INTERVIEW

Fady Chreih, CEO Regina Maria

 

What are the key components of your organization’s sustainability strategy, and how do they align with your overall business goals? Is there any challenge specific to your industry?

At REGINA MARIA, the unwavering vision we are all driven by, every day, is to grow as a vibrant, socially active organization that prioritizes the health and education of the communities it is part of, while being environmentally conscious.

Our sustainability strategy is multifaceted, focusing on several key areas, such as increasing access to modern medical services, developing national health infrastructure, and ensuring international quality standards. We are also prioritizing telemedicine and digital innovation, health education, and supporting vulnerable communities.

Environmental responsibility is another pillar of our strategy, involving the digitization of services, managing energy, waste and wastewater, while optimizing our carbon footprint. We believe that these initiatives not only address immediate healthcare needs but also lay a foundation for long-term sustainable development.

Business ethics and integrity are equally important, with a strong emphasis on anti-corruption, data confidentiality, and responsible procurement practices. These efforts align closely with our business goals of providing high-quality, accessible healthcare while being responsible stewards of our environment and community.

These initiatives are deeply integrated with our business goals. By ensuring that our services are sustainable, we not only make sure to continue to provide the highest quality of services in healthcare in Romania but also to contribute positively to the environment and society.

One industry-specific challenge we face is the emigration of medium qualified medical professionals. We address this by investing heavily in the continuous professional development of our staff through institutions like the Surgical Training Institute and the European Nursing Academy.

Can you describe the specific steps your organization is taking to transition from traditional business practices to more sustainable ones?

We are tackling sustainability in our company from multiple angles, holistically, following some key initiatives. Firstly, as previously mentioned, we focus on professional development by providing our employees with state-of-the-art training and education opportunities. This is facilitated through our Surgical Training Institute, the European Nursing Academy, and the Royal Club of Physicians.

Environmentally, we have digitized many of our services to reduce waste and improve efficiency. We are also managing medical waste and wastewater meticulously to minimize our environmental impact. Additionally, we have expanded our telemedicine services, which increases healthcare accessibility while reducing the associated environmental footprint of the physical interaction and infrastructure.

Our community support programs, such as our partnership with Teach for Romania or Casa Buna Association, further demonstrate our commitment to sustainability by providing educational and medical support to vulnerable populations.

How do you measure and track the progress of your sustainability initiatives, and what metrics or benchmarks do you use?

We are using a comprehensive set of key performance indicators (KPIs) that cover energy consumption, waste reduction and recycling, water usage, and carbon emissions. We also measure outcomes from our community projects dedicated to health prevention and education, as well as the efficiency gains from digitizing our healthcare services. Benchmarks are set based on industry standards and best practices, and we regularly report our progress in our annual sustainability report. This ensures transparency and accountability, allowing us to continuously refine and improve our sustainability efforts.

What challenges have you encountered in the transition to a sustainable business model, and how have you addressed them?

One specific challenge that I think of, considering that we are over 11.000 employees and collaborators, in hundreds of locations across the entire country, is the transition, altogether, to a more sustainable business model – which is not a facile process. Thus, operationally, integrating sustainable practices across all our operations is complex. However, we are committed to this integration, focusing on energy and waste management, carbon footprint reduction, and overall social and environmental consciousness and responsibility. We rely on a governance framework that ensures these practices are adopted and maintained throughout the organization. Nevertheless, the management of the REGINA MARIA Network is fully committed to ensuring that all of our employees understand the importance of social and environmental responsibility.

How do you engage and motivate your employees, customers, suppliers, and other relevant stakeholders to support and participate in your sustainability efforts?

Engaging and motivating our stakeholders is a top priority. For our employees, we foster a culture of engagement; 82% of our team shows an active and proactive attitude at work on a daily basis. We create a positive work environment that encourages contribution and growth. We make our employees part of our social endeavors through volunteering activities that serve to our social impact commitment to bring positive impact to the community we operate in.

We involve our customers and the community through health education campaigns and comprehensive medical subscription programs that are aimed at prevention. We make sure to raise awareness on health consciousness, as, I believe, this is a key requisite for a healthy and sustainable population.

We are also starting to ensure responsible procurement practices with our suppliers, promoting ethical standards and sustainability throughout our supply chain. This holistic approach ensures that all stakeholders are aligned with and supportive of our sustainability goals.

What do you consider will be the most pressing challenges that the company will need to address in the next 5 years to maintain economic performance while also achieving sustainability goals?

In the next five years, we foresee several challenges, including economic and geopolitical instability, fluctuating energy prices, and the direct impact of climate change on health. Talent acquisition and retention in the medical industry will still be crucial, especially given Romania’s trend of exporting highly qualified healthcare professionals. To address these challenges, we will continue to innovate, invest in sustainable technologies, and strengthen our stakeholder relationships. We will also focus on optimizing our environmental footprint and increasing our involvement in community health and education initiatives, ensuring we remain resilient and adaptable to future challenges.

By proactively addressing these challenges, we aim to balance economic performance with our commitment to sustainability, ensuring long-term success for REGINA MARIA.