The European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) renewed the certification of the Palliative Care Unit of Hospital da Luz Lisboa as a center of excellence in care providing in this area, in articulation with the Oncology Center. The certification, now valid for the 2024-2026 triennium, reflects the work developed by the professionals in this hospital, which has been acknowledged with this ESMO seal of quality and excellence since 2011. The Hospital da Luz Lisboa Palliative Care Unit was the first in Portugal to receive this distinction by ESMO. The Unit and the Oncology Center of Hospital da Luz Lisboa count with a team of nurses and physicians specialized in oncology, radiotherapy and palliative care, who provide health care to hospitalized and ambulatory patients. The Oncology Center, directed by José Luís Passos Coelho , follows every year around 650 patients, and the Palliative Care Unit, directed by Isabel Galriça Neto , follows an average of 550 (half of which get discharged, and the other 50% suffer from oncologic disease). These services develop moreover an intensive activity of medical training, also with other groups of health professionals. “This certification represents for us an acknowledgement, contributing to give credibility to our work, where we aim for nothing less than excellence, and increasing our responsibility in terms of the service we provide our clients and respective families”, states Isabel Galriça Neto. “We want to continue corresponding to what is expected of us, along an innovative path that we have initiated over 16 years ago, and that is only possible by working in team and with the support of many”, she adds. Photo: Liliana Zuna ESMO certification (PDF 178Kb)
