Transforming Care:

Health Models and Strategies

in Turkey

Why Turkey?

Turkey has carried out one of the most ambitious and rapid health reforms of the past twenty years. The Health Transformation Program (2003–2013) — introduced by the Ministry of Health — profoundly restructured the country’s governance, infrastructures, financing, and care organisation.

Today, Turkey stands out for:

• a centralised and responsive governance model, led directly by the Ministère et le Health & Nutrition Policy Council ;
• massive investments in large-capacity hospitals and resilient infrastructures (including city hospitals such as Başakşehir Çam & Sakura)
• a continuous expansion of universal health coverage, now reaching 98.8% of the population
• a dynamic public–private hybrid model, driving innovation, medical attractiveness, and the internationalisation of care
• the strong growth of the private hospital sector, largely JCI-accredited and oriented towards high-technology care

Together, these elements make Turkey a laboratory of organisational innovation, where public and private strategies converge to improve access to care, reduce territorial disparities, and modernise the patient experience.

For this study visit, the Italian delegation brought together hospital presidents, chief executive officers, senior medical managers, and representatives of the national AIOP (Associazione Italiana Ospedalità Privata).

The study visit enabled participants to explore a rapidly modernising health system, marked by the rise of large-scale hospitals, the integration of advanced technologies, and a constant linkage between health and social care. The programme was structured around three main pillars: next-generation hospital engineering, clinical innovation in the private sector, and social-care models for older adults.

1. Next-generation hospital engineering
Turkey has been developing integrated hospital infrastructures capable of bringing together multiple specialised hospitals within a single site.
At Başakşehir Çam & Sakura City Hospital, the delegation observed a 2,682-bed city hospital designed to centralise imaging, operating theatres, critical care, and logistics functions. The architecture relies on more than 2,000 seismic isolators, illustrating the country’s focus on operational continuity.
This model continues at Medipol Mega University Hospital, a tertiary hub combining seven specialised hospitals, 810 beds, 215 intensive care beds, and a seamless continuum of clinical, academic, and research activities.

2. Clinical innovation in the private sector
The second pillar focused on innovation within private healthcare institutions, illustrated through visits to Acıbadem Maslak Hospital, Liv Hospital Bahçeşehir, and BHT Clinic Istanbul Tema Hospital.
Most of these hospitals are JCI-accredited and rely on advanced technologies (robotic surgery, high-resolution imaging, hybrid operating rooms), multidisciplinary care pathways, and strong links to medical education.

• Acıbadem Maslak Hospital showcased an integrated model combining specialised care, applied research, and university training.
• BHT Clinic Istanbul Tema Hospital highlighted how highly technical services are structured within a 450-bed hospital with 18 operating theatres.
• Liv Hospital Bahçeşehir demonstrated the convergence of medical excellence, research, and personalised care.

3. Linking health and social care
Turkey has also developed distinctive models in the field of long-term care and social inclusion.
The visit to Darülaceze Elderly Care introduced a historical institution hosting older adults, vulnerable individuals, and residents with cognitive disorders. The Social Living City complex, with a capacity of up to 1,400 residents, integrates medical care, rehabilitation, psychological support, social activities, and dedicated units for neurodegenerative disorders.
This integrated approach, connecting care, inclusion, and functional maintenance, provided the delegation with a relevant point of comparison for ongoing European discussions on autonomy and ageing.

4. Synthesis: a coherent transformation
The final visit to Memorial Bahçelievler Hospital brought together the key themes of the mission, presenting a high-tech institution that links advanced technology, therapeutic architecture, and clinical performance. With strong outcomes in transplantation and complex surgery, the hospital illustrates how Turkey aligns medical innovation with operational excellence.

Across the three axes — hospital engineering, clinical innovation, and health–social care models— the Italian delegation was able to examine the levers driving Turkey’s health-system transformation. The coherence between infrastructure, technology, training, and organisational models emerged as one of the mission’s central insights, offering valuable perspectives for institutions seeking to modernise their practices and draw inspiration from evolving international models.