Contributions around the world of medicine

With effect from 1 August, Angela Scalese has taken on the newly created role of Head of Communications and Marketing at Gesundheitswelt Zollikerberg. The new position forms part of a strategic reorganisation: the Foundation’s Executive Board has decided to pool existing resources more effectively and to merge the communications and marketing departments of the Foundation’s Executive Board and the hospital into a single division.

For the past three years, the Zollikerberg Birth Centre has been dedicated to midwife-led, as natural as possible births in a calm and homely atmosphere. It complements the services offered by the maternity clinic at Zollikerberg Hospital. Around 300 babies have been born here since then. Its third anniversary will be celebrated on Sunday 30 August 2026 with an anniversary party. Anyone interested is invited, as are families who have already given birth at the birthing centre.

Three women, a vision and a legacy that continues to have an impact to this day. The legendary ‘Pflegi’ brought modern nursing to Switzerland. But how much of that pioneering spirit remains in our healthcare system today? Our anniversary celebration yesterday showed that the questions raised back then are more relevant than ever.

Silence – for most of us, it means peace and relaxation. For people with tinnitus, however, it can be almost unbearable: a whistling, hissing or throbbing sound is suddenly there all the time.

For the past three years, our birthing centre has been a place where families experience a very special moment: the natural birth of their beloved baby. As part of Zollikerberg Hospital, it is now an integral part of our range of maternity services. But what actually goes on behind the doors of a birthing centre? Who works here, and what makes this place so special? We’ll give you a little insight.

Nursing expertise plays a central role in delivering high-quality, safe and forward-looking healthcare. But what does the term ‘nursing expertise’ actually mean, what tasks do nursing experts undertake in day-to-day hospital life, and how do patients benefit from their work? In this interview, Kathrin Hillewerth provides insights into the importance of evidence-based nursing, the transfer of knowledge between research and practice, and the further development of innovative care models. She explains how nursing expertise helps to continuously improve the quality of care and address the challenges of an increasingly complex healthcare system.

In health research, the questions asked often fail to address patients’ needs. One key way to change this is to involve patients and their experiential knowledge more closely in research. Nevertheless, genuine participation is still far from being the norm.

When Klara Sternenstaub and Ina Schnusel wander through the corridors of Zollikerberg Hospital, they bring more with them than just music, magic and red noses. As visiting clowns, they give patients moments of laughter, connection and respite – right in the midst of what is often a stressful hospital routine. With great sensitivity, they interact with people in very different life situations, experiencing touching, and sometimes quiet, moments that linger long afterwards. In this interview, they explain how they came to do this special work, what they have learnt about people through it, and why a brief moment of light-heartedness can sometimes make such a difference.