the breach of Dutch privacy laws. The charges were settled, and VUmc agreed to pay 30.000 euro.