Wir überwinden Grenzen

Shareholders sign letter of intent - jobs and Bad Krozingen site to be retained

A sustainable solution has been found for the University Heart Center Freiburg - Bad Krozingen (UHZ), which has run into financial difficulties due to the coronavirus pandemic. The UHZ will thus be secured in the long term, as announced by Science Minister Theresia Bauer in Heidelberg on Friday (May 15). "I am delighted that the renowned UHZ now has a long-term perspective," continued Theresia Bauer. "This means that the UHZ can continue to make a significant contribution to research and teaching in the cardiovascular field. I would like to thank everyone who has contributed to this important goal."

The state and the two shareholders of UHZ GmbH, the Medical Center - University of Freiburg and the Benedikt Kreutz Rehabilitationszentrum für Herz- und Kreislaufkranke Bad Krozingen e.V. (BKeV), have created the necessary foundations for a rescue. All parties involved had set themselves the common goal of continuing and strengthening the heart center and preserving jobs.

According to Theresia Bauer, the solution that has now been found is a commitment to the traditional Bad Krozingen site, whose name is closely associated with the "Herz" brand. It enables the medical care mandate to be maintained and research and teaching in the cardiovascular field to be advanced.

"The structure that has now been created is a well-built and solid foundation for the current and future challenges of the UHZ," said Health Minister Manne Lucha. "I am also pleased that the negotiations have led to such a good result. The staff at the UHZ and the patients affected can be very happy about this news. In the midst of the coronavirus crisis, this is a positive signal to the city of Freiburg and the district of Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald."

Letter of intent from the shareholders

The two shareholders of UHZ GmbH have agreed on the following framework conditions in a letter of intent:

• The shareholder BKeV intends to transfer all shares it holds in UHZ GmbH and the business operations of UHZ GmbH to the Medical Center - University of Freiburg.
• The Medical Center - University of Freiburg will issue an employment guarantee to the employees of UHZ GmbH.
• The Medical Center - University of Freiburg assures the maintenance and continued operation of both sites of the previous UHZ GmbH, namely Freiburg and Bad Krozingen. The Bad Krozingen site is to be secured as a cardiovascular center of excellence.

The agreed key points still have to be worked out contractually and approved by the responsible bodies. On this basis, the success story of the UHZ can be continued in a future-proof manner.

Chief Medical Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Prof. Dr. Frederik Wenz, said: "The University Heart Center has developed well medically, scientifically and financially until February 2020, with the points now agreed we can stop the current financial downward trend in time and secure all jobs at the University Heart Center. None of the employees will have to accept financial losses. We also have the opportunity to further develop and strengthen the Bad Krozingen site."

The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the BKeV and Mayor of Bad Krozingen, Volker Kieber, and his deputy and long-time Managing Director of the Heart Center Bad Krozingen, Bernhard Grotz, expressed their great joy and relief at the positive signal for the employees: "Our thanks go to all the negotiating partners involved, who have helped to secure the long-term preservation of the University Heart Center at both locations. With the declaration of intent that has been drawn up, we have created a viable basis that will enable us to enter into fair negotiations with the Medical Center - University of Freiburg in order to create a sustainable basis for the BKeV and its subsidiaries."

Further information:

University Heart Center Freiburg - Bad Krozingen (UHZ)

With more than 22,000 inpatients per year, 424 beds and around 1,700 employees, the University of Freiburg Heart Center in Bad Krozingen is one of the largest cardiovascular centers in Germany. It occupies a prominent position in Germany and Europe in terms of patient care, research and teaching. The University Heart Center has the knowledge carriers and equipment to research new treatment methods and bring them to patients quickly and responsibly.

The research expertise is strengthened by the Institute for Experimental Cardiovascular Medicine (IEKM).

The UHZ emerged in 2012 from the merger of the Cardiovascular Center of the Medical Center - University of Freiburg and the Heart Center Bad Krozingen as a joint university heart center.

As part of a process of strategic and organizational development of the UHZ, talks have been underway for some time to integrate the UHZ more closely into the Medical Center - University of Freiburg.