Minister Helena Mas, accompanied by the Secretary of State for Health and the Director of the Andorran Health Care Service, visited several facilities in Igualada. The visit aimed to understand the city's health and university model, including the Fundació Sanitària Sant Josep, the Health Sciences Building of the Universitary Campus Igualada-UdL, and the City Council.
At the hospital, the delegation was welcomed by the manager of the Penedès Health Region, Alba Brugués; the president of the CSA, Enric Mangas, and the manager, Dr. Ignasi Riera. A working meeting was held to present the organization's main projects, experiences, and management challenges, focusing on the evolution of the care model and integrated care. The new Health System Map, proposing territorial organization into Integrated Health Areas (AIS), such as the Anoia-Cervera AIS, was also discussed.
The consortium's commitment to teaching and research was highlighted, linked to the Universitat de Lleida (UdL) since 2020 for practical training in Nursing, Physiotherapy, and Nutrition degrees. Starting in 2026, the UdL's Medical Teaching Unit will be deployed. Investments in infrastructure and technology were presented, including the robotic surgery project and new spaces in the Obstetric Block and the Multipurpose Medical Day Hospital. In terms of professionals, actions to attract talent and initiatives like Gran Talent, which maintains links with retired professionals, were shared.
Subsequently, the delegation visited the Multipurpose Medical Day Hospital and the new Obstetric Block. In the Intermediate Care Area, the evolution of care was showcased through the services and teams.
The visit to the Fundació Sanitària Sant Josep included Alba Brugués, manager of the Penedès Health Region; Maria Dolors Balaguer, care director, and Lluís Pujol, assistant manager. They learned about the specialization of the psychogeriatric convalescence unit, the cognitive disorder evaluation and follow-up outpatient clinic, the rehabilitation day hospital for brain damage and neurodegenerative diseases, and a project for a fall and fracture prevention school.
Finally, the Foundation's social area was visited, which includes the mental illness patient home project at Llar Verdaguer, initiated by Eduard Recuero over 20 years ago, and the Sant Josep residence.
The institutional day, part of the health facilities visit, also included a tour of the Health Sciences Building at the Universitary Campus Igualada-UdL. The initiative stemmed from an invitation by Miquel Segura, a member of the Andorran National Commission for UNESCO and president of the Associació d’Igualada per a la UNESCO, who accompanied the delegation along with Eduard Recuero.
