The district is working to improve healthcare provision across the whole district
When it comes to healthcare, the focus in recent months has often been on the merger of Korbach Town Hospital with Frankenberg District Hospital to form the Waldeck-Frankenberg Hospital. District Administrator Jürgen van der Horst makes it clear: “We remain committed to ensuring reliable healthcare provision throughout the district – including in Nordwaldeck.” He is responding in this way to press reports on the resolution passed by the town of Bad Arolsen regarding the situation and future of the Bad Arolsen Hospital.
“The district of Waldeck-Frankenberg is firmly committed to providing comprehensive, high-quality healthcare across the entire district – and this explicitly includes the hospital in Bad Arolsen,” District Administrator Jürgen van der Horst makes this message very clear – and also supports the specialisation in geriatric medicine at the Nordwaldeck site.
Safeguarding and strengthening the Bad Arolsen hospital site
The district administration supports efforts to safeguard the Bad Arolsen hospital site in the long term and to further strengthen local medical care. The aim is to expand geriatric care at the site so that a specialised service can be established there. To this end, District Administrator Jürgen van der Horst is also in constant dialogue with the Hessian Ministry for Family, Senior Citizens, Sport, Health and Care (HMFG). The Ministry is responsible for the planning and authorisation of hospital sites in Hesse. “In all our discussions, we are strongly advocating for the preservation of the Bad Arolsen hospital site in order to secure a positive decision, for example, regarding the allocation of service groups,” emphasises the District Administrator.
Specialisation in geriatrics
In order to support the specialisation in geriatric medicine in Bad Arolsen, the Waldeck-Frankenberg Hospital has also deliberately chosen not to expand its geriatric services at either of its sites in Korbach and Frankenberg, despite this being a perfectly feasible option. Only basic care is to be provided there – supplemented by geriatric trauma care, for example for conditions such as femoral neck fractures, which can no longer be treated in Bad Arolsen due to the closure of the surgical department. “The Waldeck-Frankenberg Hospital will deliberately set different priorities at its future sites in Korbach and Frankenberg so that Bad Arolsen can specialise in specific areas,” the District Administrator continued.
Emergency care is guaranteed
. As well as strengthening the hospital in Bad Arolsen, emergency care is also a key pillar of the healthcare system. Karl-Friedrich Frese, the district’s First Deputy District Administrator, is currently in discussions and negotiations with a large number of doctors involved to finalise the details of their commitments. The handover of emergency medical services from Bad Arolsen Hospital will take place on 1 January 2027. “It is certain that we will continue to ensure the staffing of an emergency doctor’s response vehicle, which will remain stationed in the district capital,” says Frese. In addition, further ambulances with a direct telemedical link to an emergency doctor will be stationed at ambulance stations across the district – including one in Bad Arolsen.
Support for the authorisation of a surgical practice
Furthermore, the District Administrator makes it clear that the district isalso giving its full support to the authorisation of a surgical practice in Bad Arolsen by the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians. Gerd Brückmann, the transformation manager responsible for the merger process at the district authority, will play an active role in the negotiations on this issue, together with the management of the Waldeck-Frankenberg Hospital, and will seek to reach a satisfactory consensus with all parties involved.
’s shared objectiveThe district of Waldeck-Frankenberg aims to ensure high-quality, reliable and locally accessible healthcare for all residents within the district. This involves not only political support but also providing practical support for local processes: negotiations with the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians, coordination with Waldeck-Frankenberg Hospital, support with licensing procedures, and coordination with the state authorities and with practising doctors.
Bad Arolsen: a key component of the healthcare network
“Bad Arolsen is a key component of the healthcare network,” Jürgen van der Horst and Karl-Friedrich Frese emphasise in conclusion. “Together with all our local partners, we want to create the right conditions to safeguard healthcare provision throughout the district. We are supporting the expansion of geriatric care, ensuring emergency care is available, and closing any potential gaps in outpatient care through targeted measures in collaboration with the relevant Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians. “The district will also support all necessary steps and work actively to ensure that the Bad Arolsen site has a sustainable and specialised future.”