Centromedico Bellinzona Castello – Swiss Medical Network’s outpatient surgery centre

24.06.2026

Fewer hospital stays, better care – the new outpatient surgery centre in Bellinzona

With the Centromedico Bellinzona Castello, Swiss Medical Network is bringing the first private outpatient surgical facility to the Sopraceneri region – and setting a new standard for the future of healthcare in Switzerland.

In the heart of Bellinzona, not far from the UNESCO World Heritage castles, Swiss Medical Network has opened a new healthcare centre: the Centromedico Bellinzona Castello. Spanning around 2,500 square metres, the fully renovated property brings together orthopaedics, ophthalmology, radiology and physiotherapy under one roof – thereby filling an important gap in healthcare provision in the region.

The first outpatient surgical facility in Sopraceneri

At the heart of the centre are two outpatient operating theatres on the ground floor – the first of their kind in Sopraceneri. Above these are specialist doctors’ surgeries, a radiology centre and a physiotherapy centre with views of the historic castles. The range of services is complemented by Swiss Visio Bellinzona, the group’s ophthalmology network’s first Ticino branch, offering medical and surgical treatments for all eye conditions, including refractive laser surgery.

The centre also houses Ars Medica Bellinzona, the outpatient branch of the Clinica Ars Medica in Gravesano, specialising in orthopaedics and outpatient orthopaedic surgery.

Outpatient care before inpatient care: a structural shift

This development is no coincidence. The Swiss healthcare system is undergoing far-reaching change. The principle of ‘outpatient care before inpatient care’ is now regarded as a guiding principle: procedures that can be carried out on an outpatient basis without posing a safety risk should be performed that way. Since 2019, the Federal Council has expanded the list of procedures eligible for reimbursement from 6 to 18 groups – and the trend is upwards.

Nevertheless, Switzerland still lags behind the rest of Europe: only around 20 per cent of suitable surgical procedures are carried out on an outpatient basis here, compared with around 60 per cent in the Nordic countries and a European average of around 50 per cent.

The reason lies in a structural disincentive that has persisted for years: outpatient treatments were financed entirely through health insurance premiums, whereas at least 55 per cent of the cost of inpatient stays was covered by the cantons. Paradoxically, a clinically less complex procedure therefore placed a greater burden on premium payers than a hospital stay.

EFAS corrects the imbalance

The EFAS reform (Uniform Financing of Outpatient and Inpatient Services), approved by the Swiss electorate on 24 November 2024 with 53.3% of the vote, eliminates this asymmetry. From 1 January 2028, outpatient and inpatient services will be funded according to a uniform formula: the cantons will cover at least 26.9 per cent, whilst health insurance funds will cover a maximum of 73.1 per cent. The aim is to eliminate misguided incentives and prevent unnecessary hospital stays.

What Ticino is already demonstrating

Ticino did not wait until 2028. A pilot project involving the EOC and HSK (Helsana-Sanitas-KPT) has clearly demonstrated what is possible: by shifting suitable procedures to the outpatient sector, the canton achieved savings of around a fifth compared with the costs of inpatient treatment – whilst maintaining the same standard of care.

Integrated care from a single source

Centromedico Bellinzona Castello follows a clear principle of continuity: patients follow the same treatment pathway under one roof – from surgery in the operating theatre on the ground floor, through specialist check-ups on the second floor, to rehabilitation in the physiotherapy centre on the third floor. Diagnostics are carried out in-house, with direct access to the operating theatre.

The model forms part of the Rete Sant’Anna, the cantonal platform for integrated care in Ticino, which coordinates hospitals, specialist centres and outpatient services. The shared aim is to reduce unnecessary hospital stays – not by cutting services, but by developing high-quality alternatives close to patients’ homes.

Proximity as a systemic advantage

Until now, residents of the Sopraceneri region have had to travel to Lugano or the public hospital for outpatient procedures. The centre in Bellinzona fills this gap. People who receive treatment close to home miss fewer days of work, place less of a burden on their families and attend follow-up appointments more consistently – all factors that influence the overall cost of the healthcare system.

A model for the future

With the entry into force of EFAS 2028 and the gradual expansion of mandatory outpatient procedures, the Swiss system will structurally evolve in a direction that Bellinzona has already embarked upon. Centromedico Bellinzona Castello demonstrates that reducing costs and improving quality are not mutually exclusive. This requires the right structures – and the courage to invest in them.

Sources: Swiss Medical Network, Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH), EOC – Ticino Cantonal Hospital, H+ Swiss Hospitals, santésuisse.

Hospitals

Centres

For patients

About us

Integrated care

Hospitals

Centres

For patients

About us

Integrated care

How can we help you?

Top searches

Fewer hospital stays, better care – the new outpatient surgery centre in Bellinzona

The first outpatient surgical facility in Sopraceneri

Outpatient care before inpatient care: a structural shift

EFAS corrects the imbalance

What Ticino is already demonstrating

Integrated care from a single source

Proximity as a systemic advantage

A model for the future

Discover more

Ars Medica Bellinzona

Clinica Ars Medica

Swiss Visio Bellinzona

Rete Sant'Anna

Integrated care