Etelä-Karjalan hyvinvointialue

What Etelä-Karjalan hyvinvointialue does

Etelä-Karjalan hyvinvointialue (Ekhva) is a public joint municipal authority (kuntayhtymä) established on January 1, 2023, as part of Finland's national social and healthcare reform (sote-uudistus). It holds the statutory mandate to organize public social, healthcare, and rescue services across the nine municipalities of South Karelia: Imatra, Lappeenranta, Lemi, Luumäki, Parikkala, Rautj\u00e4rvi, Ruokolahti, Savitaipale, and Taipalsaari. The organization employs over 5,000 multidisciplinary professionals delivering a unified service portfolio that includes primary care, specialized medical care, dental care, mental health and substance abuse services, maternity and child health clinics, school and student health, elderly care, disability services, home care, residential care, child protection, and 24/7 emergency services. Operating funding comes primarily from municipal taxes and state transfers, with income-indexed customer fees applied to selected services.

Ekhva runs a multi-channel delivery model combining 13 physical wellness stations (hyvinvointiasemat), the Etelä-Karjalan keskussairaala (central hospital), a 24/7 joint emergency department (K1), residential care facilities, home care, and the mobile Mallu-auto clinic that serves rural parishes. Digital channels layer on top of physical care: the Oma Ekhva patient/citizen portal (built on the Suomisote platform) provides 24/7 chat, non-urgent contact, appointment booking, and et\u00e4vastaanotto video consultations across all major service lines. The portal integrates with the national Omaolo symptom-assessment service, the Kanta (Omakanta) personal health record system, the Vihta lab-booking system, HUS laboratory and radiology services, and the Webropol-based customer feedback system. The Palse.fi electronic service voucher (palveluseteli) system channels residents to approved private providers across home care, supported housing, personal assistance, dental care, family care, and vocational rehabilitation, allowing Ekhva to expand effective capacity without direct hiring. Communications are delivered via multilingual website (Finnish, English, Ukrainian, Russian), a mobile app on iOS and Android, and social channels on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

The business model is a publicly funded universal-service provider rather than a commercial revenue model. Ekhva generates no commercial revenue in the venture-backable sense; it is governed by a regional council (aluevaltuusto) representing the nine member municipalities and is subject to oversight by the national Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health. Strategic partners include the Finnish Red Cross for crisis support, the HUS-hosted Poison Information Centre, Saimaan and Vuoksen crisis centres, ARA for home modification grants, the National Centre for Elderly Work, Kela for pensions and rehabilitation, and approved private service providers via Palse.fi. Notable recent activity includes the 2026 restructuring of Ruokolahti service center facilities and a Korkein hallinto-oikeus (Supreme Administrative Court) ruling that the county's budget plan did not meet statutory deficit-coverage requirements.

Name

Etelä-Karjalan hyvinvointialue

Legal name

Etelä-Karjalan hyvinvointialue

Website

https://ekhva.fi

Company type

Public

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Etelä-Karjalan hyvinvointialue (Ekhva) is a Finnish public joint municipal authority established January 1, 2023, providing integrated social, healthcare, and rescue services to the residents of nine municipalities in South Karelia, Finland, employing over 5,000 professionals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Healthcare and Social Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Home Health Care Services (62161), Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly (62331), Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly (623312), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Ambulatory Health Care Services (621)

SIC

Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050), Services-Home Health Care Services (8082), Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Hospitals (8060), Services-Skilled Nursing Care Facilities (8051)

akta.pro primary industry

Hospital/Facility-to-Home Caregiver Placement (HSABAMAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

In-Home Medication Administration (Nurse-Delivered) (HSABALAF), Affordable / Low-Income Assisted Living (Medicaid Waiver Focused) (HLADABAE), Skilled Home Health Therapy Services (PT/OT/SLP) (HLADAFAE), Virtual Urgent Care & On-Demand Teletriage Services (HLAFADAJ), Transportation, Escort & Appointment Accompaniment (Non-Medical) (HSABAAAF)

Keywords

• Public healthcare services
• Social welfare services
• Elderly care services
• Mental health services
• Primary healthcare services

Headquarters

HQ city

Lappeenranta

HQ country

Finland

HQ region

Europe

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Tax Funding: Public healthcare organization funded primarily through municipal taxes and state transfers. No direct revenue generation from services (services provided at point of use).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Etelä-Karjalan hyvinvointialue provides public social, healthcare, and rescue services for all residents across nine municipalities in South Karelia, Finland. Service delivery spans primary care, specialized hospital care, mental health and substance abuse treatment, dental care, elderly care, disability services, child and family services, rehabilitation, home care, residential care, and emergency services, delivered through physical facilities (13 wellness stations, central hospital), home visits, mobile units (Mallu-auto), and digital channels (Oma Ekhva portal, Omaolo, remote video consultations).

Product overview

Etelä-Karjalan hyvinvointialue is a public regional authority providing integrated social and healthcare services (sosiaali- ja terveyspalvelut) across nine municipalities in South Karelia, Finland. The organization operates as a unified service platform rather than a single software product. Its portfolio comprises direct care and social service delivery (health stations, central hospital, dental care, mental health, elderly care, disability services, home care, rehabilitation, and emergency services) alongside a digital services layer. The digital services layer consists of Oma Ekhva (the citizen/patient portal on the Suomisote platform, offering chat, appointments, and remote video consultations), Omaolo (national symptom assessment), Päivystysapu 116 117 (emergency helpline and chat), and Etävastaanotto (video-based remote consultations). Supporting infrastructure includes the Palse.fi service voucher system, Kanta health records, and laboratory/imaging services via HUS and Vihta. Physical service delivery is anchored by the Etelä-Karjalan keskussairaala (central hospital), 13 hyvinvointiasemat (wellness stations), specialized care units, and mobile services such as Mallu-auto (mobile dental clinic). The organization arranges and produces equal and accessible social and health services for all residents across Imatra, Lappeenranta, Lemi, Luumäki, Parikkala, Rautjärvi, Ruokolahti, Savitaipale, and Taipalsaari, employing over 5,000 professionals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Oma Ekhva: Digital services portal for customers to access healthcare services, book appointments, and communicate with healthcare professionals.

Products and services

• Oma Ekhva Digital patient/citizen portal providing 24/7 access to healthcare and social services for residents of South Karelia. Enables chat, non-urgent contact, appointment booking, remote video consultations (etävastaanotto), and messaging with healthcare professionals. Available via web and mobile app (iOS and Android).
• Omaolo National social and healthcare web service that enables citizens to assess symptoms and receive an evaluation of care needs around the clock, with connection to public healthcare professionals when needed.
• Päivystysapu 116 117 National medical helpline (24/7) and chat service (daily 8-20) for urgent care guidance. Callers are routed to the appropriate regional emergency service.
• Etävastaanotto (Remote Consultation) Video-based remote consultation service offered across wellness stations, rehabilitation, oral health, children's and youth services, school health, family caregiving, disability services, social work, and mental health services. Accessed via Oma Ekhva.
• Mallu-auto (Mobile Dental Clinic) Mobile dental clinic (autoklinikka Mallu) bringing nurse and oral hygienist services to rural areas across South Karelia.
• Sosiaalipalveluiden neuvonta ja ohjaus (Iso Apu) Social services guidance and advice service providing low-threshold service guidance, service need assessment, and referrals for elderly, working-age, and disabled persons across the South Karelia region.
• Sosiaali- ja kriisipäivystys (Social and Crisis Emergency Services) 24/7 social and crisis emergency services providing crisis support for accidents, suicide attempts, domestic violence, sudden death, and urgent social care needs across all nine municipalities of South Karelia.
• Hyvinvointiasemat (Wellness Stations) Primary care centers providing nurse and doctor appointments across 13 locations in South Karelia. Services include health advice, wound care, suture removal, vaccinations, and referrals.
• Etelä-Karjalan keskussairaala (South Karelia Central Hospital) Regional hospital providing specialized medical care, emergency services, and various inpatient and outpatient departments including maternity, mental health, and rehabilitation.
• Ikääntyneiden palvelut (Services for the Elderly) Comprehensive elderly care services including home care (kotihoito), supported housing (yhteisöllinen asuminen), around-the-clock service housing (ympärivuorokautinen palveluasuminen), temporary and short-term care, family care, and assistive technology for independent living.
• Vammaispalvelut (Disability Services) Disability services including housing support, accessibility accommodations, personal assistance, developmental disability clinic, mobility support, short-term care, and day/work activities.
• Lasten ja perheiden palvelut (Children and Family Services) Family and child services including maternity and child health clinics (neuvola), school health services, child protection, family social work, divorce counseling, and youth mental health services.
• Mielenterveys- ja riippuvuuspalvelut (Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services) Mental health and addiction services for adults, children, and youth including mental health and substance abuse emergency services, rehabilitation housing, functional rehabilitation, and mobile services.
• Hammashoito (Dental Care) Dental services including routine dental care, emergency dental care, and dental care for children and youth. Dental emergency services are available weekdays, evenings, weekends, and at night (at Meilahden Siltasairaala, Helsinki for overnight emergencies).
• Kuntoutuspalvelut (Rehabilitation Services) Rehabilitation services including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, assistive device loans, and rehabilitation wards, supporting patients' functional capacity and independence.
• Sosiaalipalvelut (Social Services for Working-Age Adults) Social services for working-age adults including income support, social work, adult social services, and integration services. Includes access to Työvoiman palvelukeskukset (employment service centers) and Toimari activity centers.
• Kotihoito (Home Care) Home care services combining home nursing and home help services to support clients' wellbeing, health, functional capacity, and independent living in their own homes across multiple geographic areas in South Karelia.
• Palveluseteli (Service Voucher) Service voucher system enabling clients to choose from approved private service providers for various services including home care, supported housing, personal assistance, temporary home services for families, dental care, and rehabilitation work activities. Managed through the Palse.fi electronic system.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 5,000 professionals providing integrated healthcare and social services across 9 municipalities

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Private Service Providers (via Palveluseteli)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEkhva utilizes service vouchers (palveluseteli) to enable clients to choose from approved private service providers. The electronic service voucher system is managed through palse.fi portal. Service areas include regular home care, support services, oral healthcare, personal assistance, family care, and vocational rehabilitation.
• Finnish Red CrossminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation with Finnish Red Cross for crisis support services and emergency assistance coordination.
• Saimaan and Vuoksen Crisis CentersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional crisis centers providing mental health crisis support and counseling services in collaboration with Ekhva.
• Centre for Advanced Technical Solutions (ARA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerARA handles housing repair grants for elderly and disabled persons, including online services, guidance, and application processing for home modification support.
• National Centre for Elderly Work (Vanhustyön keskusliitto)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides renovation counseling for home modifications, free of charge to clients, helping elderly with home adaptation needs.
• Kela (Social Insurance Institution of Finland)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation for rehabilitation courses, individual rehabilitation, national pension, guarantee pension, housing allowance for pensioners, and care allowance for pensioners.
• Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health (Lupa- ja valvontavirasto, Lvv)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegulatory oversight body for social and healthcare services, handling complaints about service quality and licensing of service providers.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCUyWeBxMOhSqUSTp_dDObBw
• Facebookfacebook.com/EtelaKarjalanHVA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/etelakarjalanhyvinvointialue
• Instagraminstagram.com/ekhva_etelakarjalanhva
• Xx.com/EtelaKarjalaHVA

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Etelä-Karjalan hyvinvointialue