- Forecast for 2008 reaffirmed
- Expectations for financial year 2009 positive
- Revenues of 2.3 billion euros, net consolidated profit between 125 and 135 million euros
- RHÖN-KLINIKUM AG embraces integrated growth strategy
- Dr. Straub first medical doctor in Board of Management
At today’s Analyst Conference the Company informed about its expectations for financial year 2009. The chairman of the Board of Management, Wolfgang Pföhler, moreover made detailed statements on the recently announced orientation of the Board of Management to the Company’s integrated growth strategy.
Forecast for 2008 reaffirmed
The 9-month figures for 2008 reveal that RHÖN-KLINIKUM AG has continued its growth course and that increases have been once again recorded in the most important key figures – patient numbers, revenues and earnings.
In the first nine months of 2008, the Group’s hospitals treated 1.24 million patients (+ 6.6%) and generated revenues of 1.59 billion euros (+ 4.9%), with net consolidated profit reaching 89.2 million euros (+ 2.6 %) in the first three quarters. The Company has succeeded in expanding operative performance despite extraordinary burdens from legislation and the sharp rise in the costs of personnel and materials, which is why the forecast for financial year 2008 is reaffirmed: revenues of 2.1 billion euros, earnings of 123 million euros.
Expectations for financial year 2009 positive
The Company expects to see a positive development in 2009: “The healthcare market is crisis-resistant and largely unaffected by short-term developments on the financial markets and swings in the economic cycle. Demand for good medical care is rising as society greys, people gain greater awareness of the health and progress in medicine advances. For these reasons we see a growth path for our Group which is clearly marked out over the coming years” Pföhler explained.
The framework conditions for the healthcare market remain challenging. “The anticipated amendments to hospital financing are bringing a certain degree of relief. These are set against rising personnel and material costs”, Pföhler said. “Overall, we will expand our market position. Our plan developed for the next financial year is sound and conservative, and we are certain that we will be able to achieve the stated targets”, the chairman of the Board of Management said confidently.
For financial year 2009, rising revenues and rising net consolidated profit are expected. Irrespective of further hospital acquisitions the Company is targeting revenues of roughly 2.3 billion euros. “We put our earnings target for 2009 at a net consolidated profit of roughly 130 million euros – but in view of the opportunities and risks see a deviation of plus or minus 5 million euros as possible” said the chairman of the Board of Management.
RHÖN-KLINIKUM AG embraces integrated growth
Wolfgang Pföhler provided detailed information on the Company’s orientation towards the integrated growth strategy: “By establishing our two-step healthcare offering, we want to draw on performance reserves, set a benchmark for ensuring the viability of care, offer people good medicine and exploit quality and efficiency reserves at the interface between sectors. We are expanding our medical offering with the new division Outpatient-Inpatient Basic and Standard Care. The solid basis of our growth strategy continues to be provided by our original business field of acute inpatient care.”
The Group’s core principles of medical understanding were especially highlighted by Pföhler: “Our seal of quality is the independent medicine practised by doctors at our Company. This is what RHÖN-KLINIKUM AG has stood for in the past and will continue to stand for in future”, remarked the chairman of the Board of Management. “Dr. Christoph Straub, working together with the doctors of RHÖN-KLINIKUM AG, will forge ahead with the integration of state-of-the-art medicine within our network of hospitals and moreover assume responsibility for medical quality management and the further training and higher-qualification of doctors. I am pleased to have found in Dr. Straub a doctor to build bridges for us between the sectors”, explained the chairman of the Board of Management.
Wolfgang Pföhler provided detailed information on the further orientation of the Company’s executive team and the implementation of the integrated growth strategy. In finance policy, the Company assigns a key role to continuity. The outgoing CFO, Dietmar Pawlik, will be succeeded by Dr. Erik Hamann as deputy member of the Board of Management for the division Finance, Investor Relations and Controlling who will ensure consistency in the Company’s long-term oriented finance policy. Dr. Hamann currently heads the division Group Controlling at RHÖN-KLINIKUM AG.
In conclusion Pföhler emphasised: “My goal is to further develop RHÖN-KLINIKUM AG from being traditional hospital operator into a healthcare provider.”