The Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital (HUMV) has been recognized at the Best in Class (BIC) Awards as the hospital with the best Cardiology and Oncology services in the country, as well as the Best HIV/AIDS Unit and the Best Humanization Project for “Mentte: Therapeutic Mentorship for Adolescents”, which is part of the hospital’s Psychiatry Service.
In addition, its Pulmonary Hypertension Unit has received an honorable mention, a recognition granted to services that ranked very close to the winners.
The Regional Health Minister, César Pascual, who presented some of the awards during the ceremony held today in Madrid, recalled that these prizes place Valdecilla in the “elite of Spanish healthcare,” as they recognize excellence in healthcare delivery by evaluating performance comprehensively.
In total, Valdecilla has obtained five distinctions that further strengthen the institution’s reputation. “Valdecilla,” said Pascual, “revalidates its title as the best hospital, since once again it has been the center with the highest number of finalists—18—an achievement it has reached 248 times since 2012, matching the number of nominations it has received, 56 of which have earned the top category.”
At the awards ceremony, in addition to the Minister, who accompanied all the honorees, the Director General of Pharmacy, Humanization, and Social-Healthcare Coordination, María Isabel Priede, was also present.
Five-Star Excellence BIC
In fact, “since 2017, Valdecilla has been the hospital with the most winners,” to the point that in 2016 its “excellent” track record was recognized at the BIC Awards with a special distinction to the Regional Health Department. Furthermore, the hospital has received the five-star BIC for excellence in various categories over the years, for having won the award for three consecutive years within the most recent four-year period.
Currently, the services holding this distinction are Rheumatology (valid 2023–2025); Infectious Diseases (valid 2024–2026); and the HIV/AIDS Unit, which has just obtained it (valid 2025–2027). These services are not eligible to compete as winners during the three years covered by the seal, so the total number of awards would in fact be two higher, given that two services currently hold an active five-star BIC distinction.
What are the BIC Awards?
With a well-established reputation in the national healthcare sector, the Best in Class Awards—promoted by Gaceta Médica and the Chair of Healthcare Innovation and Management at Rey Juan Carlos University—recognize each year the excellence in care, teaching and management of hospitals and services throughout Spain. Their significance has made them a benchmark for the sector and an indicator of healthcare centers’ commitment to quality and continuous improvement.
Throughout its various editions, Valdecilla has achieved numerous award-winning or finalist services and units, reinforcing its position as a reference hospital in Spain.
This year, in addition to the winners, the following services and units have been recognized as finalists: Dermatology, Hospital Pharmacy in Oncology, Hematology and Hemotherapy, Intensive Care / ICU, Microbiology, Pulmonology, Neurology, Psychiatry and Mental Health, Emergency Medicine, and the Pain, Schizophrenia and Digestive Pathology units, as well as Best High-Complexity Hospital.
