District hospital: Close coordination between the district and town of Frankenberg

The best possible healthcare for the people in the region. This is what the town councillors of Frankenberg want to achieve with a resolution that they passed at their most recent meeting. The district and the town of Frankenberg have the same goal - and have been in regular dialogue for some time. District Administrator Jürgen van der Horst and Mayor Barbara Eckes recently met for a working discussion in Frankenberg town hall.

"We are pursuing a common goal"
It was also about the political signal that the Frankenberg town council is sending to district politicians with its resolution. "We don't see any conflict of interest in the Frankenberg resolution. On the contrary: we also want to achieve the best possible medical care for the people in the region - and are therefore pursuing a common goal," emphasises District Administrator Jürgen van der Horst. "This also includes an explicit commitment to the further development of the Frankenberg site." We want to ensure that both hospitals - the city hospital in Korbach and the district hospital in Frankenberg - merge on an equal footing and emerge stronger from the merger. For the benefit of all patients in Waldeck-Frankenberg.

"First comes the concept, then the merger"
However, this goal can only be achieved if a holistic view of the possibilities can be developed. One-dimensional considerations - merely focussing on maintaining the status quo - are only of limited help. "We must not remain stuck in the past, but must look to the future. We are currently working hard on the plan required for this - together with the town of Korbach and also in regular consultation with the town of Frankenberg," reports the district administrator. "First comes the concept, then the merger."

Detailed questions such as the composition of the future supervisory board, as discussed by the Frankenberg town council in its resolution, are of course absolutely understandable, but cannot be determined at this stage. "I can well understand this wish. After all, it clearly demonstrates the town council's interest in the future of the Frankenberg hospital." However, the composition of the Supervisory Board after the hospital merger is not yet an issue. "We have to take this one step at a time."

"Strengthening medical services"
Barbara Eckes, Mayor of Frankenberg, also emphasises this: "The future of the district hospital and the planned company is of concern to the people of Frankenberg and the southern part of the district - and rightly so. The decision and the even more far-reaching resolution are the political expression of this." The city and district are already implementing the resolution in their joint discussions. "There will only be clarity about the supervision of the company at a later date. The company doesn't even exist yet." Barbara Eckes goes on to emphasise: "We will remain in close contact with the district in order to maintain and strengthen Frankenberg as a medical location and to continue to provide the best possible services here in the future."

The merger of the clinics plays an important role here. After all, the two hospitals will not be able to meet the current challenges in the healthcare sector on their own for much longer. "I am therefore very pleased that not only the teams at both hospitals, but also the state of Hesse, strongly support and accompany the strategy of the district and city of Korbach to merge the two hospitals." More could be achieved together than alone - especially in the context of the planned federal hospital reform. "Working together offers the best conditions for finding sustainable solutions together."