Municipality  and  church  establish  hospital holding  //  New  group with 410 beds and over 700 full-time staff

Hanover –In January  2016, the City of Delmenhorst and the St. Josef  Stiftung  Delmenhorst  have  merged  both  their  hospitals into a municipal-ecclesiastical holding and have established the Josef-Hospital  Delmenhorst  gGmbH.  Luther  has  led  the  two-year  process  for  the  Klinikum  Delmenhorst  and  the  City  of
Delmenhorst.

The   process   to   create   a   hospital   holding,   operated   by   the municipality  and  the  church,  at  the  Delmenhorst  location  has  been completed  successfully  after  two  years.  Prior  to  these  proceedings, almost ten years of intensive discussions and merger considerations took  place  deliberating  the  future  of  the  hospital  landscape  in Delmenhorst.   The   current   partner   of   the   Klinikum   Delmenhorst gGmbH,  the  City  of  Delmenhorst,  has  finally  found  a  strategic
partner  with  the  Catholic  St.  Joseph  foundation,  thus  ensuring hospital care in Delmenhorst and region.

The  Klinikum  Delmenhorst  (in  future  JHD  Deichhorst  gGmbH)  and the Stiftungskrankenhaus JHD Mitte gGmbH have now been merged into   the   Josef-Hospital   Delmenhorst   gGmbH.   Delmenhorst   is therefore one of the few municipalities in Germany with a successful merger  between  municipality  and  church.  The  process  to  establish the  holding  had  complex  legal and  tax  implications  due  to  the  two different bodies.

Luther  law  firm  brings  extensive  nationwide  experience  in  hospital consulting    and    has    assisted    the    municipal    partner    with comprehensive    legal    advice    and    with    the    structure    and implementation  of  this  holding  structure  with  its  special  challenges from a regulatory and non-profit law perspective.

In the future, the Josef -Hospital Delmenhorst gGmbH and its hospital operating  companies  will  ensure  hospital  care  in  Delmenhorst  with 410 beds and over 700 full-time staff. The process was supported by the  Ministry  for  Social  Affairs,  Health  and  Equality  of  Lower  Saxony and  the  foundation  supervisory  authority  of  the  church  authority  of the    diocese    of    Münster    [Stiftungsaufsicht    des    Bischöflich Münsterschen Offizialats].

"The  merger  of  municipal  and  ecclesiastic  hospital  organisations poses  particular  challenges  for  the  process  and  the  participants. Based on close cooperation with the municipal bodies and the board of trustees, we were successful in creating the hospital holding and a strong  network  with  a  comprehensive  range  of  medical  services  in Delmenhorst."  explains  Dr.  Oliver  Kairies,  Lead  Partner  with  Luther Rechtsanwalts-gesellschaft.

For the Klinikum Delmenhorst and the City of Delmenhorst
Luther,  Mergers  &  Acquisitions/Health  care  and  medical:  Dr  Oliver Kairies  (Lead  Partner),  Dr  Hendrik  Sehy,  Dr  Daniel  Schubmann  (all Hanover)
Luther, Employment Law: Sebastian Fedder (Partner, Hamburg)
Luther,  Tax  Law:  Peter  Fabry  (Partner),  Karl  Ober,  LL.M.  (both Munich)
Luther,    Antitrust    Law:    Dr    Helmut    Janssen,    LL.M.    (Partner, Dusseldorf/Brussels)