(Vienna, 6th February 2023). At the constituent meeting of the Obersten Sanitätsrates (Supreme Medical Council – OSR), Markus Müller was re-elected as President for the new term-of-office until 2025. This important advisory body to the Minister of Health will thus be led by the experienced doctor and Rector of the Medical University of Vienna, also during the 2023-2025 business period. Markus Müller will be assisted by Christiane Druml from the MedUni Vienna and Michael Grimm from the MedUni Innsbruck as vice-presidents. The 43-member committee, made-up of experts from a wide range of disciplines (medicine, nursing, science, health professions...), deals with important issues in medical care in Austria and addresses current challenges, such as digitalisation or Long-COVID, in various working groups.
Health Minister, Johannes Rauch, who also attended the meeting, congratulated Markus Müller and his team on their election and stated that he is looking forward to the continuing good collaboration: “The Supreme Medical Council is a particularly professional and broad-based body with a wealth of specialist knowledge and expertise. I am pleased to have such a competent team of experts at my side in an advisory capacity. In the past, the OSR has advised on important decisions in the Austrian healthcare system, such as the recent extension of the free HPV vaccination in Austria. I look forward with hope and optimism to the forthcoming collaboration and wish the entire team every success in the committee’s activities”.
OSR-President, Markus Müller, went on to say: “Together with the outstanding health experts on this committee, I am looking forward to the conscientious teamwork in my third-term as President. The last term-of-office was strongly influenced by the management of the pandemic. Our goal now is to make contributions to solving the current major challenges for the Austrian health system”.
Experts from the MedUni Vienna occupy nine positions on the Council (in alphabetical order):
Catharina Chiari,
Christiane Druml
Brigitte Ettl
Gabriele Fischer
Markus Müller
Elisabeth Puchhammer-Stöckl
Anita Rieder
Stefan Thurner
Ursula Wiedermann-Schmidt
The Oberste Sanitätsrat (Supreme Medical Council – OSR)
The Oberste Sanitätsrat (Supreme Medical Council – OSR) is an advisory body to the Federal Minister of Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection and is composed of honorary members – experts from the fields of medicine, psychology, care, science, the Chamber of Doctors and Pharmacists, social insurance and the health service.
The Supreme Medical Council – OSR acts independently in the realisation of its advisory activities. Its decisions have the character of proposals and are not binding.
In addition to its advisory activities and its function of assessing fundamental questions in connection with the ‘state of medical science’, the Supreme Medical Council – OSR is also responsible for the compiling of expert opinions and recommendations, if necessary. The Supreme Medical Council (OSR) may also propose the publication of a recommendation, or an expert opinion, to the Federal Minister.