On Friday 26 September, UIC Barcelona hosted the academic graduation ceremony for the 15th cohort of the Master’s Degree in Healthcare Management (MUGS), directed by Dr Boi Ruiz. The event was attended by the Minister for Health of the Government of Catalonia, Olga Pané, who joined the new graduates for this special occasion.
The rector of UIC Barcelona, Dr Alfonso Méndiz, delivered the institutional welcome and congratulated the graduates: “Today you become part of a new generation of managers and executives who will make a difference. Through effort, professionalism and leadership, you will help build a fairer, more efficient and more humane healthcare system.”
Dr Esther Calbo, dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, highlighted “the programme’s commitment to training executives with both an affective and effective outlook, always placing the patient at the centre”. She also underlined the value of a faculty with soul, offering a holistic experience and fostering cross-disciplinary skills, with a professional approach that integrates knowledge and sensitivity.
Dr Boi Ruiz highlighted the programme’s more than 15-year history and its significance as a pioneering official qualification in Catalonia for specialised training in healthcare management.
The event also included a round table moderated by Ramón Cunillera, president of the Catalan Society of Healthcare Management, featuring MUGS graduates: Emma Picart, head of the Emergency Department at Clínica Girona; Henry Marcano, medical director at QuirónSalud Hospital Vallès; Claudia Avella, head of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Althaia, University Healthcare Network of Manresa; and Jordi Trelis, managing director of the Sant Joan de Déu Hospital Foundation in Martorell.
The ceremony concluded with the awarding of diplomas and recognitions, paying tribute to key figures who have supported the programme, such as Llorenç Sotorres Bartolí, secretary general of the Puigvert Foundation. The event also featured remarks from the cohort’s sponsor, Dr Josep Antoni Pujante, world-renowned mountaineer and head of International Relations and Cooperation at the Government of Catalonia, who encouraged graduates to work with perseverance, critical thinking and collaboration.
In her closing speech, Minister Olga Pané highlighted the major future challenges in healthcare management, stating that leaders are needed who can make rigorous decisions, unite teams and drive a fairer healthcare system. She emphasised that the graduates represent the new generation who will play this key role, encouraging them to act with responsibility and a vocation for service.
