Association of Hospital Directors in Germany

The Verband des Klinikmanagements Deutschlands e.V. (VKD), known until 2025 as the Verband der Krankenhausdirektoren Deutschlands e.V. (Association of Hospital Directors in Germany), is a German professional association for senior hospital managers and administrators. It was founded on 5 July 1903 in Dresden as the "Vereinigung der Verwaltungsvorstände der Krankenhäuser Deutschlands" by 18 senior administrative officials from hospitals across the German Reich. Its members are primarily leading staff in hospital administration, and its mission is to represent the interests of its members and of hospitals publicly and to support them in carrying out their duties. The association has a long history of promoting operational comparisons, professional training and exchange among hospital managers. It published its first comprehensive comparison of operating results of large hospitals in the first issue of its own journal, the "Zeitschrift für Krankenanstalten", on 5 January 1905. After losing its independence in 1943 through incorporation into the Deutsche Krankenhausgesellschaft, independent association work resumed in West Germany after 1945 and led to a restructuring and renaming in 1952 as the "Fachvereinigung der Verwaltungsleiter deutscher Krankenanstalten e.V.". In 1989 the members' assembly changed the name to "Verband der Krankenhausdirektoren Deutschlands e.V. (VKD)". After German reunification, the "Verband der Krankenhausverwaltungsleiter in der DDR", founded on 5 April 1990, dissolved in July 1990 when its members joined the VKD. The VKD is organized with a members' assembly, a board, a presidium and a president. A managing director was appointed in 1992, and the office has been at the association's seat in Berlin since 2001. It has 13 regional groups (as of January 2009) and specialist groups for rehabilitation, nursing facilities and psychiatry, as well as committees for fundamental issues and business administration. The association supports its members in management tasks in hospitals, nursing facilities and rehabilitation clinics, organizes continuing education events at state and federal level, and promotes the exchange of experience. It is a co-organizer of the German Hospital Day (Deutscher Krankenhaustag) within the MEDICA trade fair as one of the supporting organizations of the Gesellschaft Deutscher Krankenhaustag (GDK). The VKD is the initiator of the European Association of Hospital Directors (EVKD), and its president has been vice-president of the EVKD since 2006. Members of the VKD work in international bodies. On its official website, the VKD presents itself as "120 Jahre und kein bisschen leise" (120 years and not a bit quiet), highlighting its long tradition. It publishes position papers, press releases, practice reports and special publications, and offers services such as insurance through Ecclesia, a study program in health sciences with Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences, the BBDK vocational training organization, a VKD-MasterCard GOLD, and model contracts with BVMed. The association also maintains a young professionals group, "Junger VKD", with involvement in state boards, projects and working groups, and management jour fixes. In 2025 the association renamed itself to "Verband des Klinikmanagements Deutschlands" to reflect the broader scope of hospital management.

The VKD was founded on 5 July 1903 in Dresden under the name "Vereinigung der Verwaltungsvorstände der Krankenhäuser Deutschlands". The founding took place in the then-new city hospital Dresden-Johannstadt, where 18 senior administrative officials from hospitals of the German Reich came together. The association initially included administrative directors as well as cities, districts and public-law corporations as members. Its purpose was to discuss operational and personnel questions of German hospitals and to improve the training and further education of hospital staff. Already at the founding meeting, a committee was formed to prepare and conduct operational comparisons for hospitals. A first comprehensive comparison of the operating results of large hospitals was published in the first issue of its own journal, the "Zeitschrift für Krankenanstalten", on 5 January 1905. At the beginning of 1943, the association finally lost its organizational independence through ordered incorporation into the Deutsche Krankenhausgesellschaft. It then operated under the name "Deutsche Krankenhausgesellschaft – Fachvereinigung der Verwaltungsleiter der Kranken-, Heil- und Pflegeanstalten". Independent association work, interrupted by the Second World War, was resumed in West Germany soon after 1945 and led in 1952 to a restructuring and renaming as "Fachvereinigung der Verwaltungsleiter deutscher Krankenanstalten e.V.". In 1989, the members' assembly again changed the name to "Verband der Krankenhausdirektoren Deutschlands e.V. (VKD)". In East Germany, there was no equivalent independent association after the Second World War; economic directors or administrative leaders were members of the all-professional hospital society. After the opening of borders in Germany and Europe, the "Verband der Krankenhausverwaltungsleiter in der DDR" was established on 5 April 1990, but it dissolved only a few months later in July 1990 when its members joined the Verband der Krankenhausdirektoren Deutschlands e.V. In terms of organizational structure, the association's bodies are the members' assembly, the board, the presidium and the president. In 1992, the board appointed a managing director to conduct business based on the association's resolutions. The office has been located at the association's seat in Berlin since 2001. The association has regional groups whose structure is determined by the members' assembly (13 regional groups as of January 2009). To promote cooperation and address specific issues of members with similar specialist interests, the board formed the specialist groups Rehabilitation, Nursing Facilities and Psychiatry. On the board's resolution, committees for fundamental issues and for business administration were established. The members of the VKD hold the position that even in times of tightening financial resources, cost efficiency and economic viability must not contradict high ethical standards and excellent quality. The professionalization of management as a prerequisite for utilizing all advantages of networking and cooperation is seen as the way into the future of a health economy that can secure growth and jobs as a motor of efficient economic and employment policy. The association therefore supports its members in management tasks in hospitals, nursing facilities and rehabilitation clinics, organizes events for training and further education at the level of the federal states and the federal government, and promotes the exchange of experience. The association is one of the supporting organizations of the Gesellschaft Deutscher Krankenhaustag (GDK) and co-organizer of the German Hospital Day within the MEDICA trade fair. The VKD is the initiator of the European Association of Hospital Directors (EVKD). The president of the VKD has been vice-president of the EVKD since 2006. Members of the VKD work in international bodies. In 2025, the association renamed itself to "Verband des Klinikmanagements Deutschlands" to reflect the broader scope of hospital management.

• 2025

  Renamed to "Verband des Klinikmanagements Deutschlands e.V.".

• 2006

  VKD president became vice-president of the European Association of Hospital Directors (EVKD).

• 2001

  Office moved to the association's seat in Berlin.

• 1992

  Board appointed a managing director to conduct business.

• 1990

  "Verband der Krankenhausverwaltungsleiter in der DDR" established; dissolved in July 1990 as members joined VKD.

• 1989

  Members' assembly changed name to "Verband der Krankenhausdirektoren Deutschlands e.V. (VKD)".

• 1952

  Restructured and renamed as "Fachvereinigung der Verwaltungsleiter deutscher Krankenanstalten e.V." in West Germany.

• 1943

  Lost organizational independence through incorporation into the Deutsche Krankenhausgesellschaft.

• 1905

  First comprehensive comparison of operating results of large hospitals published in the first issue of the "Zeitschrift für Krankenanstalten".

• 1903

  Founded in Dresden as "Vereinigung der Verwaltungsvorstände der Krankenhäuser Deutschlands" by 18 senior administrative officials.

Professional association for hospital directors and senior hospital managers in Germany, advocating for cost efficiency, quality and ethical standards in hospital management.

• Annual conference (Jahrestagung)

  Annual gathering of members with videobotschaft from the president.

• VKD practice reports

  Reports with positions, assessments, outlooks and reports from hospital practice.

• Position papers for the 21st legislative period

  The VKD's positions for the 21st legislative period of the German Bundestag.

• VKD-MasterCard GOLD

  A co-branded credit card offered to members.

• Study program in health sciences with Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences

  Cooperation for a degree program in health sciences.

1. 1VKD official websitevkd-online.de
2. 2Verband des Klinikmanagements Deutschlands – Wikipediade.wikipedia.org
3. 3Verband der Krankenhausdirektoren Deutschlands – Wikidatawikidata.org