Dr. Till Hornung, CEO/Chairman of the Executive Board of Valens Clinics, has found his dream job as a doctor in the role of manager, is establishing another location at Triemli City Hospital, and reports on innovations.
From dream job as a doctor to CEO of Valens Clinics
Did you have a dream job as a child?
Yes, I always wanted to be a doctor.
You achieved this goal – as the first stage of your career. Today, you are CEO / Chairman of the Executive Board of Valens Clinics. What other stages have shaped your career?
Definitely my time as a management consultant, when I learned the craft of methodology, structure, and organization. I still benefit from that today. Managing my first hospital was also a major milestone for me. That’s when I realized I had found my dream job.
What makes you successful in your role?
My wealth of experience and the fact that I find my work exciting and really enjoy doing it. I believe that this also has a motivating effect on my employees. In general, I perceive my colleagues here at Valens to be extremely motivated, experienced, and interested in the field of rehabilitation.
“Many sources of error can be eliminated through discussion.”
How can failures be prevented in concrete terms?
Simply by talking to each other. Many sources of error can be eliminated through discussion.
Do you generally rely on personal conversation for communication?
Yes, it is our top priority. For example, I only use email as a channel for transmitting information. I prefer to call someone rather than write an email. Or I respond to an email with a phone call. Especially with so many good and experienced people in the company, joint discussions are the very best management and control tool.
New rehabilitation facility at Triemli City Hospital
Congratulations on your successful project: you are building a multidisciplinary rehabilitation clinic at Triemli City Hospital in Zurich. What is the current status?
We are currently holding a competition to find the best team of architects. Planning will take place in 2019, and we expect to receive the building permit in 2020. The new location is scheduled to open at the end of 2022.
What potential does the project offer?
Our three existing locations are in very beautiful settings – with the new location in Zurich, we can now offer patients the added benefit of proximity to the city and the hospital, which is an important option for many conditions. The potential is enormous thanks to the expansion of services.
With the mergers in 2011 and 2015 and the project in Zurich, your employees are constantly experiencing change. How do you successfully navigate this change?
We try to make processes transparent and communication open. Basically, we take the view that these changes help us all to develop consistently. And that is something very positive.
Nevertheless, different cultures are coming together.
Absolutely, and that’s a good thing. We believe in the diversity of our locations and deliberately allow for individual characteristics, personalities, and creative freedom. This colorful, pluralistic system ultimately generates new energy time and again.
Are you still on course for growth after the mergers of recent years?
Growth is not our stated goal. However, the market is in a state of flux. If interesting opportunities arise, we will definitely examine them.
Tried-and-tested methods in modern rehabilitation
The history of the Valens clinics began hundreds of years ago with the thermal spring as the origin of the rehabilitation center and plenty of good mountain air. Do such “tried and tested” methods still have a place in today’s therapy plan?
We find it very exciting to combine modern, scientifically researched areas of application with such methods. Warm healing spring water alone has very few measurable clinical effects. Nevertheless, it can be a relaxing measure and thus generate great benefits for the patient in a well-designed interdisciplinary therapy program. In my opinion, finding the right balance between tradition and modernity, between experience and innovation, is what distinguishes good rehabilitation.
And how do you find the perfect balance?
We are strongly committed to evidence-based medical therapy. More than half of our 800-strong workforce are specialists with a broad and structured professional training. However, we are constantly exchanging ideas about optimal therapy plans and interesting additions and are open to new ideas. A few years ago, one of our employees conducted a very exciting study on climbing therapy. It showed positive effects, and this form of climbing therapy is now standard in the therapy plan for many patients.
So innovation happens on site at your clinic?
Yes, we are a cosmopolitan clinic and conduct a lot of our own research.
This is an important factor in your attractiveness on the job market. Are there any others?
We cultivate a pleasant atmosphere of exchange and “learning from each other.” In addition, the Valens clinics are a really strong brand in the rehabilitation sector and are known for offering good therapies and many exciting opportunities for further development.
Who have you personally learned something from that you will take with you into the future?
In recent years in particular, I have learned a lot from our patients: some of them have suffered very hard fates or are suffering from serious illnesses. However, many of our patients develop amazing strength as a result and still find new courage to face life. This makes me feel humble about life and about what many of us “healthy” people take for granted. I have also learned that “talking to each other” starts with the patient. Our patients go through an intensive program, which is precisely why there is a need for conversation. Talking and exchanging ideas on an equal footing is a very important part of recovery.
Conclusion
The conversation with Dr. Till Hornung makes it clear that sustainable success in healthcare is based on attitude: on dialogue, continuous development, and the combination of tradition and innovation. He sees leadership as a matter of trust—characterized by openness and personal exchange with employees and patients. Valens Clinics stand for evidence-based, modern rehabilitation that embraces diversity and puts people at the center. One thing remains crucial: dialogue.
