Annette Leja has been running the Kettenbrücke private clinic in Innsbruck for over 25 years. Born in Alpbachtal, Leja is an impressive personality who has helped shape both the healthcare industry and politics. After studying business administration, Leja rose to become the clinic’s administrative director and then managing director within just a few years. She has represented private clinics in organisations such as the Chamber of Commerce for many years and was recently elected vice-president of the Association of Private Hospitals in Austria. In spring 2021, she was unexpectedly appointed to the Tyrolean provincial government as Minister for Health, Care and Science – a political newcomer with extensive experience in health management. After the Tyrolean state elections in autumn 2022, Annette Leja retired from politics to return to the management of Kettenbrücke.
Driven by professional expertise, pragmatism and the desire to further develop healthcare, Annette Leja is committed to building bridges between the worlds of private healthcare and public responsibility. The contribution of private clinics to healthcare in Austria has increased in recent years and is of great relevance. As Vice-President of the Association of Private Hospitals in Austria, she is committed to highlighting this contribution to relieving the burden on the public healthcare system and creating conditions that promote modern, patient-oriented medicine.
Annette Leja is involved in innovative projects such as new forms of housing for people with dementia. She is a pioneer – a woman who combines career and responsibility. She shows how expertise in leadership and the courage to try new things can have a lasting impact on people. Her story is an example of how success is complex: in management, in politics and in encounters with people.
INTERVIEW
What does your new role as Vice-President of the Association of Private Hospitals in Austria mean for you personally?
Representing the interests of private hospitals is a great responsibility. The contribution of private clinics to healthcare in Austria has grown in recent years and is now of significant relevance. As Vice-President, my aim is to raise awareness of this contribution and create conditions that promote modern, patient-oriented medicine.
What goals have you set yourself for your term as Vice-President?
As a managing director, I am confronted with the specific challenges of everyday hospital life on a daily basis – from personnel issues and quality assurance to digitalisation and financing. In the association, I can use this experience to work on overarching issues, such as at the interface with politics or in the strategic development of the private healthcare system. I see myself as a bridge builder in the interests of patients.
How should this be understood?
With more than 10,000 employees in 80 member organisations with over 7,000 beds, privately run hospitals, nursing and rehabilitation facilities form a central pillar of healthcare in Austria – complementing public institutions. The private sector acts as a counterbalance to bottlenecks and long waiting lists, without which there would be major disruptions. A quarter of total current expenditure in Austria is privately financed, which enables top-quality medical services and creates attractive jobs in nursing and medicine. The enormous contribution made by private healthcare providers deserves political recognition. In my role in the association, I am therefore committed to fair framework conditions and fair financing. The public and private healthcare systems form a valuable synergy that benefits everyone.
Picture credit : Privatklinik Kettenbrücke
Read the interview in German on the website of the Verband der Privatkrankenanstalten Österreichs
