José Francisco Doménech: "Our challenge is to offer the best healthcare with efficiency and quality”

After knowing the vision of the Intermutual Hospital of Euskadi from the hand of its managing director last week, today we give way to the Levante Intermutual Hospital, an intermutual reference center that stands out for its commitment to specialized care for injured workers, combining innovation and efficiency in its management model.

Since 2014, José Francisco Doménech, managing director of the hospital, has led management aimed at quality of care, optimization of resources and continuous improvement. Graduated in Medicine and Surgery from the University of Valencia, Doménech has an outstanding career in the health sector, holding positions of responsibility in both hospital management and health insurance management. His training is complemented by studies in health management at ESADE, in addition to being a teacher in business management programs.

In this interview, he shares his vision on the challenges of coordinating health care for nine different Mutual Insurance Companies, the importance of early rehabilitation and the role of the hospital in the recovery and reintegration of injured workers. It also reflects on the future of the intermutual model and the keys to continuing to offer excellent care in a constantly evolving healthcare environment.

What is the origin and main motivation that led to the creation of this center?

On January 25, 1972, the Levante Intermutual Hospital opened its doors thanks to the joint initiative of 22 mutual insurance companies for work accidents, in its name at that time. This collaboration allowed the creation in the Levante area of ​​a joint center, a benchmark in the recovery and rehabilitation of the group of protected workers who required health care after suffering a work accident.

Located in San Antonio de Benagéber, its main objective is to reinsert and rehabilitate the injured patient in their daily lives in the shortest time possible.

Managing a hospital that cares for patients from different mutual insurance companies can be complex. What are the challenges that arise when managing a hospital with patients from nine mutual insurance companies? How is this reality addressed in practice on a day-to-day basis?

The main challenge and our reason for being is to provide the best health service in the shortest reasonable time and with the expected results in terms of recovery and reintegration, both into daily and work life, of the injured patients of the nine participating Mutual Funds.

On a day-to-day basis, the different and multiple cases that we see in our center specialized in occupational pathology means that we act with perfectly structured protocols and procedures that allow us to adapt to each particular case if necessary.

What is the contribution of Intermutual Hospital to the Social Security system, especially in terms of optimization of health resources? How does it fit into the strategy of maximizing efficiency in a system with limited resources?

The Intermutual Hospital of Levante is registered as Mutua Collaborator with social security, number 292. As a joint center of Mutuas, it is a non-profit entity whose purpose is to collaborate in the management of Social Security, under the direction and supervision of the General Directorate of Social Security Regulation, DGOSS, in matters of work accidents and occupational diseases.

The optimization of existing health resources between the different Mutual Insurance Companies in the sector, as well as complementarity in a sector with limited resources, allows us to improve our efficiency ratios, give more value to our work and use all the existing resources of our Hospital.

What are the main objectives in terms of quality of care?

One of the objectives of our Strategic Plan, which we have been developing since 2018, is quality of care. In the last Plan, that of the 2022-2024 period, we have worked on the following objectives: master plan; participation in scientific communities and research; adaptation of our services to the needs of Mutual Funds; best professionals; training and digitalization/innovation.

This hospital is a reference center in traumatology. What role does it play in the field of research and teaching for better clinical practice?

As a hospital focused on the continuous improvement of our professionals and as a national reference center in Occupational Pathology, we have established agreements with Universities in Health Sciences (UCV, CEU, UJI) in the field of teaching, and with the FISABIO Foundation in the field of research so that all our professionals can develop these disciplines in our Hospital.

Likewise, we must highlight that we are a reference center for MIR rotaries in the specialties of Anesthesiology and Pain Unit, Trauma Surgery and Orthopedics, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

The recent DANA has had a significant impact on the lives of many workers and their families. How has the Hospital helped on this occasion and what role can it play in these emergency situations?

In cases like the one we have had to suffer with the recent DANA, even keeping in mind the fire in the Valencia building and the COVID-19 pandemic in our feelings, as a health center we are very clear about our essential role of collaboration and assistance in everything necessary and of course providing the necessary health care to all professionals who may suffer any incident in their collaborative work in these emergency situations.

We have established emergency protocols that, in cases like those mentioned, we adapt to the circumstances of each moment.

How is the center financed?

The main source of income is generated between the nine Mutual Funds that participate in the management of the hospital. These finance expenses through ordinary monthly installments, calculated based on the average billing of the last three years. These fees are adjusted at the end of the year to the actual consumption of the health services that each Mutual Fund generates in the hospital, which allows for more equitable financing adapted to the needs of each group.

In addition, the hospital also has agreements with other non-participating mutual insurance companies, which expands the financing base and allows other patients to access the hospital's services, thus diversifying the sources of income. Finally, as a measure to optimize our resources, we have the Department of Health's Shock Plan to address situations of high demand in some of its services.

All activity carried out in the center based on the care services provided requires prior authorization from the DGOSS, our control and management body.

What challenges does the hospital face in the near future?

Of course, adapt to the needs demanded by our participating Mutual Insurance Companies, always with an eye on quality of care, continuous improvement and the excellence, effectiveness and efficiency that as a Hospital we must contribute to the Mutual Insurance sector, to our patients and, above all, to society.

As a health center, we must be up to date with cutting-edge technology, have the best professionals to be able to successfully address our commitments, adapt in this way to the needs requested by our participating Mutual Funds, and continue leading the sector in which we operate.

From the Hospital Intermutual de Levante, how do you perceive the relationship with Fraternidad-Muprespa and what do you think we can contribute to each other to strengthen our collaboration?

We, as Hospital Intermutual, are part of the Fraternidad-Muprespa healthcare network. The relationship we have and perceive is one of close collaboration, adapting to the needs of the Mutual Fund, although we are left wondering if your extensive national healthcare network has exhaustive knowledge of what our Hospital is, what we do in it, and what our real healthcare capacity is. We consider that greater knowledge of the Levante Intermutual Hospital would allow us to strengthen our collaboration.

Is the hospital staff aware of the differential fact of being part of a system linked to the Mutual Collaborators with Social Security? And how does this affect the way you work?

In general, it is aware of this differential fact, although it generates some frustration, especially in terms of remuneration policy, demanding in many cases the equality of salaries with public health. This situation adds complexity to the management of some categories, generating high levels of turnover due to the lack of professionals.

Does the hospital have a comprehensive plan or strategy that covers aspects related to social responsibility and sustainability?

There is no explicit CSR plan, although it is included within the management of organizational culture, which is deliberately managed as a strategic lever and where sustainability is among the corporate values.

How do you manage communication with the different Mutual Insurance Companies, ensuring alignment with the needs of each of them?

General and particular communication channels are established with the different Mutual Insurance Companies. Likewise, periodic meetings are held to transmit and adapt to the peculiarities and needs of each of the nine Mutual Funds participating in our Hospital.

A few years ago, the Intermutual Coordination Department was created in our center, with the purpose of managing and aligning our healthcare actions with the protocols of each Mutual Fund, all regulated and established under the supervision of the Hospital's Faculty Board, which is made up of a healthcare representative of each participating Mutual Fund and the center's health managers.