From 8 to 10 March, the 23rd Spanish National Hospitals and Healthcare Management Conference, under the slogan “Managing with people,” brought together renowned experts in the field of healthcare management, as well as representatives from most innovative companies in the sector to share experiences and discuss the great challenges that healthcare directors and managers must face after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lead expert in healthcare management, Dr Boi Ruiz, director of the Healthcare Management and Health Policy Chair at UIC Barcelona, participated in the round table discussion on “Hospital efficiency after the pandemic. Lessons learned / The pandemic as an element of transformation”, with the speech “Lessons learned, and lessons repeated.” In his speech, Ruiz stressed that "attention must be focused on the patient and that for that to happen, managers must work as facilitators, not as actors, because they are the professionals.” He added “Thanks to this professionalism we have managed to emerge from the pandemic well.” Finally, Ruiz emphasised “the multidisciplinarity, cooperation and long-term management as key concepts to prepare future healthcare professionals.”

During the three days of the conference organised by the Spanish Society of Healthcare Directors (SEDISA) and the National Association of Nursing Directors (ANDE), participants had the opportunity to attend numerous round tables discussions, sessions, meetings with experts and scientific communications professionals. The main purpose was to define a roadmap focused on increasing people’s well-being with the concept of putting the person at the heart of healthcare management, while no forgetting sustainability of the planet, social and demographic challenges marked by the growing aging population, as well as the role of innovation and digital transformation.