At the turn of the year , Professor Waltraud Pfeilschifter, Chief Physician of the Clinic for Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology at Lüneburg Hospital, will take over the presidency of the German Stroke Society – and thus the responsibility for around 1,100 members from medicine, nursing, therapy and science. In a time of growing economic and structural challenges, Pfeilschifter sets clear priorities: the preservation of highly specialized acute care with even better care equity, more responsibility for aftercare, the further strengthening of interprofessional teams in the stroke unit and, in particular, the promotion of women and young talent.

“In stroke treatment, you can achieve a good treatment result for patients in the crucial hours of acute treatment – or gamble it away if they are not treated in a specialized unit,” Waltraud Pfeilschifter notes. The past two decades have shown how highly effective modern stroke medicine is in this country: mortality and consequential damage have fallen significantly. These successes must be secured, further developed and maintained nationwide. The 1st Chairwoman takes a clear position for the neurological expertise: “The therapies of stroke patients
patients are established, tested and secured by us neurologists – and therefore always belong in the hands of our department in the future.”

Pfeilschifter is convinced that interdisciplinary structures are important, but should not be at the expense of the necessary specialization – especially in the case of high-risk therapies. Germany is playing a pioneering role internationally in this area, which must not be jeopardised. This also goes hand in hand with the issue of fairness in care: “The highly effective acute therapies must be accessible to all patients within a short time window. At the same time, this system must remain financially viable. Networks between specialized stroke units and smaller clinics are crucial to ensure a high level of care in rural areas as well.”

Editor: X-Press Journalistenbüro GbR

Gender Notice. The personal designations used in this text always refer equally to female, male and diverse persons. Double/triple naming and gendered designations are used for better readability. ected.