The specialist in Internal Medicine from Hospital Beatriz Ângelo (HBA), António Martins Batista , received the National Award of Internal Medicine 2021 , in the 27th National Congress of the specialty, promoted by the Portuguese Society of Internal Medicine between the 2nd and 5th October. The award, conferred for six years now among peers, aims to distinguish the work done towards increasing the prestige of Internal Medicine , this time also recognizing the work done by Martins Batista in the pre and postgraduate training of future internists. António Martins Batista is part of the HBA Internal Medicine team , since the opening of this public hospital, run by Luz Saúde group in a public-private partnership, where he assumed from the start the functions of Internal Medicine coordinator, as well as the direction of the medical internship committee. At HBA, he was always inscribed in a model of clinical organization invested in the centrality of Internal Medicine, as the specialty that takes the responsibility and manages the whole hospital journey of the patient in contact with all other specialties – a model imported from Hospital da Luz Lisboa, which is an innovation in the global Portuguese health system . That was precisely acknowledged by the awarded who, in his acceptance speech at the congress, made a point of mentioning the way “ private management ” was able to identify this model as “ beneficial ” for patients and hospital institutions. Martins Batista was distinguished by his “ capacity of organization and leadership of the service teams he worked and works with, dedication to pre and postgraduate training, and commitment in national and international organizations ”, stated the ex-president of SPMI, Faustino Ferreira, in the presentation of this year’s award. Who also highlighted his “ capacity of work, energy, determination and resilience towards dignifying IM, never losing the focus of what is the essential to the recognition of the specialty as a way of ensuring the best assistance to patients ”. For the assignment of this award to António Martins Batista also contributed “ the way he has been encouraging the new generations of young internists ”. The 27 th National Congress of Internal Medicine , this year, was organized by Hospital da Luz Lisboa service of Internal Medicine, that has chosen as motto for the 2021 major meeting of the Portuguese internists: “To Value Internal Medicine”.
