The interview partners
Prof. Dr. Patrick Da-Cruz is Professor of Business Administration and Healthcare Management at the Faculty of Healthcare Management at Neu-Ulm University of Applied Sciences (HNU) and Academic Director of the MBA program Leadership and Management in Healthcare.
Before joining the HNU, Mr. Da-Cruz worked for renowned strategy consultancies in the pharmaceutical/healthcare sector and in management positions in companies in the healthcare industry in Germany and abroad.
Dr. Simon Mayer heads the Strategic Medical Controlling department at Ulm University Hospital and in this role is responsible for analyses relating to all strategic issues at the hospital. After studying human medicine at the University of Ulm, he enlisted as a medical officer in the German Armed Forces and completed his further training as a specialist in neurosurgery at the Bundeswehr Hospital in Ulm. Inspired by the part-time Master's degree in “Leadership and Management in Healthcare” at Neu-Ulm University of Applied Sciences, he switched from patient medicine to OR management in 2019. He also worked as Head of Medical Controlling and Deputy Head of Central Clinical Management at the Bundeswehr Hospital in Ulm. Since the end of his service as a temporary soldier in July 2024, he has been working at Ulm University Hospital. At the age of 15, he founded a company in the IT sector and has retained his enthusiasm for IT and digitalization to this day.
How do you see the current changes in the hospital landscape as a result of the Hospital Care Improvement Act (KHVVG)?
Dr. Simon Mayer: The KHVVG will significantly change the hospital landscape in the coming years. Towards the end of the legislative process, the KHVVG often put “speed before quality”, meaning that the effects of some of the law's instruments on the healthcare market were not considered. I expect significant changes for patients and healthcare staff that have hardly been addressed in the public debate to date. With instruments such as the retention fee, it may make economic sense for clinics to provide only 80% of the services of the previous period in the current retention fee period, as the retention fee remains unchanged within a corridor of +/- 20%. In combination with the required reduction in capacity, this could lead to significantly longer waiting times. For patients, clinic closures mean noticeable changes to their local care situation and often longer travel times. Not only closures, but also the discontinuation of service areas within clinics requires many healthcare employees to reorient their careers.
What specific effects do you expect for university medicine?
Dr. Simon Mayer: In addition to treating patients at a high level, the special mission of a university hospital is also research, teaching and the translation of research results into patient care. Comprehensive and excellent research and teaching requires a broad range of services in the clinical area in order to avoid narrowing the fields of research. We therefore aim to be broadly positioned in the service group system and to fully reflect our current range of services. The required concentration of specialized services at centers means an increase in complex and highly complex services for university medicine. Our simulations show that the number of treatments could increase by up to 100 % in some service areas. In order to meet this challenge, the hospital's processes, procedures and resources must be adapted. Close cooperation with outpatient service providers, care and rehabilitation facilities and other clinics in the region is also required.
What specific challenges are associated with the reform in terms of networking university hospitals with other hospitals?
Dr. Simon Mayer: The concentration of highly complex services at specialized centers requires active management of patients in the outpatient and inpatient areas. Close coordination between regional care providers is important for this. We take this need into account through the steering committee for regional healthcare, in which the Weißenhorn Foundation Clinics, the Bundeswehr Hospital Ulm, the Alb-Donau Clinics and the University Hospital Ulm, together with District Administrator Heiner Scheffold, dedicate themselves to this important coordination on hospital reform in order to ensure optimal inpatient care in the region. The fast and secure exchange of treatment data in standardized formats and with shared systems is crucial to promoting active cooperation. I see a clear need to catch up here. Although digital technologies are available, they are not being used for various reasons. In my opinion, one major obstacle is excessive data protection, which is blocking many sensible projects. Another current issue is networking within the healthcare system in preparation for crises and wars. Ulm University Hospital has the coordination and networking role for care region C as defined by the Ministry of Social Affairs. In order to be prepared, networking, exchange and coordination between service providers must be established now and practiced for difficult times. The state and federal government must also provide resources for these tasks.
What does the hospital reform mean for the further development of medical training?
Dr. Simon Mayer: The division into specialized care providers on the one hand and basic and standard care on the other has an impact on training and continuing education. In order to fulfill the training curricula, both primary and standard care as well as specialized care are required. To ensure this, regional education and training networks with controlled rotations between the network participants are required. At the same time, it is important to counteract the shortage of specialists by providing structured and attractive training for the required specialists.
How is Ulm University Hospital preparing for the changes associated with the reform?
Dr. Simon Mayer: Ulm University Hospital is actively involved in the reform process. With continuous analyses, we are informed at all times about the effects of the legislative key points on the University Hospital and also the other service providers in the region. The Executive Board uses this information to make necessary strategic decisions, such as the needs-based reallocation of central resources such as operating room capacities. At the same time, we support the current and upcoming changes through active communication within the hospital. In the last ten months, we have organized almost 40 information events and presentations on the KHVVG in order to involve employees and prepare them for the upcoming changes. Thanks to this strategic approach, Ulm University Hospital is well prepared for the changes brought about by the Hospital Care Improvement Act and can continue to offer reliable cutting-edge medicine, research and teaching for the city, region and beyond.
Thank you very much for the interview!
The content and statements presented in the interviews reflect the perspective of the interviewees and do not necessarily reflect the position of the editorial team.
