For Sonja Landman (46), new hospital general manager at Mediclinic Brits, the success of a hospital depends on the patient experience.
“The patient should come first and be treated as a family member. For that you need a team that works together for the benefit of the patient.” she says.
Sonja came to Mediclinic Brits as acting hospital general manager in May and was appointed as hospital general manager this month. She started her career with Mediclinic in 1995 at Mediclinic Vereeniging. She was employed as patient administration manager at Mediclinic Heart Hospital and Mediclinic Muelmed.
“The appointment as hospital general manager in Brits is a new challenge and one I am looking forward to. I want to make a difference here and with the current major expansion and upgrading of the hospital, it is going to be an exciting task,” she says.
“When I joined Mediclinic, I immediately felt at home. The Mediclinic Group’s values resonate with me, and Mediclinic is like a family. I love people, and I am very team-oriented. I believe a team must work well together and have respect for each other to get results. We are a family here.”
And her recipe seems to work. At the Muelmed Hospital, her department was ranked as the most engaged team within Mediclinic and performed above the benchmark.
“I want to contribute to Mediclinic Brits new phase as a bigger and better hospital. I want our local community to regard this hospital as their hospital of choice and not travel to hospitals elsewhere. Exciting changes are happening and big things are waiting for Mediclinic Brits. I feel honoured to be part of the change. I am very performance-driven, and I believe in motivating those around me to get the best results. “
It is not just in her professional life that she challenges herself. She has completed two Comrades marathons and she has her eyes set on the Iron Man challenge. “I was never a runner. I have loved the Comrades since I was small, but always dreamt of running it. I had only started running a year before I competed in the first one in 2018. I think very few people thought I could do it. But I did and I was back the next year. Then the COVID-19 pandemic happened and currently, I don’t have much time for running, but I will again. My dream is to conquer the Iron Man next.”
Sonja, her husband and two sons, are still living in Pretoria, but they plan on moving to Hartbeespoort at the end of the year. “My youngest son cannot wait, he is passionate about fishing and he demands we live next to Hartbeespoort Dam,” she laughs. “We are looking forward to this new chapter in our lives. I want to thank the community for their support and for welcoming me into their midst. And I am looking forward to becoming a full member of this community.”