Merger: Hospital to be called "Klinikum Waldeck-Frankenberg"
Now that the committees of the district and town of Korbach have officially decided to merge the Frankenberg district hospital with the Korbach town hospital, the future name of the clinic has also been finalised: the new joint facility will be called "Klinikum Waldeck-Frankenberg (KWF)".
Strong together for our health
"The name expresses the close connection of both locations with Waldeck-Frankenberg and emphasises the claim to ensure and further develop medical care for the citizens of the district together sustainably and at a high level of quality," emphasises District Administrator Jürgen van der Horst as the future Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the joint facility. "Klinikum Waldeck-Frankenberg will stand for reliable and regional healthcare - close to people and future-proof."
The new name should create trust, express what the clinic stands for, provide orientation and convey a regional identity. It was developed by a joint project team in a structured process - from analysing the target groups and competitive situation to developing the brand essence, collecting ideas, strategic evaluation and legal review, through to the involvement of politicians and hospital employees. The focus in finding a name was on ensuring that it met the requirements of the target group, had a clear reference to the district but did not favour any location, was clearly differentiated from competitors in the region, reflected the identity of the brand, was legally sound and could also be optimally used digitally.
Employees made the final decision
However, the centrepiece of the process was the involvement of politicians and the staff of the hospitals at both sites. The employees of the hospitals made the final decision on the final name: Over the past four weeks, they were able to decide on the future name of the joint organisation and their future employer in an online vote. With 78 per cent of all participants voting, the result was clearly in favour of Klinikum Waldeck-Frankenberg (KWF).
"This is a good result that shows broad acceptance of the new name, supports the new common identity and expresses cohesion," says Stefan Kieweg, the mayor of the town of Korbach, which is responsible for the town hospital until the merger process is completed. "It expresses the claim of modern, professionally well-positioned, patient-centred and reliable medical care for the entire district."
Merger into ajoint hospital world
The name decision is an important milestone in the ongoing transformation process, which will gain further momentum in 2026. After the legal merger, which is to be completed by the middle of the year with retroactive effect from 1 January 2026, the two hospitals will gradually merge into a joint hospital world at working level in the coming months.
"Teams of experts from the fields of medicine, nursing and administration have already been formed for this purpose and have already begun exchanging expertise in recent weeks," reports Transformation Manager Gerd Brückmann, who is overseeing the process. "In the coming months, they will also network more and more on a professional and organisational level and develop the prerequisites for cross-location collaboration."