Friedrichshafen Hospital: Red alert due to record losses!

Friedrichshafen Hospital: Red alert due to record losses!

In the midst of financial turbulence and massive challenges is the Friedrichshafen Clinic, which is suffering from record losses. In a recent podcast, Mayor Blümcke made it clear how central the clinic is to health care in the region. Almost 75% of the patients do not come from Friedrichshafen, which underlines the importance of the facility for the entire area. The city and the district are working intensively on solutions to secure the jobs of employees and shape the future of the clinic. On June 24th, the local council will discuss the 2023 annual financial statements, which have been a long time coming for various reasons.

But looking at the numbers is sobering: The Medizin Campus Bodensee (MCB) clinic group has to accept a financial loss of around 20.8 million euros for the 2023 financial year, which represents an increase of 8 million euros compared to the previous year. The main causes for this are diverse - the corona pandemic, rising energy prices, inflation and a lack of staff are just the tip of the iceberg. Some of the major challenges include inadequate cost coverage by health insurance companies and the effects of the cyber attack, which significantly affected IT and billing processes at the beginning of 2022.

A look into the future

The forecasts are anything but rosy. Further losses are expected for 2024 and 2025; the preliminary balance sheet for 2023 shows a loss of almost 18 million euros for the Friedrichshafen Clinic. The clinic in Tettnang also reports a deficit of 1.8 million euros. In order to address the financial challenges, the clinic management has already presented a business plan that envisages losses of around 23 million euros for 2023. A renovation concept should help to see light at the end of the tunnel.

The situation in the intensive care units is also alarming. Last year, more than 1,100 fewer patients were treated than the previous year. The staff shortage problem is far from solved; in Friedrichshafen only 263 of 370 beds and in Tettnang only 90 of 140 planned beds were operational. This has fatal consequences for the quality and quantity of treatment in the region.

Urgent action required

In order to secure the long-term existence of the clinic, the city and other parties involved are signaling that a realignment is necessary. Not only are expensive maintenance work and a renewal of medical technology planned, but also a new building for a maximum of 400 beds at the Friedrichshafen site. The federal government's Hospital Transformation Fund (KHTF), which provides funding for structural and digital transformation processes, could offer support. Medical equipment and other measures could be advanced in this way.

The difficulties facing the hospital reflect the increasing pressure on healthcare in the region. The state government relies on solid central suppliers, but the problem of skilled workers remains a constant companion. Open full-time positions in nursing and an average replacement time of 180 days make the prospects anything but rosy.

It remains important that everyone involved, from the city to the health insurance companies, pull together to get through this challenging time and give the clinic hope for a better future. The coming months will be crucial in determining whether the Friedrichshafen Clinic manages to turn things around or whether the financially troubled group remains in the red.