HealthManagement, Volume 5 / Issue 1 2003 (English)

Hospital Managers at One with Minister on Specialist Care

The German Hospital Society (DKG) have given its full backing to plans by the country’s health minister, social democrat Ulla Schmidt, to open up German hospitals by allowing specialists to provide outpatient care.

 

Hospital managers have welcomed the steps to strengthen specialist structures in German hospitals. In a position paper published on the forthcoming reform of the health sector, the DKG demands that hospitals be allowed to provide outpatient services in the context of integration agreements and as part of disease management programmes. Until now, inpatient and outpatient services in Germany have been strictly delineated with the former provided by hospitals and the latter confined to specialists’ practices. The paper also calls for hospitals to be transformed into service centres, which would either work alongside existing specialists or compete with them by charging the same flat rate fees. Specialists currently offering outpatient services regard the proposals as a serious threat to their livelihood and have vigorously protested against Berlin’s plans.

 

VKD Promises Not to Lose Sight of Patients’ Interests

Addressing delegates to the 86th general assembly of the Association of Hospital Managers of Germany (VKD), which was held late last year as part of the Medica exhibition in Dusseldorf, the newly re-elected President of the VKD, Heinz Kölking, pledged that the association would continue "to vigorously represent the interests of hospitals andthe patients whom they look after."

 

Other members of the board elected for terms of three years were Manfred Gotthardt, first Vice-President, Peter Löbus, second Vice-President, Paul Dörr, Secretary and Bernhard Unkel, Treasurer. Dr. Rudolf Hartwig was confirmed in his position as adviser on public relations. Robert Schmeiser, commercial director of the Charitable new face on the board having been elected to the position of adviser for training and further education. At the end of twelve productive years on the board of the VKD, Günter Schigulski from Berlin announced his retirement.

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