Korbach and Frankenberg hospital merger: Coordination with the state of Hesse

New ideas, concepts and joint solutions are needed to sustainably strengthen medical care in Waldeck-Frankenberg - also in view of the planned nationwide hospital reform. The district of Waldeck-Frankenberg and the town of Korbach are therefore working on a joint strategy for the hospitals in Frankenberg and Korbach. In doing so, they are coordinating closely with the state of Hesse as the specialised hospital planning authority.

One hospital with two sites
Insufficient funding for services, a shortage of skilled staff, demographic change and constantly rising costs: the financial pressure on hospitals - especially in rural areas - is constantly increasing. The two hospitals in Korbach and Frankenberg want to work closely together in future to provide healthcare: A joint hospital with two sites is planned under the sponsorship of the district. The state of Hesse, which is responsible for hospital planning, is in favour of the cooperation.

"Demographic change affects both patients and hospital staff," explains Stefan Sydow, Head of the Health Department at the Hessian Ministry of Health. "It is therefore only logical to harmonise service offerings in a region and interlink them where possible." In this way, regional, high-quality care is ensured for the future, even in times of a shortage of skilled labour, rising costs and changing framework conditions, according to Sydow.

Cooperation strengthens quality of care
Mergers such as the one planned in Waldeck-Frankenberg can sustainably strengthen the quality of care, particularly in rural regions - and help to secure care contracts for both locations. This is because in rural areas, exceptional decisions can be made regarding the allocation of service groups for clinics relevant to the provision of care in order to ensure comprehensive care. Mergers of clinics can significantly increase the chances of this. The state of Hesse therefore also recommends cooperation models such as those being considered in Waldeck-Frankenberg and will support the transformation process in an advisory capacity. Numerous discussions have already taken place with stakeholders at state level.

Planning office develops medical strategy
Work on implementing the concept is ongoing: As a further milestone, a planning office was commissioned at the beginning of October to develop a joint medical strategy for both locations. "It will form the basis for expanding the medical services, making clever use of synergies and ensuring seamless and customised healthcare," explains District Administrator Jürgen van der Horst. "The aim is to develop a flexible and agile roadmap for the future." This will form the basis for the transaction process that both locations will undergo as part of the merger.

Healthcare in municipal hands
"We will involve all interest groups in this process in order to ensure a merger at eye level and to put together a future-oriented and sustainable healthcare package for the future," emphasises Karl-Friedrich Frese, first district councillor and head of the district's healthcare department. The mayor of the town of Korbach, Klaus Friedrich, is also in favour of this: "The most important thing is to ensure and further develop optimal healthcare - and to keep this in municipal hands in the long term."

Background: Hospital merger
In order to create the framework conditions for the best possible healthcare in Waldeck-Frankenberg in view of the hospital reform, the Korbach municipal hospital, which is run by the town of Korbach, and the district hospital, which is run by the district of Waldeck-Frankenberg, are to be merged. By merging the two hospitals into one clinic with two sites, specialised medicine can be maintained and expanded in Waldeck-Frankenberg and the quality of care can be improved. The aim is to put both sites on a sound economic footing - even under challenging conditions. And in the long term. Remaining under municipal ownership guarantees that the centres will continue to focus on the needs of the people living here. The merger should take place by 1 January 2026 if possible.

Keywords:

Specialist Health Service Frankenberg District Hospital Korbach City Hospital