KSA Group sells Zofingen Hospital – these are the buyers

• The Aarau Cantonal Hospital is selling the Zofingen Hospital. The board of directors of Kantonsspital Aarau AG (KSA) has decided to sell the shares of its subsidiary Spital Zofingen AG (SZAG) to the private healthcare company Swiss Medical Network Holding SA (SMN) for 50 million francs as part of a share swap. The government council and Swiss Medical Network Holding SA (SMN) reported this at the same time on Thursday afternoon.
• The government council approves the sale of SZAG. Representatives of the Department of Health and Social Affairs and the Department of Finance and Resources approved the sale at an extraordinary general meeting in the form of a universal meeting of the KSA in accordance with instructions from the government council.
• The sale offers opportunities for the Zofingen Hospital. This solution would offer new opportunities to use synergies within SMN and develop a new, viable business model. The KSA Board of Directors examined various scenarios for the future of the subsidiary Spital Zofingen AG (SZAG) as part of the strategy process required by the Government Council.

  The aim was for Zofingen Hospital to be able to overcome its current difficult financial situation and future challenges without burdening the parent company, Kantonsspital Aarau AG (KSA), and to continue to contribute to basic medical care in the region. Selling turned out to be the best solution.

• Employees will be taken on – including the range of servicest. The new owner intends to continue the existing range of services unabated with the Zofingen Hospital and its approximately 770 employees. This also includes the hospital’s nursing center with around 80 employees. The Zofingen Hospital’s medical offering also includes 29 service orders according to the 2025 Acute Somatics Hospital List. The Zofingen Hospital will continue to ensure compliance with the requirements in the future.
• The contract details. On December 12, 2024, the government council and Swiss Medical Network Holding SA (SMN) signed a contract for the sale or purchase of Zofingen Hospital. SMN takes over 100 percent of the hospital shares. In return, the KSA receives SMN shares worth the purchase price. This results in the KSA holding a 3.57 percent stake in SMN. The transaction will be completed on December 12, 2024.
• Important basic supplies. The Zofingen Hospital is particularly important for the region in terms of basic medical care; Zofingen Hospital treats around 5 percent of acute somatic cases in the canton of Aargau. Without the sale, the Zofingen Hospital would have faced a significant reduction in the range of services it offers or closure, according to the government council. The Zofingen Hospital has been struggling with financial problems for a long time. Their financial situation has not improved since the KSA took over in 2011.
• Zofingen Hospital was a financial burden for the KSA. The Zofingen Hospital could no longer be financed from its own resources. Cross-financing the investments or deficits through the KSA would not have been financially viable for it. The KSA itself had received financial aid of 240 million francs from the canton in 2023 and would not be in a position to financially support the Zofingen Hospital.
• What happens next with the Aarau Cantonal Hospital? The KSA Board of Directors submitted the revised corporate strategy for the KSA to the owner for comment on November 19, 2024. The government council will examine the KSA strategy in the coming weeks and send its opinion to the board of directors. Based on the clarified initial situation regarding the Zofingen Hospital and the statement of the government council, the board of directors can then finalize and decide on the corporate strategy.

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