Our History

The History of Buurtzorg

Buurtzorg Nederland was founded in 2006 by Jos de Blok and a small team of professional nurses in response to years of ‘reform’ that undermined their ability to provide care based on a trusting relationship. The ethical commitments that had attracted them to the profession in the first place was compromised. Based on his experience as a community nurse, Jos de Blok designed an organisation that was a solution to the health care system’s problems.  Jos’s colleagues joined Buurtzorg so that they can care for people in the way their craft demands.

Buurtzorg also wanted to simplify the health care system by demonstrating that with a patient-centred way of working that is focused on self-support and independence, the hours of care are reduced, client satisfaction is increased, employees are fulfilled with their work, and overhead and bureaucracy are decreased.

“I believe in client-centered care, with nursing that is independent and collaborative” said Jos de Blok, Director and CEO, Buurtzorg Nederland, “The community-based nurse should have a central role—after all they know best how they can support specific circumstances for the client.”

Buurtzorg’s empowering approach for nurses and clients proved popular with both; and as client demand grew, new Buurtzorg teams were established. In the first ten years Buurtzorg grew to over 10,000 nurses, in 850 teams in towns and villages all over the Netherlands. The Buurtzorg ‘model’ has become known world-wide and stands as a premier example of how any organisation can de-centralize, grow, and create a work space for humanity above bureaucracy.