There are projects that are born with a very clear objective. Others, however, arise from a question. In this case, the question was simple: how to grow without losing the quality of care?
This is how a story began that, years later, has led to one of the largest private Dermatology teams in Spain, with more than 25 specialists distributed among different centers of the Campus Hospital Universitario Virgen del Mar and Sanitas.
The doctor explains that it all started when the management of the Hospital Universitario Virgen del Mar proposed that she lead the new Dermatology service at the Sanitas Milenium Pirámides center.
"My first concern was not opening a new center. That was relatively simple. The really difficult thing was to ensure that the patient received the same care, the same protocols, and the same way of working regardless of the center they went to."
At that time, she was already combining her work at the Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal with the management of Madriderma, a private clinic that had managed to consolidate a work model based on common protocols, coordination between professionals, and a significant commitment to innovation and process automation.
"That experience taught me that opening clinics is easy. The complicated thing is building teams that work in a coordinated way and maintain excellence over time."
Shared leadership from the beginning
Even before starting the project, an important reflection arose.
The doctor understood that a challenge of that magnitude could not depend solely on one person. It was necessary to incorporate complementary profiles capable of contributing new ideas, connecting with new generations of dermatologists, and helping to build a project with a vision for the future.
That was when she thought of Dr. Gerald Selda.
He had been her resident and she knew firsthand both his clinical capacity and his way of working. In addition, he was already working at Sanitas, so he knew the organization's operations perfectly.
"I think one of the best decisions we made was to understand from the beginning that leadership had to be shared. Great projects never depend on just one person."
"The boss has to be in the field"
Although she initially considered exercising a mainly organizational management, she very soon decided that this was not the leadership model she wanted to develop.
For this reason, she opened her own consultations at Sanitas Milenium Pirámides.
She needed to meet the patients personally, share the day-to-day with the team, and experience the reality of care firsthand.
"I have always thought that a boss has to be in the field. They have to know the real problems, work alongside the professionals, and understand what happens every day. Only then can they make good decisions."
A philosophy that has marked the entire evolution of the project.
Completely organic growth
The team started with only three dermatologists.
There was never a goal to become one of the largest private Dermatology services in the country.
However, little by little, specialists interested in joining the project began to arrive.
Many were looking for a different model, based on coordination, specialization, and teamwork.
"The growth came practically on its own.
Dermatologists began to appear who wanted to work with us and we understood that that meant we were doing things right."
Over time, the project extended to the rest of the Campus Universitario Virgen del Mar, incorporating care activity in:
- Hospital Universitario Virgen del Mar.
"When an organization trusts a project and allows it to be developed with stability, growth is much more natural."
She also wanted to especially recognize the first dermatologists who bet on the project from its beginnings.
"They were the ones who paved the way so that many others would want to join later."
Growing also means building structure
Increasing the number of specialists was only part of the work.
At the same time, it was necessary to develop an entire care infrastructure capable of responding to growth.
Dermatological surgery operating rooms, technique rooms, a phototherapy unit, Mohs surgery, cutaneous ultrasound, photodynamic therapy, dermatological laser coordination, and new diagnostic technologies such as FotoFinder, among others, were incorporated.
"Our goal was never to be bigger. It was always to offer a dermatology that was increasingly complete, more specialized, and with greater possibilities for our patients."
An organization designed for people to grow
Looking back, the doctor considers that another key to success has been betting on an organizational model where each professional can assume responsibilities and develop areas of specialization.
"We have never wanted to build a service that depends exclusively on one person. We want every dermatologist to be able to grow professionally and add value to the project."
A philosophy summarized in an idea that has accompanied the team from the beginning:
"Taking care of those who care."
"We care a lot about professionals working comfortably, having opportunities to develop, and feeling that they are part of a common project. I am convinced that when a dermatologist works motivated and happy, that satisfaction ends up directly affecting the care the patient receives."
Today, that project that began with three dermatologists exceeds 25 specialists and has become one of the benchmarks of private Dermatology in Spain.
However, for its director, true success is not in the figures. If she had to summarize the project in one sentence, it would be this:
We care a lot about professionals being comfortable.
I am convinced that when a dermatologist works happily, with possibilities to develop and feeling heard, that ends up directly affecting the quality of care.
And, in the end, everything has a single objective.
The patient is always the center of everything.
