az West

What az West does

az West is a Belgian regional general hospital (formerly Sint-Augustinuskliniek, rebranded in 2017) located in Veurne, West Flanders, operating 234 recognized beds with approximately 800 dedicated professionals and serving as the primary hospital — and largest employer — for the Westhoek-Westkust region. The institution traces its heritage to the Zwartzusters, who began providing healthcare in Veurne in 1461, and today delivers a comprehensive range of inpatient, outpatient, day-hospital, emergency, surgical, maternity, pediatric, geriatric, and diagnostic services under the regulated Belgian public reimbursement system (RIZIV), with patients paying standard co-payments.

The core technology stack is built around the nexuzhealth platform: an electronic medical record system, an online appointment booking portal, a patient-facing portal (Mynexuzhealth), a healthcare-provider portal (nexuzhealth Consult), and integrations with COZO for medical data exchange, PACSonweb for diagnostic imaging, and My Gezondheid (eHealthbox) for national eHealth access. Operational digitization includes kiosk-based patient registration via eID, digital admission-declaration signing (rolled out late 2025), a digital ISI+ card, online appointment booking, and a public price simulator for hospital stay cost estimation. The hospital has also deployed navigation-guided robotics for spine surgery (first performed January 2026), a heart failure clinic (December 2025), and a home hospitalization (Thuishospitalisatie) program.

Revenue is generated primarily through professional-service fees for consultations, hospitalizations, surgeries, and diagnostic procedures reimbursed via the Belgian mutuality/ziekenfonds system with patient co-payments, supplemented by ancillary transaction-fee revenue from parking (€3–€10 per visit), the cafeteria, and the volunteer-run hospital shop. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer: patients self-refer for many services, book online or by phone, walk in for blood draws without appointment, and access specialist care via general practitioner referral; clinical capacity is extended through a strategic partnership with AZ Oostende (announced May 2026) and an oncology partnership with AZ Sint-Jan Brugge following az West's September 2026 recognition as an affiliated breast clinic.

Name

az West

Legal name

az West

Website

https://azwest.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

1961

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

az West is a Belgian regional general hospital in Veurne with 234 beds and roughly 800 staff, serving as the primary healthcare provider and largest employer of the Westhoek-Westkust region under the regulated public reimbursement system.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

General Hospital Services

NAICS

General Medical and Surgical Hospitals (622110)

SIC

Services-General Medical & Surgical Hospitals, Nec (8062)

akta.pro primary industry

Community & Regional General Hospitals (HLAFAAAB)

Keywords

• General hospital services
• Inpatient and outpatient care
• Medical imaging diagnostics
• Emergency medical services
• Maternity and pediatric care

Headquarters

HQ city

Veurne

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Healthcare service fees: az West generates revenue through the Belgian public healthcare system, charging fees for medical consultations, hospitalizations, surgeries, diagnostic procedures (lab tests, medical imaging), and day hospital treatments. These are partially reimbursed by the health insurance system (mutuality/ziekenfonds), with patient co-payments for certain services.
2. Hospital admission and stay fees: Revenue from inpatient hospital stays including accommodation, nursing care, medical procedures, and medication dispensing. A price simulator tool is available for patients to estimate costs. Private room supplements apply based on room choice.
3. Diagnostic and laboratory services: Fees for blood tests, medical imaging (X-ray, CT, MRI, ultrasound), pathology, nuclear medicine, and other diagnostic procedures performed at the hospital.
4. Parking fees: Parking fees charged to visitors: up to 30 min free, 30 min–1h: €3, 1–2h: €4, 2–3h: €5, 3–4h: €6, full day: €8, weekly/lost ticket: €10.
5. Cafeteria and retail: Revenue from the hospital cafeteria (open 09:00–17:00 on weekdays, 11:15–17:00 weekends) and the hospital shop selling newspapers, small gifts, and personal care products.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

az West operates as a regional general hospital providing comprehensive medical care including consultations, hospitalizations, surgeries, maternity, pediatric, geriatric, emergency, oncology, and diagnostic services across 234 recognized beds and approximately 800 staff. The hospital delivers specialized clinics (breast clinic, heart failure clinic, pain clinic, pelvic floor clinic, obesity clinic, wound/stoma clinic, sleep lab) supplemented by home hospitalization, digital patient services via Nexuzhealth, and modern innovations such as navigation-guided robotic spinal surgery.

Product overview

az West is a regional general hospital (az West) operating as a single integrated healthcare facility with 234 recognized beds and approximately 800 professionals. The hospital offers a comprehensive digital patient ecosystem centered on the nexuzhealth patient portal, which integrates online appointment booking, medical record access via Mynexuzhealth, digital ISI+ card, and kiosk-based registration. The hospital provides specialized services through dedicated clinics including a Breast Clinic (Borstkliniek), Heart Failure Clinic, Wound and Stoma Care Clinic (Wond- en stomazorgkliniek), Pelvic Floor Clinic (Bekkenbodemkliniek), Obesity Clinic (Obesitaskliniek), and Pain Clinic (Pijnkliniek). Additional patient-facing services include a Price Simulator for cost estimation, Medical Imaging Portal for diagnostic results, and practical amenities such as cafeteria and shop. For healthcare professionals, nexuzhealth Consult provides integrated care platform access, with connectivity to external systems including COZO medical data exchange and Mijn Gezondheid eHealthbox. The hospital has also invested in navigation-guided robotic technology for spinal surgery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Navigation-Guided Robotic Spinal Surgery Advanced surgical procedure using navigation-guided robotic assistance for spinal surgery, available to patients requiring complex spinal interventions.
• Breast Clinic (Borstkliniek) Comprehensive breast cancer care pathway from diagnosis to treatment and follow-up, available locally to breast cancer patients in the Westhoek-Westkust region. Meets strict government quality standards as an affiliated breast clinic.
• Heart Failure Clinic (Hartfalenkliniek) Specialized clinic providing dedicated care for patients with heart failure conditions at az West.
• Digital Admission Declaration Signing Electronic system enabling patients to digitally sign hospital admission documents, replacing paper-based admission processes for streamlined patient intake.
• Digital ISI+ Card Digital replacement for the physical ISI+ patient identification card, enabling patient identification and health data exchange without a physical card.
• Beyfortus RSV Prevention Program Government-subsidized RSV prevention injection for babies born from September 2026, available through the pediatrics department.
• Home Hospitalization (Thuishospitalisatie) Program allowing qualified patients to receive hospital-level care at home, supported by hospital staff and coordination systems, enabling certain treatments outside the hospital campus.
• Prenatal Midwife Consultations Two prenatal consultations with a midwife (around 12-16th and 30-32nd week of pregnancy) that are fully reimbursed by Belgian health insurance.
• Walk-in Laboratory Blood Collection Blood collection services available without appointment during opening hours (Mon-Fri 08:30-18:30, Sat 08:00-10:30). Patients collect ticket stubs from kiosks before proceeding to the lab.
• Price Simulator (Prijssimulator)
• Hospital Cafeteria
• Hospital Shop

Quantifiable outcome

• Full breast cancer care pathway from diagnosis to treatment and follow-up available locally from September 2026
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AZ Sint-Jan BruggecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 August 2026AZ Sint-Jan Brugge serves as the coordinating breast clinic (coördinerende borstkliniek) in the oncology collaboration with az West. As an affiliated breast clinic, az West works under this partnership to provide the full breast cancer care pathway (diagnosis, treatment, follow-up) locally, with complex cases referred to the coordinating center. The affiliation meets strict government quality standards for breast cancer care.
• AZ OostendecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 May 2026az West and AZ Oostende united to provide strong and accessible healthcare in the region. This partnership includes: (1) gynecologists from AZ Oostende providing regular consultations at az West starting August 2026, strengthening the maternity service; (2) continuity of maternity deliveries at AZ Oostende while prenatal care remains at az West; (3) joint collaboration announcements for regional healthcare accessibility. The partnership was formally announced on 21 May 2026.
• KEI (Kenniscentrum Ethische Inferentie / Ethics Committee)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe medical ethics committee is a formal collaboration between KEI and az West. The committee consists of physicians, nurses, the ombudsman, and a confidential advisor. It provides guidance on ethical issues in patient care, including palliative and terminal care, euthanasia, organ donation, and restrictive measures. Patients and professionals can contact the ombudsman for ethical questions.
• VZN KUL (Vlaams Ziekenhuisnetwerk KU Leuven)minorStrategic or Co-development Partneraz West participates in the Flemish Hospital Network KU Leuven (Vlaams Ziekenhuisnetwerk KUL), which aims for excellent and recognized healthcare systems through co-creation and trust, with quality improvement as the top priority and the patient at the center.
• Nexuzhealth (health information system provider)coreTechnology or Integrationaz West uses the Nexuzhealth platform for its patient information system, online appointment booking, electronic medical records (via Nexuzhealth Consult for external providers), and patient portal access. The KWS infrastructure enables external healthcare providers to access patient information through the Nexuzhealth app.
• COZO (Collaboratief Zorgplatform)coreTechnology or IntegrationCOZO (Collaboratief Zorgplatform) is the Belgian platform for medical data exchange and care coordination used by az West. It enables secure electronic sharing of medical data between healthcare providers, improving communication and collaboration across care settings for better patient outcomes.
• Mynexuzhealth / My Gezondheid (eHealth platform)coreTechnology or Integrationaz West is integrated with the national Mynexuzhealth patient portal and My Gezondheid (eHealthbox) platform, allowing patients to access their medical records, laboratory results, and health information. The hospital also supports the digital ISI+ card system for patient identification.
• PACSonweb (Medical Imaging Portal)coreTechnology or Integrationaz West uses the PACSonweb portal for medical imaging results, providing physicians and medical professionals with secure access to diagnostic imaging data. The medical imaging department also burns CDs only upon explicit patient request.
• NMBS (Belgian National Railway Company)minorOthersaz West is accessible by train via the NMBS line running between Ghent, Lichtervelde, and De Panne. Veurne station is a 20-minute walk from the hospital, with a bus connection available to the hospital.
• De Lijn (Flemish Public Transport)minorOthersMultiple De Lijn bus lines (50, 56, 60a, 322, 503, 515, 611) stop directly at the hospital. The Flexgebied regio Westhoek service also serves the area, enhancing accessibility for patients and visitors.
• Donkey Republic (bike sharing)minorOthersAn orange shared bicycle from Donkey Republic is available near the hospital. Users can download the app to borrow the bike for cycling to and from the hospital.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• AZ Delta: Belgian regional hospital network (Roeselare–Menen–Torhout) covering neighboring parts of West Flanders. Comparable multi-site regional model with similar specialty mix and Belgian public reimbursement exposure.
• AZ Turnhout: Regional general hospital in Turnhout, Belgium. Comparable in scale, digital ecosystem (Nexuzhealth-affiliated), and role as a regional employer serving a defined catchment.
• Jessa Ziekenhuis: Regional hospital network in Hasselt, Belgium. Comparable multi-site regional acute-care provider operating under the same Belgian public reimbursement and accreditation regime as az West.
• AZ Oostende: Regional general hospital in nearby Oostende, Belgium, with which az West formalized a strategic partnership in May 2026. Closest comparable by geography, scale, and service mix — both serve coastal West Flanders populations.
• AZ Sint-Jan Brugge: Larger regional hospital in Bruges acting as coordinating breast clinic partner. Comparable Belgian acute-care model with similar digital ecosystem (Nexuzhealth) and broader specialty depth in the same West Flanders region.
• Jan Yperman Ziekenhuis: Regional general hospital in Ieper, Belgium, serving an adjacent West Flanders catchment. Closely comparable size, scope, and community-hospital role; also operates as a regional employer.
• AZ Groeninge: Regional hospital in Kortrijk, Belgium, comparable in scale and service breadth to az West. Similar Belgian acute-care positioning in West Flanders with a similar patient-portal ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• Universitair Ziekenhuis Gent (UZ Gent): Large academic hospital in Ghent within the VZN KUL network. Comparable as a Flemish acute-care provider but at substantially greater scale and complexity, competing for high-acuity specialty cases from az West's catchment.
• CHU de Liège: Large university hospital network in Wallonia, Belgium. Comparable acute-care model and Belgian regulatory environment but at much larger scale; relevant for benchmarking on academic/regional positioning.

Others

• Nexuzhealth (clinics & consortium): Cross-hospital health-IT platform (also a consortium of Flemish hospitals) on which az West runs its EMR, patient portal, and consult platform. Adjacent technology partner rather than a competitor, but materially shapes az West's digital capability and switching costs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/azWest4

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about az West