Annual report 2022

Getting people moving. Moving medicine forward. We can only do this if we remain constantly in motion ourselves and build on a strong foundation. In 2022, we took a close look at our DNA through this lens by reflecting on the purpose of the Wilhelm Schulthess Foundation, our mission statement and the pioneers in our history. And we consciously mirror these guiding principles in our actions today.

Relieving the pain of people with musculoskeletal problems and restoring their mobility – this was the goal of our founder Wilhelm Schulthess back in 1883 and is also anchored in the purpose of the foundation that bears his name, which has supported the clinic since 1935. We guarantee the success of our treatments by combining cutting-edge medicine, innovation and humanity, as stated in our mission statement.

Our state-of-the-art medicine is underpinned by our vast experience and targeted specialisation. As an orthopaedic clinic, we focus entirely on the musculoskeletal system. Within the clinic, this specialisation is broken up into further, more specific specialisms in the various specialist departments which, both in their surgical and conservative treatment approaches, work together in an interdisciplinary manner. This means that the patient benefits not just from having a highly specialised treating doctor, but also from the fact that the bigger picture is also being considered and taken care of. This interaction has been part of everyday life at Schulthess Klinik for decades. As early as the 1960s, the clinic director at the time, Prof. Norbert Gschwend, laid the foundation for the team structure of today by dividing staff into their specialist fields.

Cutting-edge medicine and innovation have always gone hand in hand for us, just as a sound scientific basis and research are a part of our DNA. Our founder, Wilhelm Schulthess, was committed to the continuous development of orthopaedics. Prof. Norbert Gschwend, former clinic director, then laid the foundation of our outcome research in the 1970s with the clinic’s internal documentation centre for hip and knee prostheses, which has been continually systematised and made more professional over the years since. 

This thirst for knowledge and the motivation to pass on the knowledge they have gained is still the credo of our specialists today. Since 2004, we have conducted more than 230,000 systematic patient surveys. These studies allow us to draw important conclusions for the future, always with the aim of continuously improving patient care. Thanks to the close cooperation between our research department and the clinic doctors, we were able to realise 462 publications and training courses in 2022 alone. Our research work is financed by the research fund of the Wilhelm Schulthess Foundation.

Another great cornerstone of the Wilhelm Schulthess Foundation that has been a focus of its activities since it was established is charitable work, which is implemented in particular through our Patient Assistance Fund. The fund supports patients from Switzerland and abroad who are facing complex orthopaedic treatment and cannot afford it, for example children from war and crisis zones. In 2022, we were once again able to help several children look forward to a better future through surgery. 
 

Success always comes from the interaction of multiple parties. We would like to thank our patients and referring physicians for the trust they have placed in us and our partners for their excellent work with us. We would also like to say a huge thank you to our donors to the Wilhelm Schulthess Foundation, who make an important contribution to the further development of medicine and enable us to support patients who are in urgent need of our help.

In the current ranking of “Top Specialist Clinics in Switzerland 2023”, Schulthess Klinik was awarded first place in orthopaedics. To compile the ranking, the Handelszeitung newspaper and market research providers Statista GmbH assessed 270 hospitals in Switzerland. We are delighted to have received this accolade and recognition for our work. We would like to thank all our staff for their incredible work which improves the quality of treatment and patient satisfaction every day. 

1,149 employees contributed to our success last year. They are all part of the valuable foundation of the clinic, which greatly benefits from their expertise, experience, flexibility, team spirit and willingness to always keep moving forward together for the good of our patients. Thank you for embodying the “Schulthess spirit”.