With a third health centre to be completed in the first half of 2027, Ülemiste City is set to become the largest private health cluster anywhere in the Baltic States. The anchor tenant in the new building will be the state-of-the-art Pihlakodu nursing home.

Sten Pärnits, a member of the management board of Mainor Ülemiste, says that the expansion of the health cluster is the clear focus of its developers and a natural progression which aims to provide people with high-quality health services and to help enhance their quality of life.

“The cluster has already become one of the most important health service providers in the area, bringing together a broad range of prevention and treatment services and promoting innovation in healthcare,” he said. “Building the third health centre is the next big step towards establishing a modern, fully integrated health environment here. Widespread interest among service providers and consumers and the hugely successful projects for the two health centres that preceded it were key factors in its construction.”

Pihlakodu, one of Estonia’s leading providers of nursing home services, will be the anchor tenant in Health Centre 3, opening a state-of-the-art facility in the building. In Estonian terms it will be a unique nursing home based on the Scandinavian model, in which residents are not separated from but rather integrated into the community.

Merike Merirand, a member of the management board of Pihlakodu, says the new location represents an opportunity to build a bridge between generations and to help the residents be part of an active, caring and social community.

“All of this will help to mitigate one of the main problems that nursing homes face, which is the loneliness that many older people feel,” she explained. “Ülemiste City has a fantastic community programme that’s sure to provide plenty of ways for our residents to socialise and enjoy their free time. A large proportion of older people today come into care from apartments in towns and cities, which is why so many of them appreciate the opportunity to continue living in an urban environment.”

The nursing home will offer general care services, but other health, well-being and treatment services will be able to be conveniently combined under one roof. This will improve access to health care, which is often an issue in nursing homes, but nevertheless vital.

The construction of Pihlakodu in Ülemiste City will also create opportunities for cooperation with medical firms, innovation companies and educational institutions in the area – for example, in the form of internships, volunteering and novel solutions to enhance and further modernise the quality of care services.

“We’ve seen that by integrating cutting-edge medical technology and smart solutions, we’re able to offer an even more modern service, improve the quality of life of our residents, make their everyday lives easier and provide medical care more promptly whenever it’s needed,” Merirand added.

In addition to Pihlakodu, the complex will house a wide range of health service providers such as GPs, a fertility treatment clinic, an eye clinic, a physiotherapy centre and a dentist.

With each new stage of development, Ülemiste City will continue to expand its green spaces so as to provide a pleasant and healthy environment for clients and workers alike. This will include a private park for Pihlakodu residents and visitors, which will be constructed alongside the health centre.

The complex will also boast first-rate accessibility and parking facilities, including dedicated spaces for health centre clients.

A total of 18 million euros is being invested in the new health centre. In architectural terms, the new 7700 m² building follows the concept of Health Centre 2 and was designed by the same firm, Apex Arhitektuuribüroo. The call for tenders for the construction of the building will be launched in April, with a mid-July deadline.

A holistic health cluster

Ülemiste City’s health cluster has expanded in recent years to meet the ever-growing demand for health services. Last autumn saw the opening of the seven-storey Von Baer Health Centre, which offers a world-class diagnostic centre and a wide range of health services (from rehabilitation to beauty treatments) provided by leading clinical specialists. The University of Tartu Hospital is the biggest tenant in the health centre, bringing its clinical services closer to people.

This was preceded in 2020 by the opening of Health Centre 1, which is home to providers of primary family medicine, occupational health and physiotherapy services. Visitors to the health cluster will also find the surgical clinic Aurora, which has three multifunctional operating theatres, and the start-up accelerator Health Founders.