Cuides UIC Barcelona
Medical care, social and psychological support
Private
Continuous 24-hour service. Visiting times adapted to current COVID-19 regulations.
Campus Sant Cugat. Pedro i Pons, 1. Planta 2. 08195 Sant Cugat del Vallès (Barcelona)
What is Cuides UIC Barcelona?
It is the first university clinic to provide comprehensive care for patients with oncological and non-oncological diseases, with symptoms that affect their quality of life and advanced diseases that require palliative care.
What do we offer?
Our team offers quality and personalised care, always considering each individual's values and preferences and addressing all circumstances that have an impact on patients and their families.
How can Cuides UIC Barcelona help?
At the clinic we offer comprehensive and quality care to individuals, family members and caregivers who are facing times of great vulnerability and suffering following the diagnosis of a potentially serious disease with a limited prognosis.
Why Cuides UIC Barcelona?
We are the only clinic in Catalonia specialised in private palliative care.
Innovative, high-quality facilities, integrated within the Hospital Universitari General de Catalunya, to provide care for patients with serious or advanced illnesses or those in need of palliative care.
Clínica universitària UIC Barcelona university clinic (research, commitment and knowledge transfer).
Exclusive and exceptional service: Private, Home-based and hospital care, multidisciplinary and for patients in early or end-stage disease.
Facilities
The care activity at Cuides UIC Barcelona takes place mainly in the Clinic facilities, located in the General University Hospital of Catalonia building. Both the rooms, public spaces and the consultation rooms have been designed to offer a comfortable environment that is different to the hospitable environment.
The facilities at Cuides UIC Barcelona consist of:
- Eighteen single rooms, with adapted bathrooms, fridges, a safe and a television.
- Shared spaces: A multipurpose room designed to be a living room and another multipurpose room intended for activities, with tables and microwaves so that families can also use it as a dining room. Both rooms can be joined together and become a larger room if more space is required.
- An assisted bathroom with a multi-functional bath that allows the patient to have a therapeutic bath not only for hygiene purposes but also for relaxation purposes.
- A prayer room: For all those people who need an intimate space to gather their thoughts (a pastor is available).
- A sensory room: This space is equipped with a system providing images, sound and lights to create pleasant stimuli that allow both patients and their families to quickly “stitch off” from the hospital environment during moments involving pain, anxiety or a desire to think.
- Offices and work rooms for professionals.
Mission
The Cuides UIC Barcelona was set up by UIC Barcelona to offer comprehensive and quality care to people, family members and caregivers who are facing times of great vulnerability and suffering, after diagnosis of a potentially serious disease with a limited prognosis. Both organisations share a commitment to help society by caring for people, especially at the end of life, as well as teaching and knowledge transfer.
UIC Barcelona has a great deal of experience in the field of palliative care, thanks to the research carried out by the WeCare Chair in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, and the teaching provided as part of our Bachelor’s Degree in Medicine. This knowledge and commitment to people is the origin and driving force behind Cuides UIC Barcelona - University Clinic for Advanced Diseases and Palliative Care Support. The driving force behind the whole team at the Clinic is the desire to accompany and support patients and their families, providing quality care to people with complex and progressive diseases that involve changes in quality of life, in family organisation and they end up having an emotional impact on all members.
The management of complex symptoms is our priority at any time when dealing with oncological and non-oncological diseases (complex chronic diseases), beginning with the diagnosis, when anguish and the symptoms that trigger the consultation are almost always present. At Cuides UIC Barcelona, we respond to these needs, through our experience in symptomatic control and psychological and social support throughout the disease, maintaining close and human contact with the patient and their family, especially in times of crisis but also during stable stages.
To provide this care, the Cuides UIC Barcelona has several health care devices to help care for and accompany people with advanced diseases in both clinical and home settings, as well as at a community level.
Team
The Cuides UIC Barcelona team made up of professionals from various disciplines such as medicine, nursing, psychology and social work.
Care Team
Natalia de Iriarte Gay de Montellà
Medical director of the Cuides UIC Barcelona Clinic
Medical Specialist in Internal Medicine (Vall d’Hebron University Hospital, 2004-2009). Physician in the Palliative Care Unit (2009-2016) and Oncology Hospitalisation (2016-2019). Vall d’Hebron University Hospital Holder of a PhD from the UAB (2013)
“The first years as a resident at Vall d’Hebron awakened a special motivation toward careful control of pain and other symptoms in me, thus bringing me closer to palliative care. The multidisciplinary, exhaustive control of symptoms and, above all, the immense humanity of this discipline fascinated me, so for seven years I delved deeper into the holistic approach to the oncological patient. Later I decided to expand my knowledge in oncology as an adjunct physician on the hospital floor, thus being able to merge the two visions: The resolution of complex clinical cases as an internal medicine specialist, with the mastery of symptom control that I had acquired alongside great palliative care masters. Cuides UIC Barcelona is an opportunity to create a new model for an alliance between high-level medicine and high human quality, which is so necessary in the case of advanced disease. To make the patient, their family and our professionals into the best team to achieve the best quality of life”.
Mariona Guerrero Torrelles
Nurse
Holder of a Bachelor's Degree in Nursing from UIC Barcelona (2001). Master’s Degree in Hospital Emergencies (Universitat de Barcelona, 2010). Postgraduate Degree in Palliative Care (ICO- Universitat de Barcelona, 2011). Master’s Degree in Nursing Science (UIC Barcelona, 2012). Leadership course of EUPCA (European Association for Palliative Care) (European Palliative Care Academy, 2015), Doctorate in Health Research (UIC Barcelona, 2017).
“I have worked as a nurse in the Stroke Unit in Hospital Clínic in Barcelona and, subsequently, in the Internal Medicine and Oncology Units in Terrassa Hospital.
I can define myself as passionate about the nurse profession, since caring for people is essential and fundamental at the end of life. When the disease process progresses and is irreversible, the palliative approach seeks the best quality of life and the most appropriate care to ensure comfort. In these situations, nurse leadership is key to ensuring the best professional and human quality for each of the people we treat.
At Cuides UIC Barcelona, we aim to offer excellence in terms of monitoring and caring for each of our patients”.
Psycho-social Support Team (EAPS)
Ingrid Ramo González
General healthcare psychologist
Postgraduate degree in psychosocial and spiritual care for people with Advanced Disease (UVIC-UCC-2019). Postgraduate Degree in Schizophrenia and Dementia (UAB-2006)
“Working with older people made me discover the needs that arise from an advanced disease with special impact at the end of life. Many of these needs go beyond the psychological dimension and belong to a deeper, existential realm. I could also see the importance of including the family or significant affective environment as the cornerstone of the intervention. This made me decide to train in a more specific way in the area of palliative care. It is in this field that I have developed my experience over the last few years, offering psychological care during the different stages that a complex disease or a limited prognosis involves while also addressing people’s existential needs.
As a professional, I believe in the importance of combining technical knowledge with aspects that have to do with what is essentially human. To know and to be, as a fundamental cornerstone of care, bearing in mind that each person is unique. And it is from this perspective that we take an interdisciplinary approach to the UIC Barcelona care team.”
Sílvia Mateu Puig
Social worker
Master’s Degree in Ageing: Integrated Prevention and Care (UVIC-2011). Postgraduate Degree in Boosting Home Services (URL-2004). Postgraduate Degree in Management of Care Homes and Services for Older People (URL-2002). Postgraduate Degree in Social Intervention in the field of Mental Health (URL-2001). Master’s Degree in Counselling and Grief, Loss and Trauma Interventions (IPIR)
A social worker with more than 19 years of experience in caring for people, from direct care to management and coordination.
“Throughout my professional career I have had the opportunity to work in different areas of intervention such as social health, social services and currently the health care sector. This has enriched my learning and allowed me to observe the importance of integration in order to benefit the individual.
Over the years I have been training and gaining experience in key areas such as the need for networking, social and health integration, and the transition to person-centred care models. My career has helped me to transform my gaze, acquiring a more holistic view of the person, a broader overview from a preventative perspective through the empowerment of community assets and promoting social work programmes in the community.”
Management
María José Casas
Managing Director of Cuides UIC Barcelona
Master's Degree in the Management of Healthcare Organisations (UIC Barcelona-2021). Master in Person-Centred Care in Dependency and Disability Settings (UVIC-2015). Master's Degree in Nursing Sciences (UIC Barcelona-2014). Postgraduate Degree in Business Administration(UPF-2009)
“More than twenty-five years dedicated to the world of management in both hospital and social sectors have given me a broad and global overview of both sectors. In recent years, I have worked to achieve a new way of managing people and institutions by trying to humanise management, caring for people (both workers and caregivers), while maintaining a balance between finance and high-level care in terms of quality.
Cuides UIC Barcelona represents the pinnacle of my learning in the health, social and community sectors, which I have nurtured professionally and which have allowed me to have the necessary comprehensive and collaborative overview to undertake projects as innovative and necessary as this.”
Model of care
The care model at Cuides UIC Barcelona is characterised by:
- A comprehensive view of the individual: All aspects that require attention in this type of situation are taken care of, from physical suffering to spiritual, emotional and psychological suffering.
- Person-centred care: We consider the patient's values and preferences when establishing treatment, therapy, or care within a shared deliberative decision-making process. Respect for privacy and confidentiality.
- Ongoing care throughout the disease process: We care for the patient during hospitalisation and ongoing care on an outpatient basis (at home or in an outpatient consultation), through face-to-face, telephone or remote follow-up and the facilitation of social and health resource management.
- Multidisciplinary team: Consisting of professionals from medicine, nursing, psychology, social work, physiotherapy and occupational therapy, among others, working on common objectives and in a coordinated manner.
- Early decision making: The patient, along with their family and medical team, makes decisions regarding treatment and the way in which he or she wishes to be treated, in an individual manner and in accordance with the ethics of care. In this way, the dignity of the person is guaranteed through respect for his or her wishes.
- Quality and safety: The measure of care performed and perceived is the basic axis of care for UIC Barcelona, taking into account current quality model guidelines. We ensure that those internationally recognised standards are met within a centre of excellence in healthcare.
- Community participation: In those individuals and families with weak social or relational capital, the participation of community support networks or specialised volunteers will be enhanced to promote positive links.
- Clinical research and knowledge transfer: Together with the care activity, Cuides UIC Barcelona carries out research projects resulting from the questions arising from daily activity, while also applying the knowledge obtained, thus ensuring better care for the patient and their family.
Cuides UIC Barcelona offers patient and family care both at a medical and a hospital level in the Cuides UIC Barcelona facilities and at a psycho-social level through the Psycho-social Support Team (EAPS).
EAPS provides psycho-social support for those with advanced chronic disease to ensure quality care, minimising the impact on patients, reducing associated emotional distress and facilitating adaptation to disease-specific changes. EAPS Cuides UIC Barcelona is part of the EAPS network of the “la Caixa” Foundation, which currently has 44 teams in all the Autonomous Communities.
The care provided by Cuides UIC Barcelona is carried out through different services:
- The Cuides UIC Barcelona Clinic, is housed within a hospital, the General University Hospital of Catalonia.
- It is a team that provides support in other specialist areas, and works by offering guidelines and experience to control symptoms for all the physicians who need it within the General University Hospital of Catalonia.
- Outpatient visits: Outpatient care for discharged patients or first visits.
- Home Care: To keep the patient in touch with our professionals at home, seeking the best support from the entire team.
- Grief counselling: As long as people need to help cope with the loss of a loved one.
Spiritual care
At Cuides UIC Barcelona, the spiritual dimension is one of the fundamental cornerstones of palliative care, with a focus on four areas: Spiritual care, physical care, psychological care and emotional care.
In exploring the spiritual needs of people and their families suffering from serious illness, we often find questions about the meaning and purpose of life, hopes, fears (of patients, families, and related to the environment). For those who attach a profound religious meaning to these aspects it can be very useful to have a person who understands, hears and helps them at this time in their life.
Although members of the multidisciplinary team in Cuides UIC Barcelona can address spiritual needs during the disease process, the Clinic offers a Chaplaincy service for spiritual needs and to administer the holy sacrament to patients and those accompanying them who also wish to take part. The Cuides UIC Barcelona pastor is available to talk and offer the necessary support to everyone, whether religious or not. If the patient holds another religious faith other than Catholicism, the priest may transfer their request to the appropriate person so they can receive the spiritual support they need.
Chaplaincy contact details
I want to help
Volunteering
Being a volunteer at Cuides UIC Barcelona represents a commitment to people and a vocation for social improvement. Volunteers are altruistic and selfless. Through voluntary service at Cuides UIC Barcelona, the aim is to respond to the specific needs of the people who come to the Clinic to improve the quality of life of patients, their families and society by promoting the dignity and autonomy of the individual.
Through volunteering, we also aim to raise awareness in society by enhancing universal values. If you would like to be part of our team please contact: smateu@uic.es
Donations
Cuides UIC Barcelona has been able to open its doors thanks to the support and help of a number of institutions, which have altruistically contributed to promoting our project and disseminating our mission. At Cuides UIC Barcelona, we greatly value the involvement and commitment of the organisations and institutions that support projects like ours and strive to transform society into a better world.
The donor recognition wall, created in collaboration with artist Andreu Carulla, aims to convey our sincere eternal gratitude in a heartfelt way. It is a living and dynamic piece of artwork that we would like to see evolve as we collaborate with more institutions and companies that believe in our project and want to support it.
Collaborating entities
UIC Barcelona wants to thank all the organisations that have made the opening of this new clinic possible. The entrance to the Cuides UIC Barcelona now features a donor wall, a work of art by designer Andreu Carulla, which depicts all those who have contributed to the project. The artwork is made using paper discs, which seek to represent a set of clouds inspired by the colours of the cosmos. The installation uses an unprecedented system that inserts LED technology into recycled cotton paper. “We were inspired by the introspective moments found in nature, such as the observation of the night’s sky, or a sunset. The sight of the sky, or the brightness of the stars, makes you feel insignificant and powerful at the same time and, in a way, helps you understand that you are part of something much greater”, explains the artist. The centre of each of the discs reproduces inspirational phrases on wood that invite reflection, intermingled with the names of the organisations that have contributed, through their donations, to setting up the clinic.
Contact
If you would like more information about our services:
clinicacuides@uic.es
935 042 013
Direction
Campus Sant Cugat
Pedro i Pons, 1. Planta 2
08195 Sant Cugat del Vallès
Barcelona
The public transport to get here is good:
Highway
Túnels de Vallvidrera, S10
St. Cugat - Mirasol
Train
Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya
Line S1 (yo Terrassa)
Hospital General de Catalunya Stop