Page 241 - Effective healthcare cost containment policies Using the Netherlands as a case study - Niek W. Stadhouders

About the author
Niek Stadhouders was born on February 1st, 1988 in Oosterhout (NB) in the Netherlands. As a child, Niek developed a broad interest in the (natural) sciences, and after obtaining his sciences and health gymnasium degree, he started his studies in Biology at the Wageningen University in 2006. Despite suffering a grave soccer injury, he obtained his Bachelor degree in Cell Biology with a minor in Business Economics in 2010. His Bachelor’s thesis reviewed genetic pathways in differentiation and specialization of stem cells. Seeking a new challenge, he started studying economics at Tilburg University, graduating as a Masters in Environmental Economics in 2012 on a thesis studying the effect of natural disasters on short term economic growth. Niek continued his study in the post-academic governmental education program called BoFEB, focusing on finance and economics of government policy. Here, he was introduced into the world of health economics during a six-month internship at the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sports, where he studied the relation between quality and finance in nursing homes. Deciding to dedicate himself to researching healthcare affordability, he started a PhD project in 2014 at IQ healthcare, a department of the Radboud University and Medical Center in Nijmegen, of which this thesis is the result. His PhD project was part of the Celsus Academy for sustainable healthcare, a collaborative project studying affordability and fiscal sustainability of healthcare expenditures in the Netherlands, supported by the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sports and IQ healthcare. Niek continues his employment at IQ healthcare as a research fellow. Niek lives with Francine and two guinea pigs in Elst, enjoying a quiet life of reading, playing games with friends, travelling and riding his motorcycle.
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