"We must find ways to attract and retain caregivers": the new director of Cannes hospital reveals his ambitions

He took up his duties as director of the Simone-Veil hospital at the beginning of the summer.

A recognized professional in the public hospital sector, Jean-Mathieu Defour comes with solid experience and a deeply human vision of the public health service.

The new leader discusses his career, his ambitions for the establishment and his vision of the role of the hospital.

What brings you to Simone-Veil?

First of all, I'm from Toulon, so my family lives between the Var and Monaco. Then, I started out as a caregiver. So I worked in a psychiatric and toxicology emergency medical service in Lyon. There, the HR director pushed me to take the competitive exams. I became a manager. In this role, I was asked to go and build a hospital in the middle of the Amazon jungle, in French Guiana. Which I did. Then I came back and was appointed to Bastia in the middle of Covid. Then I left for Mayotte. And here I am...

How do you find this hospital?

It's a very nice facility. Well-designed, well-maintained, with great teams. From experience, I'd say it takes nine months to really get to know a hospital, and I've only been here for three months. I spend every day in a different department. I take the time to get to know it and write everything down in my notebook. I've visited the emergency room, intensive care, pediatrics, HR, cardiology, urology, and I'm still going... It's a beautiful hospital with challenges like all hospitals: funding and recruitment because medical expertise is scarce. We need to find ways to attract and retain caregivers.

So this is your priority?

My priority is to provide patients with the best possible care, both quality and safety. And that requires good doctors. Therefore, we need doctors who work in good conditions.

What actions are you planning to take to attract and retain healthcare professionals?

I want to develop a more aggressive attractiveness policy than before. Before my arrival, a study was conducted on the Cannes hospital's brand image, its attractiveness, and retention. We're going to build on its results. What's needed is to find that little something extra. And for me, it will be in the working conditions, the projects, the innovation. To attract the younger generations of doctors who worked on it as part of their training and will find it again. We're going to support clinical research. We'll give our staff the opportunity to benefit from a coach. And I want to involve doctors more in the hospital's decision-making within the executive board.

How will you integrate the voice of users?

We have extremely dynamic user representatives, and I want to develop the relationship we have with them. The user service has grown from part-time to two full-time staff members who respond to feedback. And we systematically conduct surveys.

What actions are coming up in the hospital?

I'll pay tribute to my predecessors, particularly regarding the surgical robot that has arrived and will be used in urology, gynecology, and visceral surgery. It was Yves Servant who placed the order. Young surgeons are learning to work with robots. And patients appreciate it. It's a way to increase attractiveness. Yesterday, we launched work on expanding dialysis. Delivery in six months. We're going to open the oncology day hospital and the kangaroo unit, which aims to maintain the child-parent bond even if the baby needs specific care.

How do you see the hospital in five years?

A digital hospital, of course! Using artificial intelligence, we're going to launch a steering committee on the subject.