Zorg & ICT 2026: three perspectives on AI, compliance, and data availability in healthcare
At Zorg & ICT 2026, the focus wasn't on whether healthcare is digitizing, but how. In a packed session room, three speakers addressed this question from their respective areas of expertise: AI and infrastructure, compliance and risk management, and the practical application in clinical practice.
The common denominator? The biggest challenge isn't the technology itself, but the foundation beneath it.
AI in healthcare: from pilot to patient value
During the session by Lieke Hamers (Field CTO at Dell Technologies Netherlands), one question took center stage: how do you bridge the gap from promising AI pilots to real-world value in healthcare?
AI has moved past the hype phase, yet many healthcare organizations remain stuck in the experimental stage. According to Lieke, the reason is familiar: the focus is too often on the model, while the real challenge lies in the underlying infrastructure.
Lasting AI value doesn't start with technology, but with the basics. Think of reliable data, streamlined processes, and clear governance. Without these prerequisites, scaling becomes difficult and impact remains elusive.
In her session, she demonstrated how Dell Technologies has navigated this same journey. AI is now widely applied there, from sales and support to logistics. The lessons learned are now being translated for the healthcare sector.
The core is practical and applicable: how do you turn fragmented data into a strategic asset? How do you integrate AI into clinical and operational processes without adding pressure on healthcare professionals? And how do you ensure that governance acts as an accelerator rather than a brake?
Organizations that succeed in this view AI differently. Not as an isolated innovation, but as an integral part of their daily operations.
Want to know more about how to successfully scale AI in healthcare? Watch the full interview with Lieke Hamers.
Compliance: from obligation to healthcare enhancement
During the session by Bart de Man (Founder & Principal at iQomply), a familiar frustration was central: in many healthcare organizations, compliance feels like a box-ticking exercise.
Standards such as NEN 7510, ISO 27001, and the upcoming NIS2 directive are intended to strengthen organizations, but in practice, they are often experienced as an additional burden.
According to Bart, this isn't due to the standards themselves, but how organizations approach them. Drawing on his experience as an auditor and consultant, he showed that risk-based management makes all the difference. It’s not about adding more rules, but about identifying where the real risks lie and focusing efforts accordingly.
In practice, this means: less focus on checklists and more on what could actually go wrong. Organizations that make this shift see a decrease in incidents, smoother audits, and increased trust from patients and partners.
The strength of the session lay in its relatability. No theory or abstract models, but concrete examples from audits and implementations at healthcare organizations. What works, what doesn't, and where things often go wrong.
This brought compliance back to its intended purpose: not as a burden, but as a tool to make the organization stronger and more resilient.
Curious how to turn compliance into a strength rather than an obligation? Watch the interview with Bart de Man.
Sovereignty: maintaining control in a complex reality
The third perspective came from Jan Vellema and Caty Hooijsma (Infinity IT), who brought the topic of digital sovereignty down to earth. Their message was sharp: sovereignty is not a technical issue. It is a strategic choice that directly impacts continuity, patient safety, and vendor dependency.
Many organizations still believe this is a matter for architects or CISOs. In reality, it impacts everyone who works with data and systems, especially in a healthcare landscape where SaaS solutions, licensing models, and international legislation are becoming increasingly complex.
The session centered on one confrontational question: who is actually in control of your digital healthcare environment? They made this concrete using the Five-Pillar Model. Not by making the subject more complex, but by stripping it back to the essentials: technology, data, applications, people, and operations. True control only emerges when these align.
An important principle was also highlighted: you don't have to do everything yourself, but you must maintain control. In an ecosystem of vendors and cloud solutions, that is exactly the balance that matters.
The strength of the session lay in its pragmatism. No abstract stories, just a realistic look at the choices healthcare organizations face today.
Want to know how to maintain control without losing flexibility? Watch the interview with Jan Vellema and Caty Hooijsma.
What can Fundaments do for your healthcare organization?
What connects these three perspectives is data availability. AI revolves around data, compliance is about data, and effective care processes depend on having the right information at the right time.
Yet, that is often where the biggest challenge lies. Not because data is missing, but because it is inaccessible, unreliable, or cannot be shared securely. This makes data availability not just a technical detail, but a strategic issue that affects the entire organization.
At Fundaments, we see these issues every day.
The challenge is rarely in choosing technology, but in bringing it all together. How do you ensure that data, infrastructure, and processes reinforce each other instead of working against one another?
With a sovereign Private Cloud and a focus on continuity, we help healthcare organizations gain a grip on their IT landscape. This creates a stable foundation where innovation doesn't slow down, but accelerates. Would you like to know more? Please contact us.
