This morning the purchase agreement between representatives of the District of Wesermarsch and the Board of Management of RHÖN-KLINIKUM AG, Bad Neustadt, was notarised before a notary in Nordenham. At the District Council meeting last Monday, officials approved the 100% takeover of Wesermarsch-Klinik Nordenham by the hospital group headquartered in the Rhön with effect from 1 January 2009.

Faced with the current challenges in the German healthcare system, the existing owners wanted to find a strong partner for healthcare delivery within the District. “With RHÖN-KLINIKUM AG we have found the right partner for the future. Together with its hospital network, we can ensure the modernisation and thus the future viability of Wesermarsch-Klinik” said Michael Höbrink, member of Wesermarsch District Council.
As the takeover of ownership by Rhön-Klinikum AG ensures provision of healthcare to the Wesermarsch population through integration with the other facilities of Rhön-Klinikum AG from all care levels right up to maximum care, this also secures the future viability, jobs and competitiveness of Wesermarsch-Klinik Nordenham – something that had been a big worry for us for many years” stated the chairman of the Supervisory Board and District Council President Ernst Tannen, who sees the change in ownership as an opportunity for a completely new start.

With the takeover of Wesermarschklinik we secure local medical care delivery to the population within the District of Wesermarsch. Together with the doctors and nurses, we want to provide patients with an attractive medical offering by introducing patient-oriented processes and future-oriented investments” explained Gerald Meder, deputy chairman of the Board of Management of RHÖN-KLINIKUM AG.

The Company will establish a comprehensive medical offering comprising outpatient and inpatient acute medical services. Healthcare provision for the population within the District of Wesermarsch will be secured by putting the inpatient area on a sound footing for the future and at the same time entering into a new co-operation schemes with specialist doctors.

Wesermarsch-Klinik Nordenham has 137 beds and employs a staff of 345. The inpatient service offering comprises the main departments of internal medicine (57 beds) and surgery (55 beds) as well as the specialist departments of urology (11 beds), and women’s medicine/obstetrics (14 beds). In 2007 a total of 5,500 patients were treated on an inpatient basis.