The Sant Joan de Reus University Hospital has obtained accreditation from the European Organization of Cancer Institutes as a Cancer Center, a seal that distinguishes leading centers in oncological care, research, and innovation. The recognition places the hospital as the third center in Catalonia with this certification and the first outside the metropolitan area of Barcelona.
The distinction arrives in a province like Tarragona, which registers the second highest incidence and mortality from cancer in Catalonia. In that context, the Reus hospital becomes part of a European network after an audit of almost three years and an evaluation of 345 indicators in nine areas of oncological treatment.
The OECI evaluated 345 indicators and Reus achieved the first seal outside of Barcelona
The accreditation of the OECI jointly recognizes assistance, research, and innovation in treatments. Furthermore, it obliges the center to undergo renewal every five years through an external evaluation.
Josep Gumà, director of the Institut d'Oncologia de la Catalunya Sud, explained that the process has served to review the internal functioning of the hospital at all levels of cancer care.
"The audit, which lasted almost three years, has served to order and organize all areas of oncological care at the hospital" - Josep Gumà, director of the Institut d'Oncologia de la Catalunya Sud
That periodic examination is part of a model that seeks to maintain the continuous improvement of personalized care for patients and families. Marta Milà, manager of the Health Region of Camp de Tarragona, framed the seal within the policies of the Department of Health to reinforce shared decisions between doctor and patient.
Milà added that the accreditation validates person-centered care. The recognition, moreover, places Reus in a small group of Catalan hospitals with that level of external demand.
The Seal Boosts the Catalonia Sud Cancer Center with the URV and IRB Catalonia Sud
The accreditation now opens the door to the creation of the Catalunya Sud Cancer Center, a project shared with IRB Catalunya Sud and the Universitat Rovira i Virgili. The initiative places teaching and research among the axes of the new center.
Fàtima Sabench, dean of the Faculty of Medicine of the URV, defended that quality teaching favors internationally competitive research and helps retain talent. The approach connects the hospital's care activity with university training and scientific development.
There is also a foreseen effect on the available treatments. Gumà maintained that the recognition will make the center more attractive to the pharmaceutical industry and will facilitate access to clinical trials with drugs that would take between three and four years to reach the market.
Anton Benet, manager of Salut Sant Joan Reus-Baix Camp, pointed out that the accreditation will allow the hospital to integrate with other European centers to develop a common strategy in oncology. The seal must be renewed every five years with a new external evaluation.