The surgical department receives patients for scheduled operations from all parts of Norway within orthopaedic and ear nose and throat surgery. The orthopaedic section conducts about 1000 hip and knee implants and treats 500 shoulder patients with advanced arthroscopic operations a year. This makes the hospital one of the leading orthopaedic sections within these fields in Norway. The concentration on planned surgery, excluding emergency and trauma surgery, makes the department a very efficient unit, with stable operation volumes and low rates of hospital infections. The department has numerous ongoing research projects within their fields.
The TAKO-centre is a National Resource Centre for oral health in rare medical conditions. Patients are referred from the whole country for assessment, diagnosis and treatment planning. Other important tasks are pre- and postgraduate training, lectures to parents and patients' groups and research. The centre also includes a dental clinic where patients treated for long-term drug abuse and/or chronic psychiatric disorders receive dental treatment.
The hospital is owned by the private deaconess foundations Diakonissehuset Lovisenberg and Diakonova (Parish Sisters Home). It operates on a non-profit base, within the framework of Public Health, with a long term contract with South-Eastern Norway Regional Health Authority.
With a staff of approximately 1650 person/years, the hospital has 228 beds, and an extensive out-patient facility. The hospital has a modern x-ray department, a clinical laboratory, and a pharmacy. There is an interpretation service for patients with other mother tongues than Norwegian that will be ordered on request.
The hospital was founded in 1868 by the pioneer Cathinka Guldberg - the first trained nurse in Norwegian medical history. The word: "deacon" comes from a Greek verb, meaning "to be at someone's service", "to take care of". The mission of each individual employee and our organisation as a whole is to offer treatment and service of high quality to all our patients, with equality and respect.