Dr. Goepfert leaves Braunschweig Clinic: new beginning or crisis?

Dr. Goepfert leaves Braunschweig Clinic: new beginning or crisis?

There are signs of change in Braunschweig: Dr. Andreas Goepfert will give up his position as managing director of the municipal clinic at the end of 2025. As the city of Braunschweig announced in a press release on July 14, 2025, this is happening amicably and at Goepfert's own request. The Committee for Human Resources, Finance and Digitalization has already approved the termination agreement, and the hospital's Supervisory Board also supported the decision. The first city councilor and chairman of the supervisory board, Christian Geiger, appreciated Goepfert's achievements during his term of office, especially with regard to the structural realignment of the clinic and corporate management in the difficult times of the corona pandemic. He deserves great respect as these phases were a real challenge for so many in the healthcare sector.

The city has already taken measures as part of the realignment of the clinic. Discussions about the future of the clinic's management were triggered by a record deficit of 76 million euros in 2024, with an even higher deficit of 78 million euros forecast for 2025. An alarming development that could rise to around 90 million euros by 2029. Against this background, the city decided in May 2025 to expand the management and introduce dual leadership, which would allow Golpfert and the newly appointed commercial director Sascha Altendorf, who had already taken up his position on July 10, 2025, to work together.

Challenges and future prospects

Dr. Goepfert will manage the clinic together with her new colleague Altendorf until the end of 2025. Altendorf was appointed until March 31, 2026 and is expected to stabilize leadership during this transition phase. Especially given the challenges that medical management requires, it is crucial that hospital managers have both business knowledge and basic medical understanding. Knowledge transfer is important to manage the complexity in healthcare. A textbook dedicated to this topic highlights the need to apply theoretical foundations to current challenges, using real-world case studies to deepen understanding.

The upcoming changes and the necessary adjustments bring a breath of fresh air. Sometimes you have to bring fresh perspectives and explore new avenues to keep the clinic on track, especially given the financial woes. While the SPD supports the measure to give a dual leadership a chance, the CDU and other voices are immediately calling for a new beginning in terms of personnel as they question the previous management.

The search for a permanent successor for the medical management is already in full swing, and it will be interesting to see what solutions and strategies will be developed in order to successfully manage the clinic in the future. The interplay between strategic competence, operational excellence and financial health will play an essential role in the coming context.

The decision to change businesses marks a turning point in the history of the Braunschweig Municipal Clinic. The course has been set, and it remains to be seen how the situation will develop and whether the new approaches will help to overcome the challenges that come to the table and bring the hospital into calmer waters.

For more information about developments at the Braunschweig Clinic and future challenges, read the reports KMA, RegionalToday, as well as technical backgrounds on hospital management Beck E-Library.