Dr. med. Björn Schmitz, MHBA

Dr. Björn Schmitz, MD, MHBA, has been Chief Physician of the Department of General and Visceral Surgery and Proctology at Knappschaft Kliniken Kamen since January 1, 2025. With his extensive expertise, he leads a department that offers cutting-edge diagnostics and treatments in abdominal surgery and proctology, making an important contribution to high-quality care in the region.

His specialties cover the entire field of visceral surgery – including operations on the stomach, liver, gallbladder, spleen, small and large intestines, and rectum. He also has particular expertise in hernia surgery (such as inguinal and incisional hernias), reflux surgery, and endocrine surgery, especially thyroid surgery. Dr. Schmitz places great emphasis on using the latest minimally invasive (“keyhole”) techniques, even for complex procedures, to keep recovery as gentle as possible with less pain and shorter downtime for patients. In addition, he is authorized to provide second medical opinions for “amputations in diabetic foot syndrome” and for “cholecystectomy” (gallbladder removal).

Dr. Schmitz combines many years of clinical experience with additional qualifications: He is a board-certified surgeon and visceral surgeon, with further training in specialized visceral surgery, emergency medicine, sports medicine, manual therapy, and medical assessment. His Master of Health Business Administration (MHBA) also enables him to combine medical excellence with strong organizational and management skills, which is especially important in his leadership role.

As Chief Physician, he is committed to continuously expanding the services of the clinic in Kamen – including the hernia and thyroid centers – and strengthening teamwork with internal medicine, particularly gastroenterology. He is also establishing a center for wound therapy and a foot center. Beyond his clinical work, Dr. Schmitz is actively engaged in the medical community: he serves as State Chair for Westphalia-Lippe in the German Association of Surgeons (BDC), acts as spokesperson for all state chairs of the BDC, and contributes to health policy committees and medical conferences.