Ammerland-Klinik Westerstede

Ammerland-Klinik Westerstede is a hospital of focused care (Schwerpunktversorgung) with a supra-regional catchment area, located in Westerstede in the Ammerland district of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is operated by Ammerland-Klinik GmbH, a company owned by the Landkreis Ammerland. The hospital has 404 beds, ten main departments and one contracted department (Belegabteilung), and treats approximately 23,000 inpatients and 55,500 outpatients annually, supported by over 170 physicians and more than 360 nursing staff. It positions itself as a modern acute-care hospital with a broad spectrum of diagnostics and therapy, combining the qualities of a regional provider with those of a supra-regional clinic. Since June 2008, the Ammerland-Klinik has cooperated closely with the adjacent Bundeswehrkrankenhaus Westerstede under the joint name "Klinikzentrum Westerstede". In jointly operated areas — emergency centre, central operating theatre, anaesthesia and surgical intensive care — staff from both institutions work across hospital boundaries. The clinic is also an academic teaching hospital of the Medizinische Hochschule Hannover. It runs certified medical competence centres including a stroke unit, breast centre, bowel centre, endometriosis centre, vascular centre and MS centre, and offers special services such as being a "pain-poor hospital" (Schmerzarmes Krankenhaus) with a focus on minimally invasive surgery. A major future project is the new construction of the Klinikzentrum Westerstede, scheduled for completion by 2030. With an investment volume of 233 million euros, it is the largest construction project in the history of the Ammerland-Klinik. The new building will be erected on the current parking areas in front of the main entrance along the "Lange Straße", transforming the clinic centre into a health quarter for the Ammerland region. The project was officially launched in 2019 with a master plan for construction. The hospital's history dates back to 1938, when a barracks was built on the site; during World War II it was converted into a military hospital (Lazarett). After 1945, a state hospital (Landeskrankenanstalt) emerged from it. The Landkreis Ammerland took over the small hospital with fewer than 100 beds in 1950. Over the following decades, continuous expansion and modernisation increased capacity to 170 beds, then to 440 beds through new buildings. In 1961, the district acquired the entire property and converted the state hospital into a district hospital (Kreiskrankenhaus). Major construction phases followed, including a new five-storey bed and function wing in 2000, an additional four-storey bed house in 2005, two additional operating theatres in 2006, a new medical office building in 2011, and a comfort area for elective patients plus a logistics centre in 2013. In May 2024, a third delivery room was opened in the women's clinic, where around 900 children are born each year. Today, the Ammerland-Klinik Westerstede is a GmbH with 404 beds, serving the population of a supra-regional catchment area with basic and standard care. It comprises ten medical clinics, emergency centres, cancer centres and other specialised centres, as well as a contracted ENT department. The clinic emphasises patient-oriented medicine close to home, high-quality treatment based on qualified staff and modern technology, and continuous professional development of its personnel.

The history of the Ammerland-Klinik Westerstede begins in 1938, when the foundation stone was laid for a barracks on the outskirts of Westerstede. During the early war years, the building served as officers' quarters and a retraining camp for the Kriegsmarine shipyard. Before the end of the war, it was partially converted into a military hospital (Lazarett). After 1945, a state hospital (Landeskrankenanstalt) emerged from this. In addition to the hospital, a vocational school, the tax office and a retirement home were located on today's clinic grounds. In 1950, the Landkreis Ammerland took over the state hospital, which then had fewer than 100 beds. In the early 1950s, around 140 beds were provided for the departments of internal medicine, surgery, and gynaecology and obstetrics, but the actual demand was much greater. In 1955/56, the first major conversion and expansion measures followed, increasing the number of beds to 170, 30 of which were intended for tuberculosis patients. In 1959/60, further expansions and conversions were carried out; the district decided to completely abandon the retirement home and instead created a contracted ward with 30 beds for ENT and ophthalmology. In 1961, the entire property with all buildings and facilities passed into the ownership of the district, and the state hospital became a district hospital (Kreiskrankenhaus). In the 1960s, continuous expansion and modernisation work took place. In 1966, a new... [text truncated in source]. Over the following decades, the implementation of the newly created conversion and expansion plan led to considerable extensions and modernisations of the clinic. Many buildings on the site were converted for the hospital, and the hospital was gradually expanded to 440 beds through several new buildings in the first construction phase. In 2000, the second construction phase was completed and the new five-storey bed and function wing was occupied. In 2005, an additional four-storey bed house was built as part of the third construction phase. In 2006, two additional operating theatres were installed. In 2011, a new medical office building (Ärztehaus) was built. In 2013, the comfort area for elective patients and the logistics centre with pharmacy, IT, technology and central warehouse were put into operation. On 8 May 2024, a third delivery room was opened in the women's clinic, where around 900 children are born each year. Since June 2008, the Ammerland-Klinik has cooperated closely with the adjacent Bundeswehrkrankenhaus Westerstede under the joint name "Klinikzentrum Westerstede". In jointly operated areas (emergency centre, central operating theatre, anaesthesia, surgical intensive care), staff from both institutions work across hospital boundaries. The clinic is an academic teaching hospital of the Medizinische Hochschule Hannover. In 2019, the official start signal was given for the so-called "Masterplanung Bau" (master plan for construction). Weak point analyses, inspections and user consultations revealed that the existing buildings have outdated and inflexible floor plans, causing partly uneconomical processes and staffing, and that there is a significant need for renovation on the existing general wards that could not be implemented during ongoing clinical operations. The solution is a new building that will turn the Klinikzentrum Westerstede into the Gesundheitsquartier Ammerland (Ammerland Health Quarter). The future project with an investment volume of 233 million euros will be built in the immediate vicinity of the clinic centre, along the "Lange Straße" on the former parking areas in front of the main building. The new building is scheduled for completion by 2030. Today, the Ammerland-Klinik Westerstede is a GmbH with 404 beds and serves the supra-regional basic and standard care of the population. Annually, around 23,000 inpatients and 55,500 outpatients are treated by over 170 physicians and more than 360 nursing staff (as of 31 December 2025).

• 2024

  Third delivery room opened in the women's clinic on 8 May.

• 2019

  Official start of the 'Masterplanung Bau' (master plan for construction) for the new clinic centre.

• 2013

  Comfort area for elective patients and logistics centre with pharmacy, IT, technology and central warehouse put into operation.

• 2011

  New medical office building (Ärztehaus) constructed.

• 2008

  Start of close cooperation with the Bundeswehrkrankenhaus Westerstede under the joint name 'Klinikzentrum Westerstede'.

• 2006

  Installation of two additional operating theatres.

• 2005

  Additional four-storey bed house built as part of the third construction phase.

• 2000

  Second construction phase completed; new five-storey bed and function wing occupied.

• 1961

  The entire property passes into the ownership of the district; the state hospital becomes a district hospital (Kreiskrankenhaus).

• 1955

  First major conversion and expansion measures; bed count increased to 170, including 30 for tuberculosis patients.

• 1950

  Landkreis Ammerland takes over the state hospital with fewer than 100 beds.

• 1945

  After the end of World War II, a state hospital (Landeskrankenanstalt) emerges from the former military hospital.

• 1938

  Foundation stone laid for a barracks on the outskirts of Westerstede.

• Scheduled completion of the new Klinikzentrum Westerstede with an investment volume of 233 million euros.

A modern acute-care hospital of focused care with supra-regional catchment, combining regional proximity with the qualities of a supra-regional clinic; patient-oriented, high-quality medicine close to home.

• Klinik für Allgemein- und Viszeralchirurgie

• Klinik für Anästhesie und operative Intensivmedizin (mit Notfallmedizin)

• Frauenklinik (einschl. Geburtshilfe)

• Klinik für Gefäß- und Thoraxchirurgie

• Klinik für Gastroenterologie und Allgemeine Innere Medizin

• Klinik für Geriatrie

• Klinik für Kardiologie

• Klinik für Neurologie (mit Intensivzentrum und Stroke-Unit)

• Klinik für diagnostische und interventionelle Radiologie

• Klinik für Urologie und Kinderurologie

• Notaufnahme

• Chest-Pain-Unit

• Schlaganfall- / Stroke-Unit

• Onkologisches Zentrum

• Brustzentrum

• Darmzentrum

• Lungenzentrum

• Ösophaguszentrum

• Pankreaszentrum

• Uroonkologisches Zentrum

• Interdisziplinäre Tumorkonferenz

• Ambulantes OP-Zentrum

• Beckenbodenzentrum

• Endometriosezentrum

1. 1Die Ammerland-Klinik in Westerstedeammerland-klinik.de
2. 2Die Ammerland-Klinik - Über unsammerland-klinik.de
3. 3Geschichte der Ammerland-Klinikammerland-klinik.de
4. 4Neubau Klinikzentrum Westerstede 2030ammerland-klinik.de
5. 5Ammerland-Klinik Westerstede - Wikipediade.wikipedia.org
6. 6Wikidata entry Q131747250wikidata.org