Shifting paradigms in an era of change: How Bergeijk municipality shook walls of resistance and builtpillars of trust in the healthcare transition

This case zooms in on a small town in the south of the Netherlands and examines how it set about transforming its healthcare system in response to national healthcare legislation changes. On a national level, existing healthcare models were becoming financially untenable; Bergeijk’s municipality wanted to use this shift of power and funds to local authorities to create a healthcare system that was based on a different mindset, or ‘healthcare paradigm’. We look at how the actors involved used their leadership and communication skills to advocate their vision on humanity and self-empowerment in healthcare, and to generate sustainable healthcare models where the patient is no longer just a passive recipient. The municipality's politicians worked at breaking through old structures and silos, but can we say that they have brought about paradigm shifts? Has Bergeijk municipality succeeded in truly empowering its citizens; or has it simply become The Hague's local mouthpiece that says 'Thou shalt be empowered'?