The second Humanize and Care for Aragon Awards recognize eight projects that promote more personalized healthcare.

More than 60 projects, driven by 478 professionals from the Aragonese healthcare system, have been submitted for the awards.

The ceremony, held at CaixaForum Zaragoza, also included three honorary awards for professional achievement.

The second edition of the Humanize and Care for Aragon Awards recognized eight initiatives this Wednesday, May 27, one for each health sector in Aragon, aimed at improving healthcare from the perspective of care, closeness and person-centered care.

In addition, three honorary awards were presented to professionals with outstanding careers in the healthcare and care sectors. The awards went to Reyes Abad Sazatornil, Head of the Pharmacy Department at the Miguel Servet University Hospital in Zaragoza; Aurora Calvo Pardo, a professional working in oncology and with the breast cancer screening program in Huesca; and Milagros Díaz García, Director of Nursing at the San José Hospital in Teruel.

The ceremony, held this afternoon at CaixaForum Zaragoza, brought together healthcare professionals, management teams, and collaborating organizations. The opening remarks were delivered by the Minister of Health of the Government of Aragon, Ángel Sanz. 

Also participating in the event were the Director General of Care and Humanization of the Department of Health of the regional government, Estíbaliz Tolosa, the Scientific Director of the Aragon Health Research Institute, Daniel Orós, and the Regional Director of Roche Farma in the Northeast area, Rita Casas, who supports these awards.

The Minister of Health, Ángel Sanz, congratulated the participating professionals and teams and stressed that the more than 60 projects presented and the 478 professionals involved in them reflect that humanization "is already part of the present and future of Aragonese healthcare."

The councilor expressed his gratitude for the work of the professionals recognized for their career achievements, as well as for all those who have promoted the eight award-winning projects, which serve to develop initiatives "that not only heal, but also accompany, listen and care."

Sanz also highlighted the involvement of all the teams that have applied for these awards, from different areas, such as hospital care, mental health, primary care, emotional support or continuity of care.

Our Commitment

Rita Casas, regional director of Roche Farma in the Northeast area, congratulated those responsible for all the projects presented and reaffirmed the company's commitment to promoting humanization in Aragonese healthcare.

“Roche is recognized as a leading company in the development of new therapies and diagnostic solutions, but all this effort would be of little use if we didn't see the patient as the person they are, not just as a collection of data, reports, and tests. We shouldn't only care about the patient's clinical aspects, but also their quality of life, that they receive warm and kind treatment, that they feel heard. That, for us, is what humanization means,” said the head of this organization.

For her part, Estíbaliz Tolosa, Director General of Care and Humanization for the Government of Aragon, explained that behind every process, consultation, admission, test, every wait, and every discharge, there is a person “with a life story,” “with expectations, doubts, and fears.” And there are also professionals “who, every day, sustain the system with knowledge, responsibility, and an enormous vocation for service.”

The award winners, as well as all those who have been nominated for these awards, understand that humanization "cannot depend solely on individual goodwill, but must be part of the planning, management, training, evaluation and priorities of the system," Tolosa explained.

That is why, she continued, “your work has paved the way. You have transformed sensitivity into action, ideas into projects, and values ​​into real change for patients, families, and professionals.” “Let us continue working together to make humanization a hallmark of our healthcare system,” the director general concluded.

Award-winning projects

The projects recognized in this second edition, each receiving one thousand euros, were:

• Alcañiz Sector: 'The patient at the center of attention – Through their eyes', an Ophthalmology project that encourages understanding the care process from the patient's perspective. Its approach improves communication, trust, and the perception of support in a highly emotional clinical setting.

• Barbastro Sector: 'Beyond the Clinical: Humanizing Perinatal Grief', an intervention focused on families experiencing pregnancy or neonatal loss. The project incorporates emotional support and respect for the natural grieving process as an integral part of dignified healthcare.

• Calatayud Sector: 'Humanization Project of Nursing Care in the Post-Anesthesia Recovery Unit (PARU)', which highlights the nursing work in this unit, a space where clinical safety must be linked to information, closeness and support at a time of special vulnerability.

• Huesca Sector. The 'Accompany, care and support' project, from the Jaca Hospital, which implements a comprehensive model of humanizing maternal and child care in a regional hospital, demonstrating that territorial proximity can become a strength to offer personalized and warm care.

• Zaragoza Sector I: Project 'Transforming the wait. Humanizing the access and waiting room of the Amparo Poch Child and Adolescent Mental Health Unit', which dedicates special attention to children, adolescents and their families in the waiting times prior to access to the consultation.

• Zaragoza II Sector: 'I'm going home' project, aimed at improving the transition to home, reinforcing continuity of care, coordination of care and the safety perceived by patients and families at the time of discharge.

• Zaragoza Sector III: 'Humanizing an osteoporosis consultation from the Fracture Coordination Unit (FLS): Caring for Bones, Caring for the Person', which combines fracture prevention, comprehensive approach to osteoporosis and personalized care, remembering that caring for bones also means caring for life projects, autonomy and well-being.

• Teruel Sector: Project 'The culture of care: transforming care', from the Aliaga health center, which recognizes a rural primary care experience, which places proximity, listening and the professional-patient relationship as transformative elements of daily care.

Awards for professional career

The three women honored for their professional careers have received a silkscreened figure, made up of three poppies, which represent the hope that springs up in every gesture of care and in every act of humanization.

These distinctions highlight how humanization is also built through sustained leadership over time, well-cared-for teams, and professionals capable of paving the way from their respective areas of responsibility.

Reyes Abad Sazatornil is Head of the Pharmacy Department at the Miguel Servet University Hospital in Zaragoza. The award recognizes a career that symbolizes the strategic value of Hospital Pharmacy within the public healthcare system. Abad has contributed to promoting a clinical pharmacy that is safe, innovative, and patient-centered. Her recognition is also a tribute to her calm leadership, professional rigor, and ability to build teams that work to ensure medication is an integral part of safer, more efficient, and more humane care.

Aurora Calvo Pardo's career is dedicated to the care, prevention, and early detection of breast cancer. Her work in Huesca exemplifies the importance of combining knowledge, quality care, and sensitivity towards women participating in screening programs or facing cancer treatment. The award recognizes her commitment to providing supportive, informative, and compassionate care, putting a human face on cancer prevention and treatment.

Milagros Díaz García is the Director of Nursing at San José Hospital in Teruel. This award highlights the essential role of nursing in humanizing healthcare. This professional has contributed to strengthening teams and consolidating a professional culture based on listening, dignity, and support. Her career is a practical testament to nursing as the backbone of care and as a driving force for transformation in healthcare settings.

Source: Department of Health, Government of Aragon