Bad Hersfeld Hospital: renovation successful! New leadership, positive balance!

Bad Hersfeld Hospital: renovation successful! New leadership, positive balance!

There is good news to report at the Bad Hersfeld Clinic: the economic “turnaround” has been achieved. Katja Bittner, who had served as restructuring manager for nine months, took positive stock of her time in office and handed over the helm on August 1, 2025 to Sebastian Mock, an experienced healthcare manager of 34 years who previously managed several Helios facilities. Mock will continue the restructuring path and set the course for sustainable economic development, as inSüdthüringen reports.

Bittner's takeover was not easy. When she started, the clinic had an annual deficit of around 40 million euros, which was offset by payments from the district. The pressure was enormous, but through quick measures and a clear strategy we managed to get the hospital on track. It is even predicted that the clinic could theoretically be deficit-free in five years, provided the positive development continues and the political framework conditions are right.

Successful renovation measures

The restructuring was significantly driven forward by, among other things, merging the intensive care units, which reduced personnel bottlenecks and generated savings of 2.5 million euros. Bittner included measures such as the waiver of fee-based doctors in psychiatry, which led to a “seven-figure amount” in savings. These steps are not only visible in the financial balance sheet, but have also improved the quality of patient care. A look into the future promises further savings through the planned relocation of orthopedics and the integration of the heart and circulatory center into the clinic [HNA].

These successes should also be seen in the context of the current challenges in the healthcare system. The German Hospital Association warns that many clinics are operating at their financial and personnel limits. Around 60 percent of hospitals expected economic losses at the end of 2021. It is therefore all the more important that clinics like Bad Hersfelder strategically reposition themselves and continually review and adapt their profitability, as PwC notes.

It is pleasing for the patients and the region that the Bad Hersfeld Clinic is on a stable course and is setting the course for a positive future. The coming months will show whether Sebastian Mock can successfully continue the restructuring course he has chosen and whether the long-missing freedom from deficits will be achieved as quickly as possible.