Reutlingen is facing an aging population changing family structures, and young people’s migration to big cities. The district’s healthcare system has the task of meeting the increasing demand for services and ensuring their sustainability, with the added complication that there is a shortage of family/ rural doctors and that 75% of all current GPs in the district are 50 years or older. In response to these issues, in 2009, the District Chief Executive established the Communal Health Conference (CHC) and developed a Communal Health Strategy.

The Communal Health Conference, together with the University of Tuebingen are implementing a completely new model of health care in the municipality of Hohenstein. Key to this is the development of a Patient-Oriented Center for Primary and Long-Term Care (PORT) health center.