Every year, the Vision Award for innovative projects in the field of Austrian private and rehabilitation clinics is presented at the congress of the Association of Private Hospitals. From the large number of submissions, the independent jury selected three winning projects that tackled a controversial problem in the healthcare sector and drew inspiration from the gaming and aviation industries: The main prize went to PremiQaMed Privatkliniken for their pioneering employer branding project, followed by two Tyrolean companies in second and third place. The Reha Zentrum Münster took second place with its "ExerG project for patients with age-related falls", while the Kettenbrücke Sanatorium in Innsbruck took third place for its interpersonal skills training for nursing staff.
"The Visions Award has established itself as an integral part of our VPKA Congress. We are delighted to be able to showcase the most exciting forward-looking projects of our member companies, which in turn can serve as inspiration for others," says Christina Hattinger, Managing Director of the Association of Austrian Private Hospitals (VPKA). The winners were selected by an independent jury consisting of FH-Prof.in Mag.a Dr.in Roswitha Engel (Head of the Department of Applied Nursing Science at FH Campus Wien), the Secretary General of the European Association of Private Hospitals UEHP, Ilaria Giannico, and Susanne Nestler (Director Human Resources at voestalpine Metal Forming GmbH).
Exemplary winning project
The three winning projects of the 2021 Vision Awards of the Association of Austrian Private Hospitals are as diverse as the submissions. The main prize went to PremiaQaMed Privatkliniken for "Employer Branding - Gesundheit.Gemeinsam.Gestalten", which addressed the changes in the labor market and strengthened the company's attractiveness as an employer. The burning issues of skills shortages, cultural change, generational issues and attractiveness as an employer were analyzed with a focus on the professional groups of doctors, nurses, IT specialists and administrative staff in Vienna, Graz and Salzburg. In addition, their fundamental values and topics were researched and measures for "Gesundheit.Gemeinsam.Gestalten" were anchored using various methods.
The unanimous opinion of the jury was that the winning project "serves as a role model outside of Austria to counteract the shortage of skilled workers in the healthcare sector" as well as initiating a "cultural change process" and having an "effect aimed at the well-being and appreciation of employees, which serves the entire industry". Danijela Brkic (HR Team Leader), Julia Zleptnig (Employer Branding Officer) and Kornelia Müller (Learning & Development Management), who were responsible for the award, accepted the main prize at the voestalpine Stahlwelten in Linz.
Successful Tyrolean showcase projects
The ExerG project at Reha Zentrum Münster borrowed from the gaming industry. The aim of this international project was to develop an innovative digital solution for older people with or without physical disabilities who are at risk of falling. By using a platform for whole-body video games, so-called exergames, body movements and exercises can be controlled and the person's physical and cognitive abilities can be trained simultaneously through the combination of play and exercise. The therapeutic effect of exergames has been proven in numerous studies and is equally suitable for patients who have suffered a stroke, Parkinson's disease or multimorbid geriatric patients. The jury particularly highlighted the "use of digitalization, which enables a new approach in the field of treatment and rehabilitation".
Third place in the Vision Awards also went to Tyrol. Interpersonal competence training for nursing staff (IC-Pflege) is the name of the project developed by the Kettenbrücke Sanatorium of the Sisters of Mercy in Innsbruck together with the Berufsgenossenschaftliche Unfallklinik Ludwigshafen and Lufthansa Aviation Training GmbH. The result was a sustainable training concept that serves to create a culture of safety and error. Findings from aviation training were transferred to clinically relevant situations in the form of a one-day training course and specifically tailored to the diverse requirements of nursing staff. What the jury particularly liked about this project was the "strengthening of the human factor" and "that the know-how of a completely different industry was used in the care sector".
About the association
The Association of Austrian Private Hospitals has represented the interests of legal entities of private hospitals since 1953 and has its own collective bargaining capacity. It represents one of the main pillars of the Austrian healthcare system. Further information can be found at www.privatkrankenanstalten.at
Queries
Doris Lenhardt
Himmelhoch GmbH
Wohllebengasse 4/6+7, 1040 Vienna
Mobile: +43 650 400 27 81
E-mail: doris.lenhardt@himmelhoch.at
