The Thuringian-Bavarian clinic association Regiomed wants to outsource the hospitals it operates in view of an expected deficit of millions. From January 1, 2024, they should return to the ownership of the participating municipalities and act as economically independent units in medical care, as the association announced on Wednesday. In this way, insolvency should be counteracted and the continued existence of the facilities should be ensured.
The municipal clinic chain’s shareholders’ meeting passed a corresponding resolution at the end of September. The reason for this was the difficult financial situation of the group, which is expecting a deficit of 20 million euros this year. Losses would also occur in 2024 because federal compensation payments would no longer be made and significant cost increases could be expected at the same time.
Regiomed had already struggled with a million dollar deficit in the past. This was able to be converted into an “almost balanced result” in 2022. In the meantime, the geopolitical situation has caused energy costs, inflation and personnel costs to explode, said Lichtenfels district administrator Christian Meißner (CSU), chairman of the shareholders’ meeting.
Regiomed, with 5,000 employees in both federal states, includes acute and rehabilitation clinics, medical care centers (MVZ), emergency services and senior centers at more than a dozen locations in the Coburg area and the Lichtenfels district as well as in the Thuringian districts of Sonneberg and Hildburghausen. Affected by the spin-off are the Henneberg clinics in Hildburghausen including the rehabilitation clinic, the Medinos clinics in Sonneberg, the Helmut G. Walther clinic in Lichtenfels, the Coburg clinic and the Neustadt clinic – all with the associated MVZ.
The responsible local parliaments – four district councils and a city council – as well as an association meeting still have to approve the decision of the shareholders’ meeting. Most recently, Regiomed closed the obstetrics department at the Sonneberg Hospital until the end of the year due to a shortage of skilled workers.