Neurovaskuläres Netzwerk Sachsen-Anhalt Nord – Aufbruch in eine neue Versorgungsstruktur
With the founding of the Neurovascular Network Saxony-Anhalt North (‘NeuvaNet SAN’) and the commissioning of the mobile neuroradiological intervention team, Magdeburg University Hospital, the participating clinics and the cooperation partners have set a milestone in modern emergency care - for better coordinated and more effective treatment of stroke patients in the Saxony-Anhalt North region.
The official kick-off event on 11 June 2025 sent a clear signal for the start of a pioneering change in the care structure. To mark the occasion, Magdeburg University Hospital invited the participating clinics and other cooperation partners to the German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) in Magdeburg. The framework agreement between the partner institutions was officially signed there. Prof. Dr Hans-Jochen Heinze, Medical Director of Magdeburg University Hospital, emphasised: "We are the federal state with the oldest population and record around 10,000 strokes every year. Our aim must be to ensure seamless care and significantly reduce intervention times. The new cross-clinic network structure will enable us to provide patients with the best possible care as quickly as possible."
The event began with a project update. This was followed by the signing of the contract by the partners. The partner clinics include: Median Klinik NRZ Magdeburg, Krankenhaus Seehausen gGmbH, AMEOS Ost (Haldensleben site), Harzklinikum Dorothea Christiane Erxleben, HELIOS St. Marienberg Klinik Helmstedt, Johanniter-Krankenhaus Stendal, Klinikum Magdeburg gGmbH, Salus gGmbH (Uchtspringe site) and Altmark-Klinikum gGmbH (Gardelegen, Salzwedel sites). The network partners include AOK Sachsen-Anhalt, the Saxony-Anhalt Hospital Association, the Saxony-Anhalt Medical Service and the Association of Municipal and State-Owned Hospitals.
The technical part of the programme was dedicated to central aspects of the network's content: the focus was on the certification criteria, the introduction of uniform standardised treatment procedures (SOPs) and the technical and practical implementation of the joint project.
Networked for the best possible care
The aim of the network is to provide patients with complex neurovascular diseases - in particular ischaemic and haemorrhagic strokes - with fast, quality-assured and guideline-based care. To this end, the network pools the expertise of clinics and other partners under a clear common standard of care.
University Medicine Magdeburg assumes the central management and coordination role in consultation with the participating clinics. With its 24/7 availability, it offers a continuous, highly specialised point of contact for acute cases, second opinions and complex interventions. Specialist disciplines such as neurology, neuroradiology, vascular surgery and neurosurgery work closely together to ensure that stroke patients and other neurovascular diseases are treated at a high level.
Tasks of the neurovascular network:
- Weekly interdisciplinary case conferences in the supra-regional Neurovascular Board, in which experts discuss complex cases together and make treatment recommendations
- Rapid diagnosis and treatment of strokes and other neurovascular conditions
- Telemedical counselling
- Development and application of uniform care standards and SOPs for all partner clinics
- Quality assurance, certification and further training for network partners
- Coordination of transfers and interventions within the network
An innovative component: the mobile neuroradiological intervention team:
A pioneering element of the network is the mobile neuroradiological intervention team from the Department of Neuroradiology (Head: Prof. Dr Behme). Equipped with its own emergency vehicle, the team of specialists brings the expertise of Magdeburg University Hospital directly to the partner sites. For the first time, not only is the transfer of patients from the network clinics to the University Hospital being organised - it is now also possible for interventional procedures to be carried out directly in the partner clinics by doctors from Magdeburg University Hospital. This innovative care model has been realised with funding from the state of Saxony-Anhalt.
With the establishment of the network and the commissioning of the mobile neuroradiological intervention team, Magdeburg University Hospital and the participating clinics have set a milestone in modern emergency care - for better coordinated and more effective treatment of stroke patients in the northern region of Saxony-Anhalt.
Photo: The mobile neuroradiological intervention team of the Neurovascular Network Saxony-Anhalt North (‘NeuvaNet SAN’): (from left) Dr Roland Schwab, Senior Consultant, and Senior Physician Seraphine Zubel, University Clinic for Neuroradiology Magdeburg; Prof Daniel Behme, Head of the University Clinic for Neuroradiology Magdeburg; Ilona Hrudey, Head of the Hospital Board Office / Supervisory Board Office, University Hospital Magdeburg. Photographer: Melitta Schubert/UMMD
Background information on strokes:
A stroke causes circulatory problems due to the blockage of an artery in the brain. This blood clot means that parts of the brain can no longer be supplied with oxygen. The longer the vascular occlusion lasts, the more nerve tissue is undersupplied and dies. If a stroke is suspected, action must be taken quickly to clarify whether it is actually a stroke. If the suspicion is confirmed by an emergency doctor or paramedic, the person affected must be transported to the nearest stroke unit (specialised stroke ward) as quickly as possible and receive adequate care there. The faster action is taken, the greater the likelihood that no neurological damage will remain.
Typical symptoms include a sudden feeling of weakness, paralysis or numbness on one side of the body. Visual disturbances such as loss of half of the visual field, double vision, blurred vision or loss of vision in one eye as well as speech disorders are signs that can occur with a stroke. Stroke is the third most common cause of death in Germany. Strokes are also the most common cause of disability in adulthood.
Photo: Partner clinics and network participants of the Neurovascular Network Saxony-Anhalt North (‘NeuvaNet SAN’) after signing the framework agreement on the campus of the University Medical Centre Magdeburg.
Photographer: Sarah Kossmann/UMMD