Referrer news

The orthopaedic clinic at Bethesda Hospital was positively highlighted in an article in the consumer magazine Kassensturz on 4 March 2025. The reason for this is the recording of Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs), which measure the success of treatment from the patient's perspective.

The programme discussed the fact that although Switzerland has an expensive healthcare system, it does not always perform well when it comes to collecting quality data. PROMs are considered an important indicator as they directly reflect how patients are doing after treatment.

The Orthopaedics Clinic at Bethesda Hospital already actively uses these measurements, for example for shoulder operations. Patients regularly indicate how well they can use their shoulder again. This form of quality measurement offers a valuable addition to classic indicators such as complication or infection rates.

• Click here for the Kassensturz article
• More information on PROMS

Every year, the American news magazine "Newsweek" selects the best hospitals in the world. This year, over 2400 hospitals in 30 countries were assessed - and Bethesda Hospital was once again successfully included.

For the fifth time in a row, Bethesda Hospital has achieved a very good ranking among the top hospitals in Switzerland. As in the previous year, it also achieved an excellent 13th place in 2025. This repeated recognition for 2025 is a great confirmation of our ongoing commitment to healthcare and emphasises the consistently high quality of our work.

The ranking is based on a comprehensive evaluation process, including an online survey of thousands of medical experts, patient experience data and hospital quality metrics.

Click here for the ranking

We are delighted to announce that the relocation of the Hildegard Palliative Care Centre to Bethesda Hospital has been successfully completed. Around 80 employees and our patients have found their new home at Bethesda. With this step, we are officially expanding the portfolio of Bethesda Hospital and together we are creating a modern, appreciative space for specialised palliative care in north-western Switzerland.

The Bethesda Hospital Palliative Care Centre stands for holistic, multi-professional care that always focuses on your needs and those of your family and loved ones. We combine highly specialised medical care with individual, human warmth - both as inpatients and through our mobile palliative care team.

With the integration of the former Hildegard Palliative Care Centre, we benefit from almost 40 years of experience and expertise in palliative care. This wealth of experience forms the basis for providing our patients with the best possible quality of life and supporting them in their individual phase of life.

We would like to thank all staff, patients and relatives for their support and patience during the move. Your co-operation has enabled us to make this important step a success.

Visit our website to find out more about our offers and services, order one of our newly designed brochures or contact us directly. We are here for you.

-

Contact:
Bethesda Hospital, Palliative Care Centre,
Gellertstrasse 144, 4052 Basel
Phone: +41 61 315 29 30
E-mail: palliativzentrum@bethesda-spital.notexisting@nodomain.comch
www.bethesda-spital.ch/palliativzentrum

Our Clinic for Rheumatology and Pain Medicine has enriched the current issue of Rheuma Switzerland with exciting clinical cases. This specialist journal, which reaches medical specialists throughout Switzerland, highlights important non-autoimmune pathomechanisms in its latest issue.

Of the seven cases presented, five are from our dedicated doctors:

• "When the vertebra breaks and it glows in the dark" (Pract. med. Roxanne Villiger, Pract. med. Matteo Gusberti)

• "A wolf in sheep's clothing " - Increasing back pain (Pract. med. Sinthuri Subramaniam, Pract. med. Hagena Thuraisingam, Dr med. Priska Wagner)

• "A nest in the bone - a forest of differential diagnoses" (Pract. med. Greta Roland, Dr med. Anna Thoma)

• "Ischialgiform pain and foot drop paresis: When the root of the problem is not the root" (Nicola Häni, MD, Prof. Stephan Gadola, MD)

• "Recurrent "acute on chronic" lumbospondylogenic pain syndrome in an unusual manifestation of a common disease" (Pract. med. Hagena Thuraisingam, Prof. Dr. med. Dr. rer. nat. Stephan Gadola)

The publication is a sign of recognition for the high level of expertise of our team and offers referring physicians valuable insights for their daily practice.

Rheuma Switzerland is published with a circulation of 5000 copies and reaches a broad specialist audience - an opportunity to make our expertise visible beyond the clinic.

Find out more about our Clinic for Rheumatology and Pain Medicine here.

Bethesda Hospital was recently awarded 3 stars in the EFQM assessment! This recognition emphasises our continuous striving for excellence and the high quality of our services.

Particular strengths that were emphasised in the assessment:

• Systematic referral management: clearly structured referral management strengthens collaboration with our partners and ensures optimal patient care.
  
• Advanced digitalisation : Through our digitalisation projects - many of which have already been implemented - we are creating a modern and efficient infrastructure that brings tangible benefits for both our patients and our medical team.
  
• Commitment of our employees: Despite major challenges in projects and financial framework conditions, our employees from all professional groups are prepared to go the extra mile.
  
• High value placed on training and further education: The focus on continuous further training is an integral part of our organisational culture and is reflected in our high quality of treatment.

Our special thanks go to our employees, our affiliated doctors and all partners and stakeholders who have contributed to this success through their commitment. Together, we are committed to providing high-quality, patient-centred care and are actively helping to shape the future of Bethesda Hospital.

Thank you very much for your support and trust!

Our new computed tomography device, the SOMATOM X.cite from Siemens, has been in operation since mid-October. This state-of-the-art diagnostic device offers tangible benefits for our patients thanks to the Vectron® X-ray tube and AI-supported imaging:

Advantages for our patients

The SOMATOM X.cite sets new standards in CT diagnostics and brings numerous improvements for the comfort and safety of our patients:

• Extended opening of the CT: The larger opening of the device creates more space and is particularly comfortable for people with claustrophobia. This makes the examination more relaxed and less stressful.
  
• Gentler examination thanks to optimised radiation dose: Thanks to the innovative Vectron® X-ray tube, radiation exposure is reduced to a minimum. This means a safer examination with fewer health risks.
  
• Shorter examination times: Shorter examination times mean that our patients receive results more quickly and have to remain still for less time - which further increases comfort.
  
• Reduced amount of contrast medium: Modern imaging technology makes it possible to reduce the amount of contrast medium required, which makes the examination more pleasant and easier to tolerate.

Further information on radiology

Dr Henrik Sjöström, Head Physician at the Department of Anaesthesiology, was elected President of the ICAN section of the SGUM. He promotes quality and further training in intensive care medicine, surgery and emergency medicine - and is also involved in the tariff committee for the ultrasound tariff.

About Dr Henrik Sjöström
To the Anaesthesiology Clinic

Bethesda Hospital Basel has once again been recognised in the "World's Best Specialised and Smart Hospitals 2025" rankings. The hospital achieved 85th place worldwide in the neurosurgery/spinal surgery category, making it the second best-ranked hospital in Switzerland. Bethesda Hospital is also one of the 350 best "Smart Hospitals" worldwide. These awards emphasise the outstanding quality and innovative strength of our hospital.

Further information on the award

Eckehart Schöll has been working as Medical Director of the Bethesda Emergency Department since 1 September 2024. With extensive expertise in anaesthesiology and pain therapy, he enriches the team and strengthens the care of our patients.

Further information about the emergency department

Bethesda Hospital is delighted to be part of the newly founded rehabilitation network in north-west Switzerland! In collaboration with the University Hospital Basel and seven other rehabilitation institutions, we are working to optimise the treatment processes for patients after hospitalisation.

Our common goal: faster and easier referral to the right rehabilitation centre so that our patients receive even better care. We are proud to be part of this important initiative, which is supported by scientific expertise.

On these pages, we offer you an insight into our achievements, successes and developments over the past financial year. 2023 was a special year, as we celebrated Bethesda's 100th anniversary. In 1923, a number of deaconesses opened a house on Steinenring in Basel dedicated to nursing care. This was the beginning of what is now Bethesda Hospital. The anniversary was duly celebrated with various activities.

You can find the 2023 annual report here

We will be happy to send you a printed version on request. Please click on this link.

We wish you an inspiring read.