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Emergency room in Weyertal closes: What does that mean for Cologne residents?
The central emergency room of the Evangelical Hospital Weyertal will be closed; Patients are forwarded to the Cologne University Hospital.
Emergency room in Weyertal closes: What does that mean for Cologne residents?
As part of a comprehensive restructuring, the central emergency room (ZNA) of the Evangelical Hospital Weyertal in Cologne will be closed from July 1st. This comes after one year and six months since the Cologne University Hospital took over the facility. Ambulances have recently started bringing acute emergencies directly to the ZNA at the university clinic, which is only about 800 meters away from Weyertal. On average, the emergency department there cared for 25 to 30 patients per day before this drastic decision was made.
With the closure of the emergency room, the employees, nine in total, will be able to work in other areas of the hospital. Instead of the emergency room, a control center will be set up to refer patients. Patients with serious injuries or trauma are taken directly to the university hospital or other trauma-centered facilities. These changes come in the context of increasing modernization and realignment of emergency and patient care in the region.
Focus on geriatric medicine
A central aspect of the new strategy at Weyertal Hospital is the focus on geriatric medicine. In this context, the “Centre for Medicine in Aging” was created, which aims to provide modern, holistic and home-based care for older patients. This initiative is particularly relevant given demographic changes; By 2050, a third of the population in Germany will be over 65 years old.
The interdisciplinary team led by Patricia Faßbender, Dr. Linus Völker and Dr. Garry Ceccon collaborates with various disciplines, including internists, neurologists, cardiologists and nursing staff. Weekly interdisciplinary case conferences are intended to ensure that each patient is treated individually. The focus is on multimorbidity, frailty and the targeted use of multiple medications.
Quality in emergency care
The drastic changes in emergency care are also related to current recommendations and studies to improve emergency rooms in the Federal Republic. According to the Drug Commission of the German Medical Association, the 5th action plan for 2021-2024 was published to increase the quality in emergency medicine. In addition, the German Society for Geriatrics has developed a clinical frailty scale that provides important insights for emergency care for older people.
A variety of studies address the challenges in emergency medicine, particularly in relation to older patients. Concerns include adverse drug reactions and emergency room overcrowding. There are approaches to making emergency care more efficient through systematic reviews and recommendations on structure and equipment.
The closure of the central emergency room in Weyertal Hospital represents a significant step in the transformation of healthcare, towards specialized geriatric medicine and integration into the larger network of the Cologne University Hospital. These changes aim to meet the specific challenges of an aging population and provide future-proof healthcare.
A rethink in emergency and intensive care medicine is essential in order to meet the needs of patients in a changing society. Review online reported the closure, while additional information from the Springer Link can be used for innovation strategy in emergency medicine.