Klinikum

Klinikum is a German term for a hospital or hospital complex, typically referring to a large, multi-disciplinary medical institution. In everyday usage it often denotes a facility that combines patient care with teaching and research, and is frequently associated with university medical faculties. The word derives from klinik (clinic) with the suffix -um and is widely used in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and parts of South Tyrol.

Many Kliniken are organized as teaching hospitals or university hospitals, sometimes explicitly named Universitätsklinikum or Klinikum der Universität, signaling an affiliation with a medical faculty. A Klinikum usually comprises several clinics or departments (such as internal medicine, surgery, radiology, pediatrics, obstetrics), along with institutes for research, a central emergency department, and various outpatient services. Specialized centers, such as oncology, cardiovascular, or stroke centers, are common.

Ownership and funding vary: Kliniken may be public institutions funded by state or municipal authorities, university-affiliated establishments, or nonprofit organizations. Governance typically features a medical director, hospital management, and a supervisory body. Clinically, Kliniken aim to provide comprehensive acute and elective care, advanced diagnostics and therapies, education of medical students and residents, and participation in clinical research and trials. While the term emphasizes scale and scholarly ties, not every Klinikum is a university hospital, and in everyday language it can be used to describe large regional hospitals or hospital networks.