Anne Lévy – New BAG boss: sociable in her private life, almost hard at work – News



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In the midst of the pandemic, Anne Lévy becomes director of the Federal Office of Public Health. This is what her peers say about her.

Anne Lévy has been under public scrutiny from day one as head of the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH). You are called as a crisis manager if the number of corona cases increases again in the winter months. But you should also come up with ideas to reduce healthcare costs in Switzerland.

Carlo Conti, Basel’s longtime health director, is convinced: he is up to the task. «Ms Lévy is a person with clear ideas and knows what she wants. Develop an informed opinion. ”But she is also open to convincing arguments and willing to question her own position.

Anne Levy at a press conference with Alain Berset

Legend:

As the new director of the BAG, Lévy takes on one of the most exposed administrative positions in Bern at the moment. The Federal Office has had to endure a lot of criticism in recent months

Keystone

Conti knows Lévy well. He brought the 48-year-old woman from the BAG twelve years ago, where she ran the alcohol and tobacco department, to the Basel health department, where she assumed a managerial position.

Many early accolades

Lévy has held senior positions in the healthcare sector for decades. Most recently, she was the director of the University Psychiatric Clinics in Basel and supervisor of more than 1,000 employees there.

However, the political scientist does not bring any medical knowledge to the BAG chief’s office. The individual media have criticized this, especially since there is only one doctor in the entire Federal Office management.

Anne Lévy has very good qualifications for this position.

He does not see the lack of medical knowledge as a problem, says the president of the Conference of Health Directors, Lukas Engelberger, who has worked with Lévy in Basel: “You can be familiar with the health system and understand the policy issues of be health without seeing doctor yourself. “

Lévy knows the Swiss healthcare system very well and is very well connected. Engelberger is convinced that “these are very good prerequisites for this position.

Many players in the healthcare sector hope that the new head of BAG will also be a distinguished leader. More profiled than its predecessor Pascal Strupler. A hope that could come true.

Peers describe her as a pleasant and sociable person in private. In the professional setting, however, she seems extremely determined, almost tough. There are also critical voices about Lévy. But they don’t want to express themselves publicly. One weakness is that she sometimes lacks instinct.

Fake pass on the way out

This is demonstrated by an episode of psychiatry in Basel. She thanked her nursing staff for their hard work during the Corona period, with a voucher for catering in the company canteen. Several employees thought that the director could have saved that gift.

As head of psychiatry in Basel, Lévy has also shown that she can resolve conflicts. When she accepted the job, a long discussion ensued about the location of youth psychiatry. Within days, she submitted a commitment that everyone involved could live by.

Peter Schwob, Co-Chair of the Basel Association of Psychotherapists, recalls: “Before we had what felt like 1,000 sessions. For years nothing worked. This new appearance of Ms Lévy was the turning point. “

Lévy can use the ability to resolve conflicts and present quick solutions, in one of the most difficult jobs in the Bundesbern.

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