KKRN and Founda Health - Building a future-ready hospital network through standards-based Interoperability
KKRN (Katholisches Klinikum Ruhrgebiet Nord GmbH) partnered with Founda Health to overcome fragmented IT systems, meet KHGZ (Hospital Futures Act) compliance requirements, and lay the foundations for future-ready care coordination. By partnering with Founda Health, KKRN don’t just connect systems; they unlock the ability to scale innovation, accelerate care coordination, and deliver real-time data to clinicians.
The Challenge: Fragmented Systems, Rising Pressures
Digital transformation in German healthcare is not just a technical challenge - it’s a structural one. Hospitals like KKRN operate in a complex environment of legacy systems, siloed data, and stringent regulations.
With national funding programs like the KHZG accelerating the push toward digitalization, KKRN faced a familiar set of problems:
- Siloed data locked in incompatible systems
- Manual processes slowing down care coordination
- Rising maintenance costs and IT complexity
- The urgent need to integrate KHZG-compliant digital services
KKRN needed more than a vendor. They needed a partner to help redesign their digital foundation.
The Solution: A Modular and Scalable Interoperability Platform
Founda partnered with KKRN to implement the Founda platform - an interoperability layer purpose-built for hospitals and healthcare networks.
Founda delivered:
- A vendor-neutral platform
- Seamless integration across HL7, FHIR, DICOM, and IHE-XDS
- Seamless onboarding of Partners and Digital Health Applications
- Built-in compliance and auditability to meet KHZG requirements
- A future-ready foundation for expanding digital services
Volker Mentken (IT-Koordinator KKRN):
“Die Zusammenarbeit mit Founda ist geprägt von hoher Professionalität und Fachkompetenz. Besonders schätzen wir die enge Abstimmung mit den Consultants von Founda, die nicht nur technische Expertise mitbringen, sondern auch tiefgehendes Wissen über die spezifischen Anforderungen im Gesundheitswesen. Diese Partnerschaft ermöglicht es uns, unsere digitale Strategie konsequent weiterzuentwickeln und zukunftsfähig aufzustellen.”
English translation
Volker Mentken (IT coordinator KKRN):
"The collaboration with Founda is characterized by a high level of professionalism and expertise. We particularly value the close coordination with Founda's consultants, who bring not only technical expertise but also in-depth knowledge of the specific requirements of the healthcare sector. This partnership enables us to consistently develop our digital strategy and position it for the future."
The Transformation: Enabling Regional, Connected Care
The impact of the Founda platform has gone beyond simple technical integration.
KKRN now operates on a unified interoperability foundation, accelerating the rollout of KHZG-compliant services and dramatically improving operational agility. New apps and services can be integrated much faster than before. Data silos are being replaced by real-time, standards-based information flows.
Even more significantly, KKRN’s merger with the St. Augustinus Group Gelsenkirchen to form KERN GmbH is being underpinned by Founda’s platform. The same interoperability backbone is now being rolled out across the entire regional network - enabling optimal integration of the two existing IT infrastructures and creating a consistent, holistic digital platform for the entire KERN Group.
Gregor Hüber (Stellvertretender IT-Leiter KERN):
“Interoperabilität ist der Schlüssel zur Effizienzsteigerung und Qualitätsverbesserung in der Patientenversorgung. Mit der Founda Plattform haben wir eine leistungsfähige Lösung gefunden, die nicht nur unsere internen Datenstrukturen harmonisiert, sondern auch als zentrale Integrationsplattform für digitale Services fungiert. Dadurch schaffen wir eine nachhaltige Basis für die digitale Weiterentwicklung unseres Klinikverbunds.”
English translation
Gregor Hüber (Deputy Head of IT at KERN):
"Interoperability is the key to increasing efficiency and improving the quality of patient care. With the Founda platform, we have found a powerful solution that not only harmonizes our internal data structures but also serves as a central integration platform for digital services. This creates a sustainable foundation for the digital development of our hospital network."
Future-Proofing Healthcare at Scale
This isn’t just an IT upgrade - it’s a digital transformation with lasting impact. By partnering with Founda, KKRN has turned interoperability into a strategic advantage:
- Clinicians get timely access to complete patient records
- IT teams reduce integration overhead and maintenance burden
- Patients benefit from better-coordinated, faster care
The entire region moves closer to the vision of shared care, enabled by seamless data availability.
