‘My interest in healthcare has really grown here at Enovation.’

When Freek Verzaal (46) tells others he has been working at Enovation for 25 years, it often elicits surprised reactions. Given his relatively young age, it is indeed remarkable. ‘I joined the helpdesk at LifeLine when I was 21, where we only supported the Enovation ZorgMail service at that time. I remember I was the 35th employee and manned the helpdesk alone. Quite a few colleagues have joined since then, haha.’  Time to share his experiences at Enovation! 

What is your function at Enovation?

‘I’m a Project Manager. As project management, we ensure that the services we offer in a quote are delivered in a project-based manner. We manage budget, planning, and results, all in close collaboration with integration services and many other departments within Enovation. Once a project is delivered, it is handed over to Service Delivery Management.’

Could you talk us through your journey at Enovation?

‘I grew with Enovation as it grew. I started doing first- and second-line service and took on some user administration as well. Working at the helpdesk taught me a lot. From handling calls from doctors whose messages weren’t coming through or who needed a new connection to Enovation ZorgMail, to helping people who literally hadn’t plugged the cable into their computer modem. Whatever the question was, I wanted the customer to get a solution with that one call; we were a one-stop shop.’

‘The organisation continued to grow in products and services, and with it, the number of employees. This allowed me to become manager of a team that eventually grew to 16 people. After that, I moved into product management for several products, such as Capsule and Lab4Apo. Then I made the switch from product management to project management.’

‘In the past quarter-century, so much has changed in the IT healthcare sector. It has all become much more complex, which naturally presents challenges. My general interest in technology, combined with many years of experience here, helps me handle them. When I sit next to an integrator, I understand to some extent what they are doing in a technical sense, but I couldn’t replicate it myself, ha ha.’

My general interest in technology helps me.

What do you like about your work?

‘The thing I like about my job is that it’s very diverse. No two projects are the same. I work on projects that require customisation. Take, for example, projects for Ambulance Zorg Nederland (AZN), a great client that uses several of our solutions. I am always ready as a point of contact for AZN, which sometimes means taking on roles outside my job description, which adds a nice variety to my daily tasks. In general, I enjoy being the link between the client and the organisation.’

‘My interest in healthcare has really grown here at Enovation. We truly help improve healthcare, and in that sense, we make a hugely valuable contribution. I like our clients and we have fantastic colleagues. I feel at home here.’

We truly help improve healthcare.

What are you most proud of?

‘It’s just great to work on projects that make clients happy because healthcare genuinely improves through the solutions we provide. Take, for example, the exchange of data from GP posts to AZN ambulances. This used to be done by phone, with a lot of manual input into different systems. Now it’s all digital, which is a crucial link in a sector where every second counts. This means an ambulance can sometimes start driving minutes earlier, which can save lives.’

It can save lives.

‘What also makes me proud is a large migration project we recently had, with tight deadlines. Many departments were dependent on each other, and there were security risks. When it succeeds, and on time, that’s a great achievement. You never do a project like that alone; it’s always a team effort, and it’s wonderful to have such great colleagues.’

What do you do in your spare time?

‘Football is an important part of my family life. I’m married to Marleen, and we live with our two sons in Berkel & Rodenrijs. I played competitive football for a long time and now play in the third team. Both my sons, Nick (13) and Vince (11), also play football at CVV Berkel, and I coach Vince’s team. You could say my life revolves around two places: Enovation and the football club.’

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