Hapvida () can say that it reached the end of 2024 with the house in order. The company has practically completed the systems integration that began two years ago, following the merger with the NotreDame Intermédica Group and other acquisitions. He also made changes to his board of directors, doubling the participation of independent directors. Months earlier, in a movement that was widely questioned by the market.
CEO Jorge Pinheiro says that Hapvida today has professionals “more suited to the company’s long-term philosophy”. Now the company aims for a more organic expansion and estimates investing R$1 billion per year in expanding its own network, to strengthen the verticalization strategy.
“It is very likely that, in the next two years, we will surpass the mark of 100 own hospitals”said the executive, in an exclusive interview with InfoMoney.
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The company has 85 hospitals within an ecosystem of almost 800 of its own healthcare units. São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro should have preference for resources invested due to their competitive potential, but the company does not intend to give up its geographic diversification.
Jorge Pinheiro is the son of the founder of Hapvida, Candido Pinheiro Koren de Lima. The man from Ceará says that his management style is “belly on the counter”, very close to the company’s operations. Despite being at the helm of a company that came from a family background, the CEO recognizes that Hapvida only reached higher governance standards with the support of the capital market.
The atmosphere is not always like a honeymoon with the investor. At the beginning of the year, Hapvida arrived in three days, after news published in the press stated that the company was not complying with court decisions favorable to its beneficiaries – which the company denied.
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The issue of judicialization came up again with . In the third quarter, Hapvida increased provisions for legal action contingencies. In the earnings call, the CEO said the company must absorb this impact.
In the interview with InfoMoneyPinheiro spoke about the search for better quality of service through investments in technology.
“Quality indicators directly impact the variable and strategic remuneration of our entire company”, he explains.
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The expansion of the company’s own network has also been accompanied by a more predictive approach. Hapvida has invested in prevention and specialized programs.
“It’s the most efficient approach to dealing with Brazil’s new age reality,” says Pinheiro.
Check out the main points of the interview below:
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InfoMoney: How does Hapvida plan to allocate resources from now on?
Jorge Pinheiro: The first block of investments is being directed towards qualification and the creation of its own assistance network. Based on our criteria, we will prioritize regions where we believe there is great potential for growth and also those in which we already operate, but which lack a closer network of their own. We are investing mainly in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, which is where we should have new units with greater competitive potential. But we also opened new hospitals in the North, Northeast and Central-West regions. In addition to investing in the construction of the units themselves, there is also technology, new equipment, diagnostics, laboratories and hospital support.
InfoMoney: And what about the investments in systems integration that have been made in recent years since the integration of Hapvida with Notre Dame?
Jorge Pinheiro: We will complete the integration of operations now at the end of 2024 and we will no longer have this investment that was very relevant in the last two years, for customization of systems and technologies, in the sense of making the company a unique thing, right? So, looking at 2025, we should have little investment in systems integration. Technology resources will be much more focused on digitalizing operations and innovation.
IM: Is unification a completed stage?
JP: It’s very close to being defeated. It is a journey that ends in December and brings a series of gains in quality of care, in addition to the possibilities of capturing synergies. Standardization is essential for a company of our size. We have our own healthcare network with hospitals in the five regions of the country. There are almost 90 and there are others in the process of execution, construction and completion. It is very likely that, in the next two years, we will surpass the mark of 100 own hospitals. It is a very widespread operation, not only in large centers, but in several cities in the interior
IM: How to ensure that standardization will not harm the personalization of care and the quality perceived by patients?
JP: We assume that a single system for outpatient clinics, hospitals and prevention units brings a unique wealth of data. Medical information is increasingly expensive and important, as it allows us to define the best care protocols. In this sense, we have a unique ‘abundance’ in Brazil that is rarely seen around the world. With this data, we were able to make an early diagnosis, identify patients who tend to have some type of disease, in different groups of pathology. From there, we can refer them to specialized programs and keep the patient healthier. Our system defines which surgery will have less chance of a complication, an infection and leave the person in the hospital for less time. In short: we identify best practices, train our entire own network and ensure that everyone is repeating what works and has the highest quality of care.
IM: What type of technology is being used in the search for this increase in quality?
JP: We have an infinite possibility of using technology, with emphasis, naturally, on artificial intelligence. We need to be constantly working on the digitalization of our relationships, whether with the doctor, the seller, the supplier, and, most importantly, with our user. More than 60% of our appointments, for example, are already booked through apps and no longer in call centers. A patient admitted to our hospitals can monitor which procedures they will undergo and their medications within an app developed here at home. Furthermore, we have the largest Brazilian experience in teleconsultation – more than half a million per month, including emergency care and specialties.
