University Medicine - Amendment aims to give university hospital more room for maneuver
After the initially failed appointment of the scientific director of the University of Mainz Medical Center, a legislative amendment is planned to make the clinic more operational. The procedure for electing and dismissing the scientific director will be regulated anew in the novelty of the 15-year-old law decided by the Rhineland-Palatinate cabinet. This will ensure, according to a communication from the Mainz Ministry of Science and Health, that in the future, for example, early cooperation between members of the Faculty Council and the Supervisory Board can be guaranteed.
The board can consist of five members instead of the previous four. In addition to the representatives for care, business affairs, research and teaching (scientific director), the nursing director is to receive full voting rights, and a construction director can also join. At the largest hospital in the state, which also has the largest state participation, around 2.2 billion euros are to be invested from 2026 to 2040.
The search for a successor to Ulrich Förstermann, who resigned at the end of March, has been ongoing for months. A candidate withdrew. Later, the candidate proposed by the University of Mainz's Supervisory Board, the former head of the Nephrology, Rheumatology and Transplantation Medicine department of the University of Mainz, Julia Weinmann-Menke, was rejected by the Faculty Council. Currently, Hansjörg Schild, Dean of Research, is taking over the position on a commission basis.
A new call for applications for the position of scientific director is not currently planned, according to the ministry. The legislative proposal is to be submitted to parliament before the summer break - that is, in the coming week.
- The amendment to the 15-year-old law in Rhineland-Palatinate aims to provide more room for maneuver for the election and dismissal of the scientific director at the University Hospital Mainz, ensuring better collaboration between the Faculty Council and the Supervisory Board.
- Due to the planned amendment, the board of the University Medicine Mainz will now have five members instead of four, providing full voting rights to the nursing director and moving a step closer to becoming a more operational government facility.
- With around 2.2 billion euros to be invested in the University Hospital Mainz from 2026 to 2040, the Rhineland-Palatinate government is demonstrating its commitment to University Medicine, ensuring it remains one of the state's largest and most influential hospitals.
- Following the legislative changes and the ongoing search for a new scientific director, the University Hospital Mainz, located in Mainz, continues to play a significant role in the Rhineland-Palatinate healthcare landscape, working towards its mission in areas of care, research, and education.
