Sympany Foundation Day: Premiere at the Begegnungszentrum CURA
The Sympany Foundation funds and supports projects that contribute to the long-term improvement of the healthcare system. Each annual Foundation Day focusses on one of the projects. Last week, the first Foundation Day took place at the Begegnungszentrum CURA in Basel. Around 40 guests learned all about CURA’s innovative offerings and took the opportunity to exchange ideas with partners from politics and healthcare.
Basel, 18 May 2022 – The Sympany Foundation is committed to a financially sustainable healthcare system and cost-effective insurance cover. By supporting projects and initiatives such as the Begegnungszentrum CURA, Sympany is making an important contribution to society and to a future-oriented healthcare system.
CURA: a readily accessible service for chronically ill patients and their relatives and interested parties
The Sympany Foundation has been an important partner since the beginnings of the Begegnungszentrum CURA. Rolf Huck, a member of the Board of Directors of CURA and CEO of the Palliativzentrum Hildegard, sums it up: “CURA is a place where people are seen as people and not as their diagnoses. Visitors have time and space to deal with their diagnoses and receive the support they need.” 92% of visitors notice a lasting positive effect on their quality of life. Contact with other people is an important aspect, as people with chronic illnesses are more likely to be lonely and withdraw from social activities.
Social responsibility
“With this project, the Sympany Foundation is taking social responsibility. We are helping to put structures in place so that those affected are given support and time, are able to find a new lease of life and lead a self-determined and happy life,” says Dr Jürg Galliker, Vice Chairman of the Sympany Foundation, summing up the project.
Today, new models for healthcare need to work on an interprofessional and interdisciplinary basis, and patients themselves should be involved in their own healthcare process if possible. This change entails a certain transfer of responsibility to each individual and can easily lead to excessive demands. This is where CURA provides support by offering advice, making a valuable contribution to care.
The Foundation can operate independently of discussions surrounding cost
“While the patient’s diagnosis is the top priority inside the hospital, it is the symptoms that take centre stage outside it: tiredness, pain or anxiety. Many of these symptoms are present in chronic illnesses,” says Dr Peter Eichenberger, Director of Claraspital, describing the situation of patients on today’s treatment pathway. It therefore makes sense for outpatient healthcare providers, health leagues and specialist advisory services to coordinate on a regional basis across the full spectrum of diseases, as is the case at the Begegnungszentrum CURA in Basel.
“As a foundation, we are able to participate in such projects independently of discussions surrounding cost and thus fulfil our foundation’s purpose of ensuring a sustainable healthcare system. The Foundation Day provides a platform for these funded projects and is intended to inspire further innovation,” says Dr Jürg Galliker.