The Jan Yperman Hospital has a long and rich history. Discover all about it here.
Jan Yperman is the name of a medieval surgeon from the 13-14th century. He was associated with the Ypres Belle Godshuis. At the beginning of the 14th century, Jan Yperman wrote two works on surgical and internal medicine. These manuscripts remained hidden until the end of the nineteenth century, when they turned up in London. In his time, Jan Yperman was a pioneer and innovator in the field of surgery and medicine. Do you want more information about Jan Yperman? The Yper Museum looked into it.
The Jan Yperman Hospital was formed by the merger of three smaller, regional hospitals. It took place on 1 June 1998. These were the Kliniek Zwarte Zusters in the centre of Ypres, the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwziekenhuis on the present-day campus in Sint-Jan, and the Mariaziekenhuis along the ring road in Poperinge. The main purpose of the merger was to facilitate medical care which was impossible to provide by a small hospital alone. In the picture you can see, from left to right, the Kliniek Zwarte Zusters (which was partly demolished in 2019 to make way for flats), the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwziekenhuis and the Mariaziekenhuis.
After the merger, it was decided to centralise most of the activities on one campus in Sint-Jan (Ypres), while maintaining an outpatient clinic in Poperinge and several smaller campuses. In November 2002, a major new building and renovation project started, in several phases.
In the first phase, a new building was erected in 7 levels, in a characteristic Y-shape, with the three legs of the letter Y. That Y-shape is also seen in the hospital's logo.
Then the south wing was rebuilt and expanded. The medical-technical block includes the emergency department, the operating theatre, the laboratory and the intensive care unit.
In a further phase, a whole series of departments were thoroughly renovated, including the maternity ward. There, mother and baby receive the very best care in a warm and modern environment.
In the final phase, new geriatric departments were built and the hospital was given a new reception area, above which the administrative departments were accommodated. In the reception area you will also find the bistro, the restaurant for visitors to the hospital.
The Jan Yperman Hospital is a modern, high-tech hospital with 532 beds, where more than 1,300 employees and 130 doctors give it their best every day for their patients. The scale of the hospital makes it possible to offer specialised care at the highest level, while remaining warm and well-organised, in other words on a human scale. In addition to the main campus in Sint-Jan, the Jan Yperman Hospital has five other campuses: Poli Poperinge, Medical Centre Diksmuide, the collective autodialysis in Veurne and radiology cabinets in the Klaverstraat in Ypres and in Komen.
