Reference Hospital "La Equina"
A - DESCRIPTION OF THE GOOD PRACTICE
A1 - Title in original language
Hospital de referencia La Equina SLL
A2 - Title in English
Reference Hospital "La Equina".
A3 - Location of GP (national)
Spain
A4 - Location of GP (regional)
Andalusia
A5 - Economic field of activity
M Professional, scientific and technical activities
A6 - Ultimate purpose of GP
To create or conserve employment
To enable adaptation to new realities
A7 - Spatial scale
International
A8a - Start date
July 2002
A8b - Anticipated end date (if applicable)
Ongoing
A9 - Short description of the GP
Horse hospital whose team is made up of specialists in the fields of orthopaedics, chirurgy, anesthesiologym and internal medicine which renders services such as gammagraphies, assisted reproductive programmes, mother-cells research on response to desease and research and cooperation with national and international excel groups.
A10 - Key words relating to the GP
innovation
research
commitment
versatility
adaptation to market
A11 - Objectives of the GP
competitiveness
A12 - Activities that have taken place
R+D in mother cells/ design of a fidelisation system. It has been a very positive experience. After analysing a fall in the demand by 2006, this two activities where undertaken:
- the set-up of a R+D department through the project ESTEM based on research with mother cells;
- The establishment of the agreed fee "Equina" through which the client would have access to certain free services in the hospital by paying a yearly fee.
A13 - Achievements of the GP
Stability in the company
B - IMPACT ON SOCIETY AND ECONOMY
B1 - How has the GP impacted on the following?
B1a - Legal/financial exclusion
Positive impacts
Any other comments?
B1b - Creation or conservation of local employment
Very positive impacts
Any other comments?
Thanks to this strategy, the company managed to keep the employment since 2009.
B1c - Adaptation to new realities
Very positive impacts
Any other comments?
It is the only Spanish horse hospital that adapted to the new reality.
B1d - Cross sectoral working
Very positive impacts
Any other comments?
B1e - Enablement of social enterpreneurship
Impacts not known
Any other comments?
B1f - Amenities for local people
Positive impacts
Any other comments?
B1g - Educational opportunities
Very positive impacts
Any other comments?
B1h - Crisis response
Very positive impacts
Any other comments?
B1i - Local financial environment for social enterpreneurs
Neutral impacts
Any other comments?
B1j - Local policy environment for social enterpreneurs
Neutral impacts
Any other comments?
B1k - National financial environment for social enterpreneurs
Neutral impacts
Any other comments?
B1l - National policy environment for social enterpreneurs
Neutral impacts
Any other comments?
C - PARTNERSHIPS & GOVERNANCE
C1 - Is the governance of this GP fully inclusive?
Beneficiaries have a little involvement in governance
Comments and learning points
La Equina is a worker-own private limited company. If we consider workers as "beneficiaries", it is clear that they have a great participation. However, the beneficiaries of the services rendered, that is, the owners of the horses, have no involvement in governance.
C2 - How influential has this GP been on local or national decision makers?
Reasonable degree of influence achieved
Comments and learning points
The Regional Ministry of Economy paid a visit to the hospital in 2012 and presented the results of the project ESTEM before regional and national media.
C3 - How much partnership work has been involved?
A little cross sectoral partnership working
Comments and learning points
D - PR & TRANSFERABILITY
D1 - Please describe how the GP communicated its experience and success to the public
Media and social networks have been enough to widespread this good practice in a quite effective way.
D2 - Please describe how the GP communicated with local or national decision makers?
Institutions are invited to visit the facilities and the managers visit the institutions to let them know the project. Moreover, TV and other media are used for disemination.
D3 - Are there any elements of this project that you think would transfer particularly well to other contexts?
The project can be perfectly replicated following the same scheme: SE that diversifies its activities through R+D in veterinary science, research that may be extrapolated to human medicine.
E - RESOURCES AND SUSTAINABILITY
E1a - Total annual income of GP 2011/12
350.000 €
E1b - How is this made up?
Own funds: 275.000 € ; incentives: 75.000 €.
E1c - Details of human resources
A high level of technical and scientific skill in the field of veterinary is required. Creativity to design the research protocol is basic. There is only one executive director in the company.
E1d - Details of technology
High level of technology required.
E1e - Details of financial investment for start-up/early stage
It was obtained from partners in the beginning. Social capital: 455.000 €. Long-term loan: 350.000 €.
E1f - Details of external support
None
E2 - If public funding were withdrawn, could the GP continue to exist?
Yes.
F - EXECUTIVE BODY AND CONTACT INFORMATION
F1 - Who set up the GP?
Individual or group of individuals
F2 - Who runs the GP?
Individual or group of individuals
F3 - Short description/comments
Veterinarian hospital specialised in horses.
F4 - Contact
Miguel Antonio Valdés Vázquez
Hospital de Referencia La Equina SLL
Camino de Martagina, Km. 1. Apartado 110. Manilva. Málaga.
Spain
Telephone (+34) 952893305
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
www.laequina.com
Any other contact people
G - SUPPORTING INFORMATION
G1 - Photos (between 1 & 3) 
Picture 1
Picture 2
G2 - E documents
http://www.ecuestreonline.com/ecuestre-352-ya-a-la-venta/
G3 - Any other useful information