Cooperation

Introduction of new treatment options Based on the care contracts with the social insurance institutions which have been in effect ever since the foundation of the RKU, the facility intensly observed the health service as well as assessed the demands of patients as well as cost units and thus perceived a change of structure concerning particular treatment options away from hospitalised to outpatient or day-care treatment. This structural change is taken into account by expanding the day-care treatment options. In concert and cooperation with the respective cost units,

• in 1997 admission for day-care medical rehabilitation
• in 2000 establishment of an orthopaedic analgesic day-care clinic with 8 day-care places and a special commercial college for handicapped youths striving for professional rehabilitation
• in 2003 opening of the post-primary, neurological rehabilitation (phase C) with 6 beds

was achieved.

Joint usage of medical facilities

In 2000, a nuclear magnetic resonance tomograph costing approx. 1.8 m € was purchased. Already when putting the device into operation, cooperation with an established physician concerning proportionate usage of the device was agreed on. Jointly using the device contributes to an optimum utilisation of the device.

Joint usage of economic and administrative facilities with partners

For energy and economy, cooperation with the Ulm University Clinic and the Federal Armed Forces Hospital (BWK) Ulm started in 1984 already. Ulm University centrally takes care of energy production, waste disposal and laundrying. The respective services then being passed to the RKU and BWK. Due to the joint usage of the central equipment by three participating associations allow for a particularly efficient performance.

As the RKU belongs to the Sana Kliniken GmbH, which is the biggest private clinic operator in Germany, the shopping facilities at the clinic could be centralised within the association. As proposed by the RKU, already in 1989 a central institution all across the group was founded for consumer goods and autonomous subsidiaries for clinic cleaning, catering and the procurement of capital goods were established. The RKU played a leading role in organising these group activities.

The procurement of consumer goods was settled by means of outline agreements between the Sana clinics and the most important suppliers. This did not only result in uniform and cheaper shopping facilities for the RKU, but lead to rationalising of the ordering procedure as well, as the RKU is no longer required to conduct pricing negotiations at high personnel costs with the supplier firms.