Advisors of Oberender have been discharged from Kelheim Hospital.
Kelheim District Struggles After Early Termination of Hospital Management Contract with Oberender AG
A premature termination of the management contract for Kelheim Hospital between Caritas and Oberender AG has left the district facing an uncertain future, according to reports. The district is already grappling with the fallout following the abrupt termination of a similar contract with the Bayreuth consultants last year.
Photographs show the Kelheim hospital's leadership during June 2022, seemingly indifferent to the mounting criticism: Michael Weißmann, Director of Caritas, Clemens Prokop, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Sabine Hehn, CEO of the Kelheim hospital (prior to her termination), Martin Neumeyer, District Administrator, and Jan Hack, Board Member of Oberender AG.
The reasons for Hehn's dismissal were not specified, except that "trust in her leadership of the hospital was no longer present." Oberender AG's 'future concept', presented to the district council in early 2022, appeared to be incomplete, with neither a functional urology department nor a geriatrics unit operational. Hehn's management style was also criticized for numerous personnel changes, particularly in leading positions.
In the hospital's sterilization department, allegations of unqualified cleaning staff being employed to save costs led to hygiene concerns. After an internal inspection, the department was closed, with renovations planned to be completed by mid-May.
Another issue to emerge is the delayed construction of a new building for the operating rooms, originally slated to be completed before the hospital's takeover by Caritas and Oberender in 2022. However, following the change of ownership, the approved plan became unusable due to “additional external surgeons who were supposed to contribute to the economic stabilization of the hospital and changed requirements for operating rooms,” according to Caritas.
Plans for a meeting with the Bavarian government of Lower Bavaria are scheduled for early May to progress the OR new building project. The viability of the Oberender concept, which formed the basis of the cooperation between Caritas and the district council in 2022, remains questionable, as observed in a similar case at Ingelheim Hospital in Rhineland-Palatinate.
It is still unclear what the financial costs of the Oberender engagement in Kelheim will be, or the extent of the damage sustained by the district, which carries the full financial risk within the framework of the 2022 "strategic partnership" with Caritas. Caritas retains control and was responsible for involving Oberender.
Caritas plans to minimize financial losses by using downtime and liability insurance, and is currently conducting extensive documentation regarding the causes, responsibilities, and consequences of necessary repair measures. The liability of Oberender AG in relation to any shortcomings remains uncertain.
Notably, despite leaving something of a mess in Kelheim, Oberender AG continues to provide advice to the federal government on the impacts of hospital reform.
In light of these events, the argument that external operators, such as the Sports Orthopedic Clinic, can successfully contribute to hospital management remains in question. Further investigation into the circumstances surrounding Hehn's dismissal and the closure of the operating rooms may shed light on the matter.
- The uncertainty in Kelheim District persists as the district grapples with managing health-and-wellness issues, including the still operational medical-conditions within the hospital, amidst the premature termination of the management contract with Oberender AG in the field of science.
- The ongoing political discussions about the role of external operators, such as the Sports Orthopedic Clinic, in hospital management are heightened by the recent events in Kelheim, particularly the controversial termination of Sabine Hehn's management and the closure of the operating rooms, which could impact health-and-wellness services.
- General news outlets report on the financial implications of Oberender AG's questionable engagement in Kelheim Hospital, as the district faces potential losses and the risks associated with incomplete medical facilities, such as an inoperational urology department and geriatrics unit, while the future of the Oberender concept remains uncertain in the realm of health-and-wellness politics.
