The new Baix Camp-Priorat Integrated Health Area (AIS), presented on Wednesday, October 14th, represents a paradigm shift in healthcare system organization. This territorial model moves beyond a care-levels-based approach, advocating for shared responsibility for the population's health and preventing system fragmentation. The included projects propose more coordinated intervention by professionals across different facilities to avoid service duplication and improve care continuity, achieving patient-centered social and healthcare.
The presentation was led by Dr. Anton Benet, manager of Salut Sant Joan Reus-Baix Camp, and Dr. Olga Ochoa, manager of Primary and Community Care at the Catalan Institute of Health (ICS) in Camp de Tarragona, during the First AIS Work Conference, "Connecting the Territory, Transforming Healthcare".
AIS are structured around four main programs: Community Health, Integrated Home Care, Inter-level Care Continuity, and Guarantee of Hospital Access and Quality. The Baix Camp-Priorat AIS has presented proposals in these four areas, aiming to advance towards a more efficient, sustainable, equitable, and person-centered care model. The Department of Health plans for the gradual rollout of these projects starting January 1st, 2027.
The project was jointly developed and led by various social and health actors in the territory, including Salut Sant Joan de Reus - Baix Camp, the Catalan Institute of Health, Institut Pere Mata, several local Municipalities such as Reus City Council (with the Reus Integra project), and Rovira i Virgili University. It also has the consensus of the Emergency Medical Service, Social Agents, and Comarcal Councils.
The Committee for the Evaluation, Innovation, Operational Reform, and Sustainability of the Health System (CAIROS), from the Department of Health, selected the Baix Camp and Priorat project last June, out of a total of nine AIS selected across Catalonia. This initiative is part of the new territorial model presented by the Department in February, which includes the creation of 30 AIS.
One of the highlighted programs is Reus Integra, promoted by the Reus City Council, which seeks a transversal vision beyond coordination between providers. The initiative incorporates municipal policies, citizen participation, and civil society involvement to adapt care to citizens' needs, with the expectation that this model can be scalable to the rest of the territory.
