The Aula Magna of UIC Barcelona hosted the graduation ceremony of the 14th year of the Master's Degree in Health Management on 27 September, led by Dr Boi Ruiz, former Minister of Health of the Catalan government. President of the Parliament of Catalonia, Josep Rull gave the closing address at an event that brought together leading professionals from the field of health management, institutional authorities and alumni of the master's degree, as well as the recent graduates, family members and academic staff of the University.
Dr Esther Calbo, dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, was in charge of welcoming all attendees, congratulating the recent graduates and their families, while recalling the principal distinctive feature of the Master's Degree, "the affective-effective vision that makes you managers with a view on the person and the patient". She then gave the floor to Gloria Gálvez, secretary of Health Care and Participation of the Department of Health of the Catalan government, who stressed that health management is not only about optimising resources, but also about improving the quality of care and promoting excellence in the health service. Dr Boi Ruiz, director of the master’s degree, then introduced Dr Dulce Ramírez to give the commencement speech.
In her speech, the first vice-president of the National Board of Directors of the Spanish Society of Health Directors (SEDISA), shared her experience and reflections on the current challenges of the health sector, and reminded the alumni of the master’s degree that “the professional training of managers will make it possible to improve the health system of our country, since currently there is no specialised training in this field”. Ramírez also invited them to improve their skills, attitudes and aptitudes throughout their professional careers through a continuous professional development programme such as the one designed by SEDISA.
After the inaugural speech, a round table was moderated by Ramón Cunillera, president of the Catalan Society of Health Management, which included several graduates of the master's degree currently linked to hospitals and health centres as speakers. Joan Izquierdo, manager of the Hospital Universitari General de Catalunya; Alejandra Pérez Restrepo, supervising nurse of Pediatrics and Neonatology at the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau; Pablo Collera, head of the Service of General and Digestive Surgery of the Althaia Foundation; and Beatriz Galbas, director of Citizens Service at the Mollet Sanitary Foundation, shared their experience as students of the master's degree. They stressed how the theoretical and practical knowledge they acquired enabled them to put it into practice in their profession from day one and to evolve significantly to meet the challenges currently facing healthcare management in their areas.
After the round table, the rector of the University, Alfonso Méndiz, thanked the different authorities for their attendance and congratulated the graduates, reminding them that, “as recent graduates from UIC Barcelona, you have made the commitment to humanise the transformation of health, acting as agents of change in society, always putting the patient and humane treatment first.”
The event culminated with recognitions and awards, among which Dr Albert Balaguer, former dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences and one of the promoters of the master's degree, was recognised, as well as the best articles published in the prestigious News Medical Economics journal. Next, the patron of the class, Dr Carme Cabezas, a lecturer of the master’s degree and former secretary of Public Health, had some emotional words for the graduates, reminding them that, as health managers and managers, it is essential to keep in mind two concepts: “the importance of teamwork, since developing the potential of each member brings strength to the team”, and “maintaining hope and perseverance as this will allow management to be the driver of change to improve the health and quality of life for people”.
Subsequently, the graduates were awarded their diplomas and sashes, followed by a few words from the class representative who, on behalf of their colleagues, thanked relatives and teachers for the support received.
Josep Rull, president of the Parliament of Catalonia, was tasked with closing the ceremony, congratulating the recent graduates and emphasising that humanisation, personal contact and empathy are the traits that make good health management professionals stand out. In addition, he encouraged recent graduates to get to know their professional area very well first, and then to think on a large
