New leadership for the Hepatology Department
One of the appointments is for the Hepatology Department, where Dr Virgínia Hernández has taken over as head of the department, replacing Dr Ramon Bataller, who led the department for the last few years. The Hepatology Department at the Clínic is a leading national and international authority on the diagnosis and treatment of liver diseases and research into them, particularly in areas such as viral hepatitis, metabolic liver diseases, cirrhosis, portal hypertension, and liver transplantation. This handover ensures the continuity of the department’s healthcare, teaching and research project, maintaining its commitment to excellence and innovation.
Merger of Internal Medicine and Autoimmune Diseases
Another of the main developments is the reorganization of the field of systemic medicine. The Department of Internal Medicine and the Department of Systemic Autoimmune Diseases are being integrated into a single department under the name of the Department of Internal Medicine and Systemic Diseases. This reorganization responds to the need to adapt the care structure to the evolution of clinical practice and the growing complexity of the patients, fostering more coordinated, cross-cutting, and patient-centred care. The new department is being established with the aim of consolidating a clinical platform that integrates the knowledge of internal medicine with the expertise in systemic and multi-organ diseases, whilst also enhancing teaching, research, and the professional development of the teams. The reorganization does not simply seek to merge two existing structures, but rather to build a more modern model, prepared to face the future challenges of internal medicine and complex diseases.
In this new organizational model, the current Department of Autoimmune Diseases is being transformed into the Functional Unit of Systemic Autoimmune Diseases, which will continue to be led by Dr Ricard Cervera. The new unit will maintain the high level of specialization that has made the Clínic a referral centre for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases such as lupus, antiphospholipid syndrome, systemic sclerosis or vasculitis, whilst also strengthening collaboration with other specialities involved in the care of patients with systemic diseases. This model will also allow for the incorporation of other areas of systemic medicine and multi-organ diseases within the same care structure in the future.
New Head of the Department of Preventive Medicine and Epidemiology
In the field of public health and patient safety, Dr Alberto García Basteiro has recently been appointed as the new Head of the Department of Preventive Medicine and Epidemiology. An expert in epidemiology and infectious diseases, Dr García Basteiro will lead a key department in the prevention and control of infections, epidemiological surveillance, the promotion of patient safety and the development of public health strategies, reinforcing the role of the Clínic as a reference centre in this field.
Consolidation and new Functional Units
The changes also affect the Central Sensitization Syndromes Unit where Dr Tamara Rodríguez has been appointed as the new head of the unit, replacing Dr Joaquim Fernández Solà, the driving force and leading figure in this field at the Clínic. The unit is a pioneer in the care of patients with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, multiple chemical sensitivity and other sensitization syndromes, developing a multidisciplinary care model that integrates different specialities to offer comprehensive and personalized care.
The reorganization of the care structure also includes the creation of two new functional units that will strengthen specialized care in areas of high complexity. These are the Functional Unit for Skin Cancer and the Functional Unit for Neuromuscular, Mitochondrial and Autonomic System Diseases, two structures that will enhance coordination between specialities, concentrate clinical and research knowledge, and offer more integrated patient care. The heads of these new units will be announced shortly.
With these appointments and the new reorganization of patient care, the Hospital Clínic Barcelona continues to reinforce its model of excellence, investing in care structures capable of responding to the new challenges of medicine, fostering collaboration between professionals and continuing to offer the highest quality of care to patients.
