- Lauterbach secures assistance for exceptionally specialized medical facilities
The specialized clinics that go beyond the stereotype of regular hospitals, such as the Evangelical Hospital Alsterdorf catering to patients with intricate physical and psychological issues, deserve recognition and support. "We can't and won't abandon these vital healthcare facilities. Highly specialized hospitals like Alsterdorf should be bolstered through hospital reform," asserted the SPD politician Karl Lauterbach during his visit to the hospital.
The Evangelical Hospital Alsterdorf, with its distinctive attributes, falls outside the expectations of typical hospital reforms as it fails to meet the pre-arranged standards of levels and performance groups, acknowledged Ulrich Scheibel, medical director of the Evangelical Foundation Alsterdorf. Despite this, he highlighted, "The Evangelical Hospital Alsterdorf not only excels as a provider for individuals with complex disabilities but also serves as a guiding light and model for other healthcare facilities." Financial stability is essential "to continue embodying our unique mission in caring for these special patients in the future."
The Evangelical Hospital Alsterdorf, an academic teaching hospital affiliated with the University of Hamburg, plays a significant role in both medical and nursing care for individuals with disabilities. In 2020, it was the first in the nation to ink a quality agreement for enhancing inpatient care. As an epilepsy clinic and inclusive medicine center, it collaborates with the University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE) and the Catholic Children's Hospital Wilhelmstift, boasting the largest epilepsy monitoring unit in the country.
Hamburg's Senator for Social Affairs, Melanie Schlotzhauer (SPD), celebrated the hospital as a national beacon for inclusive medicine. Simultaneously, it offers leading-edge care to those suffering from epilepsy, practises health promotion, and contributes to local healthcare services. "Specialized clinics like the Evangelical Hospital Alsterdorf must undoubtedly be factored into the crafting of the hospital reform," suggested Schlotzhauer.
Despite being located in Germany, the Evangelical Hospital Alsterdorf uniquely stands out in the healthcare sector. Its notable achievements and specialized services, such as being an epilepsy clinic and inclusive medicine center, necessitate its inclusion in the country's hospital reform discussions.
