Lower Austria, Austria Aspirations

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© Niederösterreich-Werbung/Michael Liebert Slovakia. With alandarea of19174km Slovakia. With neighbouring countries,theCzechRepublicand 414 kmconnectsthisfederalprovincewithits Europe inthenortheastofAustria.Aborder Lower Austriaissituatedinthemiddleof General overview Lower Austria,Austria in theprovince.TheNiederösterreichischer for theprovisionofhealth careandsocialservices The GovernmentofLower Austriaisresponsible regional andmunicipallevels. as subsidiesprovidedto hospitalsatthefederal, insurance contributionsanddeductibles,aswell The healthsystemisfinancedthroughhealth- health-care sectoraregenerallyregulatedbylaw. coordination andfinancing.Competenciesinthe competencies incooperativeplanning, structures inthefederalregions,whichpossess social-insurance system,andcross-stakeholder delegation ofcompetenciestostakeholdersinthe by thefederalstructureofcountry, the The Austrianhealth-caresystemischaracterized years formalesandfemales,respectively life expectancyatbirthwas78.8yearsand83.6 catering/tourism, agricultureandforestry. In2016, those forindustry, commerce,companyservices, in Austria(1).Themaineconomicsectorsare population of1.6million,itisthelargestprovince 2 anda (2). set up“InitiativeHealthacross”, whichcombines ensure long-termsustainability, in2017,NÖGUS participates inthreetransnational networks.To running twoEUprojects startedin2016;italso by theEuropeanUnion (EU)) andiscurrently the fieldofcross-borderhealthcare(co-funded 2008, theprovincehasconductedsixprojectsin with theCzechRepublicandSlovakia.Since to cross-bordercooperationdueitslongborder Lower Austria’sgeographiclocationisfavourable of thehospitals. specialist, andhandlestheoperativemanagement offers clinicalhealth-careservices,frombasicto province itself. NÖLandeskliniken-Holding in whichallhospitalsarelegalentitiesofthe Lower AustriaistheonlyAustrianprovince Holding). Holding (theLowerAustrianStateHospital the Niederösterreichische(NÖ)Landeskliniken- hospitals inLowerAustriahavebeenpartof systems inLowerAustria.Since2008,all27 the qualityofhealth-careandsocial for planning,controlling,fundingandassuring body governedbypubliclaw, isresponsible Health andSocialFund) (NÖGUS),whichisa Gesundheits- undSozialfonds (LowerAustrian Landscape Wachau Cultural all cross-border health-care activities in Lower Cross-border cooperation on the provision of Austria. health care has also been established between Lower Austria and the Czech regions of South The first EU-cofinanced cross-border project, Moravia and Vysocina. A project entitled “Health entitled “Healthacross” (2008–2010), involved without borders” was set up in 2012 with the the border areas of Lower Austria and South aim of elaborating strategic opportunities for Bohemia (Czech Republic). Its aim was to cross-border cooperation between hospitals and ensure optimum usability of the health services organizing a cross-border contract for emergency by, and equal accessibility to health care for, services. The project addressed language the population living in these border areas barriers by providing language courses in health- through the close cooperation of their health- care facilities and publishing a phrasebook. service providers. A follow-up project entitled A follow-up project entitled “Unlimited Health “Healthacross in practice”, initiated in 2012, has Together” is focusing on cross-border to date enabled more than 4000 Czech patients cooperation between hospitals in the areas of in the border region to access medical treatment radiotherapy and gynaecology (endometriosis). at the hospital in Gmünd, Austria, in a simple, It is also aiming to develop software that links uncomplicated way. A new EU-cofinanced emergency coordination centres on the cross- project, “Healthacross for the future” (2017– border scheduling of emergency vehicles. 2020), is focused on ensuring that Czech patients receive outpatient treatment in the Gmünd hospital on a permanent basis. It expands on the initial projects (“Healthacross” and “Healthacross in practice”) to include the provision of inpatient care and the search for opportunities of long- term cooperation by establishing a cross-border health-care centre in the border region of Gmünd–České Velenice.

Strengths

In Lower Austria: 99 all hospitals are legal entities of the federal province; 99 there is vast experience in running cross-border health projects co-funded by EU; 99 in addition to the Czech Republic, cross-border cooperation has been initiated with a second EU Member State (Slovakia).

Lower Austria, Austria Aspirations

Lower Austria is interested in: 99 finding new possibilities for networking; 99 gaining new input in the field of public health; 99 identifying examples of good practice for new projects in the field of cross-border health care.

Challenges

These are: 99 an ageing population (demographic change); 99 a lack of health professionals in hospitals in rural areas; and 99 regional disparities (increasing/decreasing population development).

Potential areas of collaboration

Lower Austria is interested in collaborating with other regions on: 99 cross-border health care in general; 99 building new cross-border projects; and 99 sharing experience in the field of cross-border health care.

Working groups

Lower Austria is interested in participating in working groups on: 99 women’s/men’s health; 99 health systems/primary health care; 99 the all-of-government approach/intersectoral action.

Lower Austria, Austria People active in the Regions for Health Network (RHN)

Julia Auer Initiative Healthacross St. Pölten Email: [email protected]

Kerstin Kittenberger Initiative Healthacross St. Pölten Email: [email protected]

Judith Kramer Initiative Healthacross St. Pölten Email: [email protected]

Elke Ledl Initiative Healthacross St. Pölten Email: [email protected]

References

1. Lower Austria – Facts and Figures. In: Land Niederösterreich [website]. St.Pölten: Office of the Provincial Government of Lower Austria International & European Affairs; 2018 (http://noe.gv.at/noe/Topics-in-English/Lower_Austria_-_ Facts___Figures.html, accessed 21 February 2018). 2. Statistisches Handbuch des Landes Niederösterreich, 41. Jahrgang 2017 [Statistical Handbook of Lower Austria, Vol. 41. 2017]. St Pölten: Office of the Provincial Government of Lower Austria; 2017:85 (http://www.noe.gv.at/noe/Zahlen- Fakten/NOeSTAT_2017_www200dpi.pdf, accessed 21 February 2018).

Lower Austria, Austria