Cristina Mateo

Unió Catalana d'Hospitals

Catalan Hospital, Health & Social Services Association is a membership association of health and social care services providers (hospitals, primary care organizations, providers of long-term care, mental healthcare, and social services for dependent people), integrating mostly the providers of the public Catalan healthcare system, but also private healthcare providers. It was created in 1975 as a providers' association, to defend the interests of its members, and to promote a better healthcare and social model to benefit the Catalan society. Its key strategic areas are the defense of its members' legitimate interests, and the strengthening of the Catalan healthcare and social model.   As an association of healthcare and social services providers, La Unió has several functions, such as collective bargaining, promoting networking, sharing learning and benchmarking between members to improve the quality of health services delivery. It has also an advocacy and lobbying function, exerting an influence as a health sector agent, dealing with policymakers, the Catalan administration, and other agents and stakeholders, to cooperate in fostering improvements in health outcomes. Finally, training is an important aspect in the association's work, and La Unió offers continued services for our members' employees, and promotes improvement in management skills and competencies , contributing to the professionalization of health management.   Its long history endorses Catalan Hospital, Health & Social Services Association as an organization with great experience and knowledge on the healthcare sector.