Na Františku Hospital has signed a four-year contract with VZP. Plans are underway for its expansion.
November 13, 2019
Na Františku Hospital has reached an agreement with the General Health Insurance Company (VZP) and, after six years, has once again secured a multi-year contract for the provision and reimbursement of healthcare services. Under the terms of the agreement, the insurance company will reimburse the hospital for care provided to its policyholders through the end of 2023, after which the contract may be extended. The healthcare facility, which according to original plans was no longer supposed to be operating in its current form by this time, has thus been given another chance to continue operating.
Since 2013, Na Františku Hospital has received only one-year contracts from VZP. Moreover, the future of this facility has been uncertain in recent years. Initially, it was supposed to be operated by a private entity. Then it was to become a follow-up care hospital that would provide services exclusively to the chronically ill, which would mean patients would lose the full range of healthcare services the hospital currently offers, including acute inpatient wards and 24/7 outpatient care.
The City of Prague has therefore assumed responsibility for the hospital, having reached an agreement with the Prague 1 district to take the hospital under its administration. The transfer is currently being prepared. Following a series of meetings attended by hospital management and the City Hall, a development plan for the hospital for the period 2020–2024 was drawn up, on the basis of which VZP agreed to maintain the facility and to enter into a four-year contract.
“Na Františku Hospital presented us with a fairly comprehensive plan for its future direction, which we discussed at length. We conducted a detailed analysis of the health status of Prague’s residents and assessed the development of new medical specialties and medical technology in the region. We concluded that the hospital is a relatively significant provider of acute care in the capital city of Prague. At this time, we are definitely not considering converting it into a hospital for follow-up care; on the contrary, we support it further establishing itself in emergency care,” says Jan Bodnár, director of the VZP regional branch for Prague and the Central Bohemian Region.
The new strategic plan for Na Františku Hospital for the period 2020–2024 was approved on April 20, 2019, by the Prague 1 City District and the City of Prague. According to the plan, the hospital should establish a Type B emergency room, a Prague Emergency Medical Service station, a first-aid medical service, and a 24-hour pharmacy. Additionally, an intensive care unit, an inpatient plastic surgery ward, and an inpatient rehabilitation ward are to be established there.
“The Prague regional branch of VZP has given us the chance to prove that even a smaller city hospital has a place in Prague’s healthcare system. The contract with the largest Czech health insurance company provides the certainty the hospital needs for its stabilization and development in the coming period. More than half of our patients are VZP clients. Therefore, the hospital receives the largest share of its funding from this insurer,” explains David Erhart, acting director of Na Františku Hospital.
The hospital currently has 159 beds, including 113 acute care beds and 46 post-acute care beds. It provides round-the-clock medical care to patients with surgical, orthopedic, or internal medicine conditions, as well as to those with chronic illnesses. It also operates a number of specialized outpatient clinics and counseling centers. It is a leading Czech center for the surgical treatment of breast cancer, colon cancer, and rectal cancer. Annually, approximately 80,000 patients receive outpatient care at the hospital, and approximately 5,500 patients are hospitalized there.