Mehiläinen – 116 years of treatment and care
Mehiläinen's history spans over a hundred years. We have been a part of Finnish society, developed treatment and care, and built digital services, which we are now also taking to the world.
1909–1939
Sairaala O.Y. Mehiläinen is established and develops alongside an independent Finland.
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The 20th century
Mehiläinen’s story is part of Finland’s story. At the turn of the 20th century, Finnish society, science and art started to become more Finnish. However, there was no Finnish-language hospital or medical vocabulary yet. A medical society, Duodecim, was founded for this purpose, with the aim of establishing the Finnish language in health care.
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1909
Four of the society’s doctors, Walter Sipilä, Reguel Löfqvist, K. F. Hirvisalo and Akseli Koskimies, established a Finnish-language hospital at their own risk and with their own money. Sairaala O.Y. Mehiläinen was established on 6 November 1909. It was named after the selfless and hardworking healer in the Kalevala, the bee.
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The effectiveness of treatment has been monitored from the very beginning
The new hospital, which opened on Huvilakatu in Helsinki, immediately started using the modern equipment and new treatment methods of the early 1900s. Treatment results have been recorded since the establishment of Mehiläinen.
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1932
In 1917, Finland declared independence. However, the mood in the new state was far from harmonious, and the following year Finland plunged into a civil war. During the war, the future Finnish president P. E. Svinhufvud sought refuge at Mehiläinen, hiding under a hospital bed and pretending to be a patient. When the peace came, the number of patients increased and the Huvilakatu premises became cramped. In 1932, Mehiläinen moved to new premises in Töölö, which it still uses today.
1940–1969: Financial difficulties and important role as a military hospital
When World War II began, the Mehiläinen hospital in Töölö was turned into a Red Cross military hospital. Signs of the 1944 bombings can still be seen in the cornerstones of the entrance located at the intersection of Pohjoinen Hesperiankatu and Runeberginkatu in Töölö's Mehiläinen. During the post-war reconstruction years, finances were tight, and 1952 was one of the weakest years for Mehiläinen. Ultimately, the value of the Töölö premises saved the company from bankruptcy.
1970–1999
Cooperation with public health care, launching of occupational health services, first acquisitions and the depression.
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The 1970s
Health centres came to Finland in the 1970s, and since then Mehiläinen has worked together with public health care. In the late 1970s, Mehiläinen also started providing occupational health care services. In addition to medical care, more and more attention was paid to the effects of lifestyle.
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Fathers included in childbirth
From the beginning, delivering babies was an important part of Mehiläinen’s activities, and in the 1970s, Mehiläinen was a well-known maternity hospital. At Mehiläinen, fathers were among the first in Finland to be allowed to participate in childbirth, which attracted families to give birth with us even from farther away. Many fathers attended appointments with their wives from the start of the pregnancy, and the same doctors often delivered all the children in the family.
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From expansion to depression – Mehiläinen in the 1980s and 1990s
Mehiläinen made its first acquisitions in the early 1980s, expanding to the Ympyrätalo and Forum clinics in Helsinki and to the Kielotie clinic in Vantaa. The early 1990s depression hit the whole of Finland hard and also greatly reduced the demand for private health care services. However, Mehiläinen had prepared for difficult times and managed to stay afloat, even though operations had to be scaled back. The desire to help did not fade, and during the depression, over 60 young heart patients were operated on at Mehiläinen with the help of donation funds.
The daily life of physicians changes
In the 1980s, a physician's daily work was entirely without computers. Patient records were handwritten on cardboard cards, which were retrieved from the archive daily. A true revolution occurred in the 1990s with the introduction of the first electronic patient information systems. Instead of pocket calendars and stacks of paper, information began transitioning into digital form — a shift that has since completely transformed medical practice.
2000–2009
Nationwide expansion starts.
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2001
In 2001, Mehiläinen merged with the Turku-based Tohtoritalo. At the same time, the private equity investors Capman and Sitra became owners of Mehiläinen. The nationwide expansion also continued as Remedi in Vaasa and Säveri in Kuopio merged with Mehiläinen. Under the leadership of CEO Antti Kasi, the company was developed in a purposeful way, and soon there were clinics in all Finnish cities with universities. Investments were made, for example, in modern information and quality systems.
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2005
In 2005, Mehiläinen’s management system received the ISO 9001:2000 quality certification. At that time, the foundation was laid for future digital development by introducing a uniform electronic patient information system in all units. In 2005, Matti Bergendahl became the new CEO, and in 2006, Mehiläinen became part of the Nordic Ambea Group, owned by the private equity investor 3i.
Key themes of the decade
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Measuring quality and effectiveness
Mehiläinen also continuously develops its quality and measurement of effectiveness as a pioneer in its industry. Achievements include the industry's first algorithm for predicting work ability risks, a comprehensive quality index for social services, and the systematic measurement of the quality and effectiveness of surgical operations. Mehiläinen’s patient safety, treatment effectiveness, speed of access to treatment and customer satisfaction are the best in the industry.
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Digitalisation
The healthcare market is undergoing a global transformation driven by digitalisation. This change has been anticipated, as the industry has been one of the slowest to adopt digital advancements. Mehiläinen has long been a pioneer in digital healthcare. Many digital services, which are now in high demand globally, have been in use at Mehiläinen in Finland for years. Our digital development has been carried out internally with our own resources and capabilities, giving us a unique opportunity to advance digital development beyond Finland by offering ready-made and tested solutions to other healthcare providers.
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Internationalising Mehiläinen
Mehiläinen has rapidly expanded internationally. Its international growth is based on over a century of experience and expertise in healthcare services, operating models, and their development. The development work leverages the opportunities provided by digitalization. Outside Finland, Mehiläinen operates under the Meliva brand name. For example, in Estonia, Meliva is the largest private healthcare provider, and with its expansion into Lithuania, it has become the largest private healthcare provider in the Baltics.
2010–2025
Strong growth and development, along with investments in digitalisation and quality improvement.
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2015
Over the past ten years, Mehiläinen has made countless acquisitions and built dozens of new care homes and medical clinics. At the same time, services have expanded from medical clinics to include dental care, public healthcare services, elderly care, mental health rehabilitation, services for people with disabilities, and child welfare. A significant milestone and driver of change was the acquisition of the Mediverkko Group in January 2015. Following the acquisition, Janne-Olli Järvenpää became Mehiläinen’s CEO.
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2018
In addition to private healthcare services, Mehiläinen's public healthcare services and social services have driven significant growth. In 2018, Mehiläinen made history by taking over the operations of its first public central hospital in Sea Lapland.
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2010–2019
Since 2010, Mehiläinen has invested heavily in digital services. The OmaMehiläinen online service, developed by Mehiläinen, was launched in 2012, followed by its mobile app version four years later. A Mehidoc app was developed for doctors, along with an entire Kompassi app family for occupational health customers. In 2019, Mehiläinen began a new chapter in its story as a service export company by selling its OmaMehiläinen platform to its first international client in Greece.
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2020: The COVID-19 pandemic strikes
The year 2020 went down in history as an extraordinary time during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mehiläinen responded to the pandemic quickly and decisively by developing an efficient COVID-19 testing model, ensuring laboratory capacity, promoting safe digital services, and actively participating in vaccination efforts. However, our primary goal was to ensure the safety of our customers and staff.
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2020: BeeHealthy is established
Mehiläinen established its subsidiary BeeHealthy in 2020 to meet the international demand for digital solutions. BeeHealthy offers its customers a digital platform developed and proven effective at Mehiläinen as a Software as a Service (SaaS) solution and is emerging as a leading provider of digital healthcare solutions in the EMEA region.
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Mehiläinen expands into Europe
In 2021, Mehiläinen expanded its healthcare services into three new countries: Estonia, Sweden, and Germany. Mehiläinen's unique expertise in providing outpatient healthcare services and developing healthcare operating models has enabled this international growth. Today, Mehiläinen operates under the Meliva brand in Estonia, Sweden, Germany, and Lithuania.
Mehiläinen today and tomorrow
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Mehiläinen is a pioneer in its industry
Over its history, and especially in the past ten years, Mehiläinen has become the market leader and pioneer of its industry. The company invests in the opportunities offered by digitalisation and in the effectiveness and quality of care in all its business areas. In 2024, Mehiläinen's revenue amounted to EUR 2,063.5 million, and the company employed over 37,000 professionals. Every day, Mehiläinen’s expert and qualified staff does meaningful work in building better health and well-being in society.
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Strong ownership base
Mehiläinen's main owner is funds managed by CVC Capital Partners. Mehiläinen's ownership also includes Varma, the State Pension Fund of Finland (VER), Ilmarinen, the Pharmacy Pension Fund, the Valio Pension Fund, as well as the company's management.
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Our most important resource is our people
Mehiläinen's most important resource is its loyal and satisfied customers. Each year, we serve 2.2 million private customers, 24,000 corporate customers, and a wide range of Finnish wellbeing services counties. Our services are provided by over 37,000 social and healthcare professionals. Together, we at Mehiläinen are building the best place for professionals. We achieve this through fair leadership and an uncompromising commitment to quality. We get things done in a functional working environment, supported by skilled and caring colleagues. We grow and develop together, with a long-term perspective for the next hundred years.
Image sources: Helsinki City Museum, Mehiläinen’s photo archive, Photo archives of Mehiläinen employees, The Finnish Heritage Agency, The Military Museum, Svenska litteratursällskapet i Finland.