International Network of Health Promoting Hospitals & Health Services

What International Network of Health Promoting Hospitals & Health Services does

The International Network of Health Promoting Hospitals & Health Services (HPH) is an international membership-based non-profit network headquartered in Hamburg, Germany, and operated by OptiMedis AG. Founded formally in 1993 on the principles of the 1986 WHO Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion and the 1991 Budapest Declaration, HPH connects nearly 600 hospitals and health services across 26+ countries, enabling them to implement health-promoting practices across governance, clinical care, workforce wellness, and environmental sustainability. Its core offerings include the proprietary 2020 Standards for Health Promoting Hospitals & Health Services (available in 11+ languages with self-assessment tools), the annual International HPH Conference (~500 delegates), the HPH eCommunity members-only collaboration platform built on Atlassian Confluence, specialized Task Forces (Environment, Children & Adolescents, Age-Friendly Care, Health Literate Organizations, Built Environment), and a planned eLearning platform.

HPH operates with a lean team of approximately 10 employees at the Hamburg Secretariat, with on-the-ground coordination handled by National and Regional HPH Coordinators across member countries. Revenue is generated through institutional membership subscriptions (tailored to country-specific needs, fee tiers not publicly disclosed), conference registration fees (with member discounts), and resource publications — no pricing schedule is publicly disclosed. The network is governed by a Governance Board and General Assembly, with the CEO Dr. Oliver Groene leading strategic direction. Strategic partnerships with WHO Collaborating Centres, Health Care Without Harm (2022), the International Hospital Federation, and WONCA extend HPH's reach across environmental health, family medicine, and global hospital leadership communities.

The network's growth model is community-led and event-driven: prospective members join via a Letter of Intent and signed HPH Network Agreement; the annual conference serves as the primary venue for knowledge exchange, best-practice dissemination, and member recruitment. HPH is recognized by WHO as a leading voice in hospital-based health promotion and operates with no disclosed venture funding, making it a programmatically funded, mission-driven non-profit rather than a commercially scaled enterprise.

Name

International Network of Health Promoting Hospitals & Health Services

Legal name

OptiMedis AG

Website

https://hphnet.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The International Network of Health Promoting Hospitals & Health Services (HPH) is a Hamburg-based non-profit membership network connecting nearly 600 hospitals and health services globally to implement health-promoting practices through its 2020 Standards framework, annual international conference, and members-only eCommunity collaboration platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Healthcare Professional Association / Hospital Network Membership

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Health Systems Strengthening & Primary Care Development (HLAJAKAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Health Systems Strengthening & Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Partnerships (HLAJAOAL), Global Health Systems Strengthening (BPAGABAD), Health Workforce Development & Capacity-Building (HLAJAKAM)

Keywords

• Health promoting hospitals
• Healthcare network membership
• Hospital quality standards
• Clinical health promotion
• Healthcare professional association

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: HPH provides tailored membership levels to organizations in different countries. Healthcare institutions join by submitting a Letter of Intent and signing the HPH Network Agreement. While membership structure is designed to meet country-specific needs, specific fee tiers are not publicly disclosed.
2. Conference Registration Fees: The annual International Conference on Health Promoting Hospitals and Health Services charges registration fees for participation (in-person and online). HPH members receive exclusive discounts. Average attendance of 500 delegates annually generates registration revenue.
3. Resource Downloads and Publications: HPH makes standards documents, self-assessment tools, policy briefs, and annual reports available to members and the public. Some legal precedent documents for members are provided free of charge. The network publishes policy briefs on climate change, workforce health, AI, and children's rights.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

HPH operates a global membership network of nearly 600 hospitals and health services, providing evidence-based 2020 Standards for Health Promoting Hospitals & Health Services (available in 11+ languages with self-assessment tools), an annual International HPH Conference, the HPH eCommunity collaboration platform, and specialized Task Forces covering environment, age-friendly care, children's rights, health literacy, and built environment. Membership is delivered through tailored country-specific levels coordinated by National and Regional HPH Coordinators, with the HPH Secretariat in Hamburg, Germany managing onboarding and operations.

Product overview

The International Network of Health Promoting Hospitals & Health Services operates as a membership-based network rather than a traditional software product company. Its core offerings consist of membership in a global network of nearly 600 healthcare institutions, the 2020 Standards framework with self-assessment tools, and the annual International HPH Conference. Supporting products include the HPH eCommunity collaboration platform (built on Atlassian Confluence), specialized Task Forces and Working Groups, the Future Leaders Advisory Board, and a planned eLearning platform. The network also provides policy documents, webinars, and awards programs to support health promotion implementation in hospitals and health services worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• HPH Network Membership Institutional membership in a global network of nearly 600 hospitals and health services committed to health promotion; provided with tailored country-specific levels and access to evidence-based resources, self-assessment tools, task forces, and the HPH eCommunity.
• 2020 Standards for Health Promoting Hospitals & Health Services Global umbrella standards framework for implementing health promotion in hospitals and health services, addressing governance, structures, processes, and culture to optimize health gains for patients, staff, and populations. Available in 11+ languages with accompanying self-assessment tools.
• International HPH Conference Annual international conference serving as the main event of the HPH network, providing a forum for learning and exchange on health promotion for health practitioners, consultants, scientists, and politicians; draws an average of 500 delegates per year.
• HPH eCommunity Internal members-only collaboration platform for HPH members, enabling knowledge sharing, best practice exchange, document posting, discussions, and collaboration on HPH topics using Atlassian Confluence software.
• HPH Task Forces and Working Groups Specialized groups focused on specific health promotion areas including HPH & Environment, Children & Adolescents, Age-Friendly Health Care, Health Literate Healthcare Organizations, and Health Promoting Built Environment. Members participate in collaborative research, webinars, and standards development.
• HPH Self-Assessment Tools Downloadable self-assessment tools for implementing the 2020 Standards, available in multiple languages (English, German, Italian, Persian), including PDF and Excel-based instruments for measuring implementation compliance.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 600 healthcare institutions have joined the HPH network, spanning multiple countries and regions globally.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• WONCA (World Organization of Family Doctors)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 October 2023HPH joined WONCA's Call for a Just & Equitable Transition to Sustainable Energy to Safeguard Health, aligning with health professional organizations representing 3 million health professionals worldwide. WONCA held a press conference at #WONCA23 in Sydney, Australia publicly launching the call for world leaders to prioritize health in the face of the climate emergency. HPH's support reinforces its commitment to environmental health.
• Health Care Without Harm (HCWH)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 February 2022HPH and Health Care Without Harm (HCWH) announced a strategic partnership in February 2022 to improve healthcare delivery by reducing environmental footprints of hospitals and health services. The partnership aims to share and develop knowledge, skills, and resources for members (600+) to adopt best practices toward net-zero emission healthcare. HCWH is a global leader in environmental health, and the partnership combines HPH's health promotion framework with HCWH's sustainability expertise.
• Planetree InternationalminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 June 2020HPH and Planetree International participated in a 'pop-up' coalition of over 60 organizations to preserve family presence during pandemics. Together they developed guidelines for responsible, compassionate family presence during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, benefiting patients in acute care, behavioral health, pediatrics, and long-term care settings worldwide.
• WHO Collaborating Centre for Health PromotioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHPH organizes webinars in partnership with the WHO Collaborating Centre for Health Promotion, including the Social Prescribing webinar series focused on raising awareness of social determinants of health, link working, and community connections. The collaboration addresses non-medical health concerns through innovative community-based approaches.
• International Hospital Federation (IHF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHPH works closely with the IHF on multiple initiatives including the #BeyondtheCallofDuty COVID-19 recognition program and the World Hospital Congress. HPH's CEO Dr. Oliver Groene spoke at the IHF's 44th World Hospital Congress in Barcelona (2021) and the network participated in the 45th Congress in Dubai (2022). The IHF spans over 60 countries and serves as a major platform for HPH's global visibility.
• ECHO (European Children's Hospitals Organisation)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe HPH Task Force on Children and Adolescents is included in the ECHO Toolkit: Supporting Rights of Children in Hospital. This partnership advances the rights of children in healthcare settings through ECHO's network of pediatric hospitals across Europe.
• EACH (European Association for Children in Hospitals)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe HPH Task Force on Children and Adolescents collaborates with EACH to promote children's rights in hospital settings, including the development of standards and self-assessment tools for health promotion with children and adolescents.
• RED NOSESminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHPH partnered with RED NOSES to deliver a joint webinar on 'Children's Rights to Play and Participate in Artistic Activities in Healthcare Settings' (March 2024), promoting the right to play for hospitalized children.
• UN-HabitatminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe HPH Task Force on Age-Friendly Health Care participated in a virtual UN-Habitat Expert Group Meeting on 'Inclusive Cities for All' (May 2020), contributing expertise on age-friendly healthcare environments within inclusive urban planning.
• WWF Fingers NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe HPH Task Force on Age-Friendly Health Care collaborates with the WWF Fingers Network on research related to healthy aging, linking healthcare promotion with environmental sustainability.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• International Hospital Federation (IHF): IHF is a global membership organization representing hospitals and healthcare organizations across 60+ countries — analogous to HPH in mission (advancing hospital practice internationally), membership model, and event programming (World Hospital Congress). HPH is an active IHF partner and speaker at IHF congresses.
• International Society for Quality in Health Care (ISQua): ISQua is an international membership network for healthcare quality and safety, including accreditation bodies, hospitals, and policymakers — directly comparable to HPH in international scope, membership-based structure, and standards-development focus.
• European Hospital & Healthcare Federation (HOPE): HOPE is a European membership federation of hospital and healthcare associations, coordinating exchange and policy across European countries — comparable in membership-network structure and international health-policy advocacy to HPH's European footprint.
• Planetree International: Planetree operates a global membership and certification network for person-centered care in hospitals and health services — directly comparable to HPH's model of paid institutional membership, standards-based frameworks, and recognized international network. HPH and Planetree have already partnered on a COVID-19 family-presence coalition, underscoring their overlap.
• Health Care Without Harm (HCWH): HCWH is an international coalition working with hospitals and health systems to reduce environmental footprint — overlapping with HPH's environment/health-promoting hospital agenda. The two signed a 2022 strategic partnership, indicating deep operational and member-overlap alignment.
• International Union for Health Promotion and Education (IUHPE): IUHPE is the global peak body for health promotion and education, with members across regions and a remit aligned to the Ottawa Charter. Like HPH, it works to embed health promotion into health systems and operates through national/regional networks.

Broad incumbents

• Joint Commission International (JCI): JCI is the global gold-standard hospital accreditation body, with substantially larger scale and a more compliance-driven model than HPH. While not a direct membership network in HPH's style, JCI defines the standards landscape in which HPH's health-promoting standards must coexist.

Others

• WHO Collaborating Centre for Health Promotion (Hanover / relevant national CCs): WHO Collaborating Centres support WHO's health-promotion program of work and partner directly with HPH. They sit in the same conceptual domain but operate under WHO governance rather than as independent membership networks.

Emerging players

• Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) / WHO & UNICEF: BFHI is a global WHO/UNICEF hospital designation program that uses standards, self-assessment, and designation — analogous to HPH's standards-based membership approach but focused narrowly on maternity and infant feeding practices. It illustrates the same model HPH applies more broadly.
• Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) — Age-Friendly Health Systems: IHI's Age-Friendly Health Systems initiative is a movement-based, standards-driven program for hospitals serving older adults — overlapping with HPH's Age-Friendly Health Care Task Force in mission, member base, and methodology, though operating as a U.S.-originated initiative.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hphnetwork
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/international-network-of-health-promoting-hospitals-health-services

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about International Network of Health Promoting Hospitals & Health Services