SUH has over 5500 employees and offers health care services to a population of more than 320.000 people. When it comes to medical services like neurosurgery and PCI-treatment, the area covered includes 470.000 people. The main hospital is situated in Stavanger, while several clinics, medical centers and ambulance stations are located in the surrounding areas. Regarding the number of patients treated, SUH is Norway’s fourth largest hospital. The activity is steadily increasing as the region has a population growth of 4000 inhabitants every year.

In addition to patient care and treatment, we focus on research, patient education and training of health care personnel. In 2006, a number of 45 638 inpatients received treatment and care at the hospital. At the same time, 311 725 outpatients presented at the hospital for same day surgery or consultations. Over 70 percent of the hospital admissions are presentations to the emergency ward.

SUH is organized in ten Divisions and two Support Directorates. The Divisions are: Acute Care Medicine, Pediatrics, Gynecology and Obstetrics, Internal Medicine, General and Orthopedic Surgery, Hematology and Oncology, Psychiatry, Rehabilitation, Radiology and Laboratory Medicine, Multiple Clinical Sciences and Service and Facilities.

The Norwegian health care system mainly consists of state funded hospitals, where Norwegian citizens are treated with only small fees to be paid. There is no system of additional private health insurance, as the hospitals are funded though the state. However, the private sector is growing and clinics and small hospitals specializing in services within plastic surgery, orthopedics, cardiology, ear-nose-throat, in-vitro fertilization etc. are emerging. This new competition calls for marked awareness and service improvements in the public health care sector, and has already brought about a considerable reduction in waiting lists, as well as increased the efficiency in the hospial organizations.