On 3 December 2019 RHÖN-KLINIKUM AG and Medgate signed the notarised agreement establishing Medgate Deutschland GmbH, and appointed Verena Weißenseel as the company’s Managing Director. Business operations of Medgate Deutschland are slated to begin in the first half of 2020. The telemedical centre providing the services (Medgate Tele Clinic) will have its registered office in Berlin.
Anyone falling ill can grab their smart phone and get medical advice and treatment by phone or video. Patients can access the services in two ways: either by using the Medgate App or contacting the patient reception of Medgate Tele Clinic by phone. What has been a reality in Switzerland for many years already will soon also be possible in Germany. It is for that purpose that Medgate Deutschland GmbH was officially founded today. RHÖN-KLINIKUM AG holds the majority stake in the company with an interest of 51%, with 49% being held by Medgate.
Verena Weißenseel appointed Managing Director
Verena Weißenseel will take over the management of the newly founded company. Weißenseel was previously Head of Corporate Development at RHÖN-KLINIKUM AG and already a year ago assumed the project management for Medgate’s market entry to Germany. Weißenseel has outstanding knowledge of the German healthcare market as well as extensive experience in developing and establishing new medical services and offerings.
Regarding her new task Verena Weißenseel noted: “I am very much looking forward to the new challenge and am convinced that with our offering in the area of telemedicine and digital health we can make an important contribution towards improving the healthcare system. We are gearing our offering to the requirements of an increasingly digitalised society and its need for efficient, high-quality and fast healthcare provision.”
Stephan Holzinger, Chairman of the Board of Management of RHÖN-KLINIKUM AG, said: “Over the past months Ms. Weißenseel, working together with Medgate, has successfully advanced the preparations for the operative launch of Medgate Deutschland with tremendous commitment. RHÖN-KLINIKUM is expanding its value chain with the telemedicine offer: digital before outpatient before inpatient. In this way we are creating a modern care offer for patients.”
Path cleared for market entry
The most important preparations for market entry were already implemented over the past months: the legal framework conditions for provision of services were clarified, the technological infrastructure for the local application in Germany was developed and the recruiting process for the staff was initiated. Moreover, we have established close and promising contacts with potential customers, having already succeeded in acquiring a reputable private hospital insurance company as a customer. Likewise, we have begun establishing a partner network with community-based service providers so as to offer patients and insured persons comprehensive service going beyond tele-consultation.
In a first step, the offering is addressed to private health insurance companies and self-payers. There are also plans to work together with statutory health insurance funds as well as to expand the offering. The structures for providing telemedical and digital services will be established along the same lines as the Swiss business model, giving due regard to the legislative framework in Germany.
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RHÖN‐KLINIKUM AG is one of the largest healthcare providers in Germany. The hospital group offers excellent medical care with a direct link to universities and research institutes. More than 850,000 patients are treated every year at the five group hospitals located in Bad Berka, Bad Neustadt, Frankfurt (Oder), Giessen and Marburg where more than 17,000 employees work. With the RHÖN campus concept the Company is currently implementing a new and forward-looking project which raises fully comprehensive healthcare in rural areas to a new level of excellence and is geared to the growing needs of patients.
More information under www.rhoen-klinikum-ag.com
Contact
Elke Pfeifer, Head of Division Corporate Communications and Marketing
RHÖN-KLINIKUM AG, Schlossplatz 1, D-97616 Bad Neustadt a. d. Saale
T. +49 9771 65-1327, elke.pfeifer(at)rhoen-klinikum-ag.com
Medgate brings the doctor to where patients need him, supported by digital health solutions. Our main concerns are the wellbeing of our patients and the benefits for society. Medgate was founded in 1999 and now employs over 500 people worldwide. Medgate has operated the Medgate Tele Clinic in Switzerland since 2000, which is the largest telemedicine center in Europe run by doctors. We therefore have a great deal of experience and knowledge in the area of telemedicine. Medgate is also present in locations such as the Philippines, the United Arab Emirates and India.
Contact
Cedric Berset, Director Marketing, Communications & Sales Medgate, Gellertstraße 19, CH-4020 Basel
T. +41 61 377 88 44, cedric.berset@medgate.ch