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Minister Warken finds out about promoting young talent, outpatient care and innovative treatment methods

On Friday, December 12, 2025, Federal Minister of Health Nina Warken visited the Medical Center - University of Freiburg. The talks focused on research careers, prevention, the responsible use of antibiotics and the further development of clinical care. In a conversation at the beginning, the Board of Directors emphasized the importance of hospital reform.

Federal Minister of Health Nina Warken: "The University Medical Center Freiburg is a special example of excellent medical care with particular appeal in the region and beyond. As a research, training and further education center, it assumes responsibility for the young medical and scientific talent on which we so urgently depend. The challenges in the healthcare sector do not stop at locations like this one. We therefore want to strengthen cutting-edge medicine by carrying out plannable, complex interventions in hospitals that are best equipped to do so. Hospitals should also be able to work economically. The course for this is currently being set in Berlin."

"In our talks with the Minister, we once again emphasized how important the implementation of the hospital reform is for us as a university hospital. The reform can significantly improve the quality of treatment and offers the clinics important planning security," said Prof. Dr. Frederik Wenz, Chief Medical Officer of the Medical Center - University of Freiburg. "The close connection between research and care expands the treatment options for our patients. We were able to show the Minister how we promote young talent, strengthen prevention and bring new therapies into care."

Clinician scientists, colorectal cancer prevention, outpatient care and responsible use of antibiotics

One focus of the visit was on important topics at the Department of Internal Medicine II - Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Endocrinology and Infectiology at the Medical Center - University of Freiburg: Accompanied by Medical Director Prof. Dr. Robert Thimme, the Minister learned about structured career paths for clinician scientists, which enable junior doctors to combine clinical work and research. An AI-supported procedure for the particularly early identification of small precancerous lesions, which is intended to further improve colorectal cancer prevention, was also presented.

The Gerok Liver Centre, which increasingly offers specialized diagnostics and therapy on an outpatient basis, was presented as an example of successful outpatient treatment. The hospital was also able to demonstrate success in the area of antibiotics: Consumption has been consistently reduced through training and regular antibiotic consultations, among other things; the University Medical Center Freiburg is now one of the three university hospitals with the lowest use of antibiotics in Germany.

Innovative tremor treatment

Another item on the program was an insight into neurosurgery: Prof. Dr. Volker Coenen, Head of the Department of Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery at the Department of Neurosurgery at the Medical Center - University of Freiburg, presented a new method of tremor treatment that was able to effectively help a patient after many years of severe tremors. As health insurance companies now cover the costs of treatment, it can now be offered on a regular basis at the Medical Center - University of Freiburg.

Image 1: During her visit to the Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Federal Minister of Health Nina Warken praised the efforts in the areas of structured career paths, digitalization and prevention. Here in conversation with Prof. Dr. Frederik Wenz, Chief Medical Officer of the Medical Center - University of Freiburg.

Image 2: Prof. Dr. Frederik Wenz explains to Health Minister Nina Warken how easy it is to check in at the digital registration station.

Image 3: Hands-on: In the endoscopy unit, the Minister of Health was able to try out on a dummy how a swallowed sweet can be removed.

Image 4: Health Minister Warken practiced under real conditions. As is usual for endoscopic procedures, the lighting in the endoscopy room was bluish.

Image source: Medical Center - University of Freiburg