Mayor Stemerdink Presents Royal Honor to Prof. Dr. Van Hoek

Mayor Nadine Stemerdink presented a royal honor to Prof. Dr. Bart van Hoek (67) this evening. The presentation took place during a farewell reception held in honor of his retirement at Oud-Poelgeest Castle in Oegstgeest.

After completing his training in Groningen and Maastricht, Prof. Dr. Bart van Hoek joined the Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) in the early 1990s, where he played a key role in establishing the current liver transplant program. In the early years, he was the only hepatologist and served as the primary point of contact for patients and colleagues virtually every day, day and night. This enabled the liver transplant program to grow into the vital and prestigious program it is today.

Last year, the LUMC celebrated the 30th anniversary of its liver transplant program: the 750th liver was transplanted at that time. While the one-year survival rate was 70% in 1990, it is now nearly 90%.

In 2009, Prof. Van Hoek was appointed professor of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Leiden University. In his role as a researcher, he has published numerous articles on topics including autoimmune liver diseases, liver failure, and liver transplants in national and international scientific journals and textbooks. In addition, he has made many public appearances, including scientific workshops, lectures, and (poster) presentations both in the Netherlands and abroad; he has served as an expert in panel discussions and given interviews.

Prof. Van Hoek collaborated with other researchers in various local, national, and international research partnerships. He served as a role model for young researchers, many of whom went on to earn their doctorates under his supervision with outstanding dissertations. He himself earned his doctorate in 1989 from the University of Groningen. After completing two international fellowships in the United States, he returned to the Netherlands and specialized in diseases of the stomach, intestines, and liver.

Since 1988, Prof. Van Hoek has received several grants to carry out various research projects. For example, with a grant from ZonMw, a database was developed by the AMC, in collaboration with the LUMC, ErasmusMC, and UMCG, and in close cooperation with the Dutch Liver Patients Association and the pharmaceutical industry, to expand knowledge about the treatment of chronic hepatitis. The information in the database enables physicians to better determine treatment strategies for patients.

On June 22, 2023, the DHOPE-DCD trial was named the winner of the Federation of Medical Specialists’ 2023 Science and Innovation Award. The jury deemed the study a deserving winner due to its clinical relevance, innovative nature, and significant impact on patients. Prof. Van Hoek was one of the researchers.

In addition to being a physician, scientist, and manager, Prof. Dr. Van Hoek was involved in education for many years. For twenty years, he served as a trainer for nurse practitioners and physician assistants specializing in liver transplantation at the LUMC. He also served as acting trainer for gastroenterology and hepatology at the LUMC. He provided both theoretical and practical instruction to undergraduate and graduate students and also taught postgraduate courses. In addition, he was involved in patient education through the Dutch Liver Patients Association.

In 2022, Prof. Van Hoek received the Gouden Klim as a token of appreciation for his extraordinary efforts to raise awareness about organ donation and transplantation. This award is an initiative of the National Donor Monument Foundation.

Until his retirement in April 2023, Prof. Van Hoek continued to perform clinical work, including endoscopy and supervision of the outpatient clinic and the ward, and served as a source of guidance for his immediate (younger) colleagues. In addition, colleagues from all over the Netherlands sought him out to discuss difficult cases.

In addition to his clinical and scientific work, Prof. Van Hoek was also active as a member and chair of various bodies in the field of liver transplantation, such as the National Liver Transplantation Consultative Committee, patient associations, and as the Dutch representative on Eurotransplant’s European Liver and Intestinal Advisory Committee.

Prof. Dr. Van Hoek is being honored as an Officer in the Order of Orange-Nassau for his overall contributions to the field of healthcare.