José Manuel Bolieiro prioritises clinical management in new phase of HDES administration - Communication

Presidência do Governo Regional

The President of the Regional Government, José Manuel Bolieiro, informed today the Legislative Assembly of the Autonomous Region of the Azores about the appointment of Dr Maria Paula Raposo Fonseca Macedo Paz Ferreira as the future President of the Board of Directors of the Divino Espírito Santo Hospital (HDES) in Ponta Delgada, succeeding Dr Manuela Gomes de Menezes, whom he thanked for her work.

Dr Paula Macedo holds a degree in Medicine from the Faculty of Medical Sciences of Universidade Nova de Lisbon (New University of Lisbon), a postgraduate degree in "Medical Response to Major Incidents," and to date has been the Clinical Director, Clinical Services representative on the Catastrophe Committee and Senior Assistant in Internal Medicine at HDES, among other duties.

She was also responsible for General and Specific Training in the Medicine Service and Internal Consultancy in the Internal Medicine Department for all the medical, medical-surgical and surgical specialities at HDES, where she was also the Director of the Emergency Department between 2015 and 2016 and Head of the Emergency Department Team between 2013 and 2018.

The appointment of Dr. Paula Macedo for this new phase of HDES administration is based on her clinical profile and recognised professional competence.

The President-designate is the ideal candidate, as the Government intends to ensure, at this stage, that clinical priority is given to responding to the crisis in clinical care following the fire and the total evacuation of patients, as well as realising the major options for the functionality of the new hospital at HDES. This will be done in close coordination with the Regional Government to ensure stability and confidence in the quality of health care provided to the population.

In this new phase of renovation and recovery at HDES, following the fire last May, the guiding principle will be "everything for safety, nothing too hasty," seeking to ensure that decisions and actions are taken with due caution and always in favour of the safety of users and health professionals.

Clinical management is the priority that will govern all the choices made.

The Regional Government is committed to ensuring the continued operational stability of HDES, which goes beyond the current recovery phase. It also includes the strategic importance of its future operations, which will now be supervised by the President-elect of the HDES Board of Directors. Priority will be given to the continuation of effective management that preserves the continuity of quality and efficient health care, focused on the well-being of the Azorean population.

The change at HDES, imposed by the fire, is now prioritised according to the clinical profile for all decisions regarding the present and future of the new hospital. During this transition, we will implement the modular hospital and fully commit to making the old hospital facilities suitable for the installation of the new hospital. With this option, and only through it will change take place.

José Manuel Bolieiro also took the opportunity, with a sense of justice and opportunity, to express his deep gratitude to the President of the Board of Directors, Dr. Manuela Gomes de Menezes, for her tireless work during a period marked by increased and unforeseen difficulties. The President of the Government recalled the commitment and professionalism with which she led HDES through times of great difficulty, expressing his sincere thanks for her invaluable contribution to the service of all Azoreans.

"Dr Manuela Gomes de Menezes showed her dedication and skills worthy of recognition and gratitude. Her capabilities proved the trust placed in her," he said.