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“Canton wants to actively support affected employees”: closure of the inpatient department at Appenzell Hospital has consequences for staff
The new hospital building at the Appenzell location will no longer take place. The reason is that the cooperation partner in the field of internal medicine, the Appenzell Ausserrhoden Hospital Association, terminated the cooperation agreement “for strategic reasons” at the end of June. This also means that the Appenzell Hospital inpatient department will have to be closed from mid-2021.
The Canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden wanted to invest 41 million francs in the new building of the Appenzell hospital. Now the tide has turned: the professional ethics committee announced at a press conference on Friday that the planned ambulatory care center plus (AVZ +) with a day clinic and interdisciplinary bed room could not be realized as planned. The reason: the previous cooperation partner in the field of internal medicine, the Spitalverbund Appenzell Ausserrhoden (Svar), terminated the cooperation agreement at the end of June 2021.
The project’s halt isn’t a total surprise, even if the professional ethics committee still doesn’t seem to have strayed from its plan. However, the project did not bode well from the beginning: after the positive decision of the state municipality in 2018, the Appenzell Hospital ran into financial difficulties. The stationary numbers decreased, the deficit increased.
The final decision rests with Landsgemeinde
Roland Inauen, Landammann AI.
As a result of this development, the professional ethics committee formulated two conditions in early 2020 that would need to be met for the project to continue. Not only should a turnaround be achieved in the number of hospitalized patient cases, Landammann Roland Inauen told the media on Friday. The cooperation with Ausserrhoder Spitalverbund, which has existed since the beginning of 2020, should have been established, and this is fundamental for the professional ethics committee.
After the latter “got off to a promising start” according to Inauen, the Svar has now decided to “concentrate forces on the Ausserrhoder hospitals for operational and strategic reasons.” As a result, the professional ethics committee concluded that “a new hospital cannot be built under these conditions.”
The Landsgemeinde will make the final decision to abandon the construction project. The professional ethics committee will transfer the corresponding transaction to the Grand Council for the February session.
The hospitalization department will be closed at the end of June.
Monika Rüeg Bless, governor and head of the health and social department.
The decision to stop the AVZ + project has immediate consequences for the hospital, operations and staff. Health Director Monika Rüegg Bless said:
“Without the Svar as a cooperative partner, there will be no acute hospital services at Appenzell Hospital in the future.”
The bed department will be closed at the end of June 2021; the cases of hospitalized patients will be treated outside the canton from July 1. On the other hand, the outpatient offer will continue and rescue and emergency services will be ensured.
In the medium term, the medical services of the Appenzell Hospital will be further developed according to Rüegg Bless and, where necessary and appropriate, will be expanded. This should be done in cooperation with the GP and other partners. A concept for integrated health care in Appenzell should also be developed. “This not only defines hospital and ambulatory medical services, but also intermediate offerings such as Spitex, home care or, if necessary, extended offerings in long-term care.”
The professional ethics committee will immediately assume these tasks. The head of health is convinced that “also in the future we will be able to offer our population good medical and nursing care.”
There will be some reductions
Ruedi Eberle master bag.
With the closure of the hospitalization department, there will be a reduction, according to the professional ethics committee. Ruedi Eberle, chief financial officer and member of the Appenzell Hospital board of directors, couldn’t say on Friday how big it will be.
“However, it is important for the canton to actively support the affected employees.”
Means: Difficulty cases should be cushioned and, if necessary, a social plan should be drawn up. In addition, solutions should be sought specifically for learners.
Last but not least, Eberle is convinced that, under the new framework conditions, attractive jobs can be maintained and, if necessary, new ones created. “A crisis is always an opportunity.”
