Leipzig. The first issue of the patient magazine of Leipzig University Hospital (UKL) was published in May 2005. 20 years and almost 400 issues later, "Liebigstraße aktuell" is an integral part of Leipzig’s media landscape - and successful in its very own way.
What began two decades ago as an innovative cooperation between the UKL and the Leipziger Volkszeitung under the title "Gesundheit und mehr" (link to the first three issues of 2005) was a novelty in the spectrum of public relations work at university hospitals in Germany at the time. The idea behind it: Instead of "dry" hospital information, to prepare medical knowledge in an understandable and appealing way for patients and other interested parties - in other words: well-founded specialist information with journalistic standards. The LVZ contributed its editorial know-how, the UKL its medical expertise.
The launch of the patient magazine coincided with a period of upheaval: in the mid-2000s, Leipzig University Hospital was on its way to becoming a modern, open institution - both structurally and organizationally. Today, two decades later, this vision has become reality: modern new buildings, innovative care concepts, transparent communication.
From innovative concept to award-winning campaign
Heiko Leske, then Head of Corporate Communications at UKL, came up with the idea for the magazine. Under his leadership, the concept of a wide-ranging magazine was developed, which not only offered clinical content, but also topics from politics, culture and science. The resulting communication campaign, "Health and more... - a name says it all" was awarded the German PR Prize in the "Corporate Publishing - Individual Publications" category in 2008.
Helena Reinhardt has been responsible for corporate communications at the hospital since 2011. Under her leadership, the magazine was realigned and focused on content from and about the hospital. "Health and more" became "Liebigstrasse aktuell". Today, the patient magazine has a clear content profile and a modern design. The publication frequency has been adjusted - "Liebigstraße aktuell" is currently published monthly. The content focuses entirely on medical topics from the UKL - then as now scientifically sound, comprehensibly prepared and of high journalistic quality.
The concept is well received: Online access is increasing, and many readers even regularly pick up the print edition in person at the UKL. The results of a recent survey show what is particularly important to them, which can be read in the anniversary edition published as a supplement to the LVZ on May 15, along with other exciting content. Like many others, Prof. Christoph Josten, Medical Director of the UKL, enjoys leafing through the "Liebigstrasse": "It is a medium that I would not want to do without. I appreciate the fact that the topics are presented in a very understandable way. This makes the magazine easy to read, especially for our most important target group: the patients and visitors to the UKL."
Teamwork is a top priority
The production of each issue is real teamwork. Even when it comes to finding topics, many people are involved: every day, the editorial team receives tips on exciting stories from everyday life at the hospital. With the support of external authors and photographers, UKL’s Corporate Communications department is responsible for research and journalistic production. The graphics department of Sachsen Medien GmbH, based on Peterssteinweg in Leipzig, is responsible for the layout - an experienced partner that not only guarantees an attractive appearance, but also makes creative special requests possible.
