Our members Bundeskonferenz der Krankenhaus-Manager Österreichs

THE FEDERAL CONFERENCE OF AUSTRIAN HOSPITAL MANAGERS (BUKO)

The Austrian umbrella organisation for regional associations

By Josef Hradsky

Austria is a federal country made up of nine states known as Länder . Each federal state has an autonomous association of hospital managers which represents the interests of senior executives charged with the economic and administrative management of the region’s hospitals. These nine organisations are linked through an umbrella organisation, the Federal Conference of Austrian Hospital Managers. Known as BUKO, the conference consists of the chair and vice-chair of each of the working associations in the Länder as well as three honorary members. In May 2005 Nikolaus Koller, a hospital director from the region of Styria, was unanimously re-elected BUKO President.

BUKO is the platform for communication, information, services and ideas for senior hospital administrators in Austria. As its mission statement notes, the organisation provides the membership of its working associations with information and contacts within the national and international hospital sector and, as such, serves as a comprehensive forum for sharing experiences in line with the motto: “By practitioners, for practitioners”. BUKO disseminates opinions and policy positions to experts and decision makers in the health sector in which it puts forward its views on issues confronting hospital management and the health economy, including, for example, financing arrangements and various aspects of management. In so doing, the conference makes a significant contribution towards safeguarding service delivery in the Austrian healthcare system.
Congresses, cooperation, education

Of all its activities, BUKO’s congresses on hospital management attract most public interest. These conferences are held in a different state each year. These interdisciplinary, crossprofessional conferences have become the most important events in the calendar for Austrian hospital managers and their excellent quality ensures that foreign guests are attending in ever greater numbers. BUKO also contributes to improving information and communications through its cooperation with the journal, QUALITAS, the Austrian Hospital Journal and congress organisers such as IRR and health-connex. It also places great value on its collaboration with Austrian manufacturers and retailers of medical products.
For many years, Austria had no specialist education programmes for hospital managers. To fill this gap BUKO established the Austrian Institute for Hospital Management (ÖIK1 ) and continues to own and operate the centre. Many other management education courses have been established since the ÖIK was founded, but the outstanding reputation of the country’s first provider of management education programmes has ensured that it continues to thrive, despite growing competition.
International activities

In 2005, BUKO received welcome recognition of its long-standing efforts in the health sector when its president was selected to lead the Austrian delegation to HOPE – the European Hospital and Healthcare Federation. This position is traditionally held by the Department of Health and Women.
Part of the reasoning for this decision was based on BUKO’s strong focus on fostering and cultivating international contacts. The association is a founding member of the European Association of Hospital Managers in which it continues to play a significant role. BUKO President, Nikolaus Koller, is the organisation’s representative on the EAHM’s Executive Committee, while Josef Hradsky sits on Hospital’s Editorial Board. The choice of Graz as the venue for the EAHM congress in 2008 gives a good indication of the esteem in which BUKO is held in Europe. Austria will soon become the first country to host this key event three times (the congress was held previously in Klagenfurt and Vienna).
Outlook

The Federal Conference of Austrian Hospital Managers will strive to consolidate its status as an important voice in the Austrian healthcare and hospital sectors. BUKO will do everything in its power to ensure Austria’s hospital system continues to offer unrestricted access to all of its citizens and maintains its current high standards of care.

[ 1 ] See also the article “The Austrian Institute of Hospital Management” by W. Brunnsteiner in this issue of Hospital .

Published in Hospital 1/2006, p. 43