Emergency room in the Weyertal hospital concludes: What does that mean for Cologne?

Emergency room in the Weyertal hospital concludes: What does that mean for Cologne?

After a year and a half as part of the University Hospital Cologne, the central emergency room (ZNA) of the Evangelical Hospital Weyertal will be closed from July 1st. Rescue cars have been taking over the acute emergencies since this weekend and bring the patients to the nearby ZNA of the university clinic, which is only 800 meters away. On average, around 25 to 30 people per day were treated in the EVK Weyertal emergency clinic. Particularly seriously injured patients are moved directly to the university clinic or other trauma centers to ensure the best possible care. Nine employees of the emergency outpatient clinic receive new tasks in the hospital and are not released. Instead, the operation of the emergency outpatient clinic is converted into a control center that takes over the patient referral. This could report this Rundschau Online.

The strategic focus of the Weyertal on geriatric medicine is interesting. With the establishment of the "Center for Medicine in Old Age", the care of older patients is focused on. Those responsible rely on modern, holistic and close -up care. Preparing patients for an independent return to everyday life is a central goal. The focus is on multimorbidity, frailty and taking five or more medication. In view of the demographic change, in which a third of the population in Germany will be over 65 by 2050, this approach is forward -looking and necessary.

demographic change as a challenge

Demographic change not only presents the health sector with new challenges, but all areas of society. The increase in diseases and increased morbidity are already noticeable. Current studies show that hospitals such as the Weyertal are forced to rethink their personnel structure. It is important to change from traditional personnel management to strategic personnel management. This also includes the development of individual measures, such as Ärzteblatt emphasized and at the same time promoted Strengthening the skills of older employees.

Another central point is the design of working time models. Older employees have individual wishes and flexible solutions, such as moving working hours or job sharing, are required. The adaptation to the physical and psychological stress is essential. Studies show that many activities in the nursing sector are physically very demanding, which requires the use of aids and preventive exercises for injury prevention.

Overall, it turns out that the Weyertal not only reacts to the closure of the emergency room, but also actively responds to the changes in society. With the strengthening of geriatric medicine, the hospital wants to make an important contribution to the health care of the older generation and at the same time create a sustainable structure for its own workforce. It remains to be seen how these developments will affect in the coming years.