Personnel change in the management of Hirslanden Klinik Aarau

Markus Meier (47) has been Hospital Manager of Hirslanden Klinik Aarau since March 2017. He is a doctor of health economics and specialises in model-based planning and optimisation of hospital processes. Under his leadership Hirslanden Klinik Aarau has further established itself as an extremely financially sound hospital and the most cost-efficient centre hospital in Switzerland, while at the same time providing excellent quality data. With a case mix index (CMI) of 1.23, the hospital treats on average the most complex cases in the canton of Aargau. In the current hospital ranking by news magazine Newsweek, Hirslanden Klinik Aarau ranks as number 7 among the best hospitals in Switzerland. Under the leadership of Markus Meier, the new hospital construction project "Schachenallee" was also optimised, the building permit obtained and everything necessary for the start of construction in November 2023 was set in motion.

Integrated care network

During his time as Hospital Manager, he established and expanded various centres of excellence, for example in the field of cardiac medicine and neuromedicine as well as the Aarau Cham Zug Breast Centre which is operated jointly with Hirslanden AndreasKlinik. Thanks to numerous cooperative agreements, a regional integrated care network has been created, for example in cardiology and cardiac surgery through cooperation with Baden Cantonal Hospital (KSB) or also with Klinik Barmelweid in the areas of psychosomatics, pneumology, rehabilitation and radiology. However, the cooperation is not limited to hospitals. For example, residents of the city's nursing homes can count on on-site medical care from Hirslanden Klinik Aarau. Similarly, the private centre hospital has developed an outpatient oncology rehabilitation programme in cooperation with the Cancer League.

All this is in line with Hirslanden's corporate strategy of operating a comprehensive medical network in each care region together with partners with a clear focus on excellent integrated care. This is known as the Hirslanden continuum of care and covers the areas of the musculoskeletal system, cardiac, cancer and neuro-medicine as well as obstetrics.

Rolf Gilgen takes over as interim manager

In his new function, Markus Meier reports directly to the Group Chief Operating Officer of the Mediclinic Group, Koert Pretorius, and will be responsible in particular for optimising Group-wide processes.

Stéphan Studer, Chief Operating Officer of the Hirslanden Group, had this to say: "I would like to thank Markus Meier most sincerely for his enormous commitment over the past years and very much regret that he is leaving Hirslanden Klinik Aarau. At the same time, I am very pleased that we at Hirslanden, as part of the Mediclinic Group, can offer our employees exciting international perspectives."

The search for Markus Meier's successor has already begun. In the meantime, Rolf Gilgen will take over the interim management of Hirslanden Klinik Aarau from 1 October 2023. Last year, Rolf Gilgen was interim head of the two Hirslanden hospitals in eastern Switzerland, Klinik Stephanshorn and Am Rosenberg. Markus Meier will continue to support Rolf Gilgen in selected projects, such as the “Schachenallee” construction project. 

About Hirslanden

Hirslanden is committed to high-quality, responsible and efficiently integrated healthcare that focuses on the needs of the individual. Working together with private and public cooperation partners, the Hirslanden Group prioritises ongoing development of the continuum of care concept. From birth to old age, from prevention to healing, Hirslanden is always there, both on a physical and digital level.

Hirslanden differentiates itself from the rest of the market as a service provider with first-class medical and service quality, which is guaranteed by highly qualified independent specialists with years of experience who offer excellent care and services. Interdisciplinary medical centres of expertise, specialised institutes and competent cooperation partners enable optimal, personalised diagnosis and treatment, regardless of case complexity, in both inpatient and outpatient contexts.

The Hirslanden Group operates 17 hospitals in 10 cantons, many of which have an emergency department. It also operates five outpatient surgery centres, 19 radiology and six radiotherapy institutes. The Group has 2,886 partner doctors and 11,102 employees, 560 of whom are permanently employed doctors. Hirslanden is the largest medical network in Switzerland. In the financial year 2022/22 up to the reporting date 31.03.2023, the Hirslanden Group treated 111,107 patients as inpatients on 465,105 care days. The patient mix consists of 51.7% patients with basic insurance, 27.5% with semi-private insurance and 20.8% with private insurance. The Hirslanden Group was formed in 1990 through the merger of several hospitals. It is now part of the Mediclinic Group.