Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío (English: Virgen del Rocío University Hospital), also known as HUVR, is a complex of hospitals in the center of Seville, and is the largest hospital[note 1] in southern Spain. It is managed by the public company "Servicio Andaluz de Salud" and is considered one of the best hospitals in Spain.[1]
HUVR is one of the regional hospitals of Andalusia, and counts over 8,000 professionals, 54 surgery rooms, 1,291 beds and 450 clinical consultation rooms. It is also affiliated to the University of Seville, being one of the main practical centers for health-care studies.
The complex includes the following hospitals:
It is famous for being the second Hospital in Spain to perform a successful face transplantation, in 2010.[2]
The construction of the hospital began in the 50s, being finally opened in 1955, meaning an important improvement on the state of health care in the province. Its initial name was Residencia Sanitaria García Morato, which was used until the 70s.
The initial design counted only with one main building (nowadays the General Hospital), and was mainly used for surgery proceedings. By the 60s, the management was restructured, dividing the hospital in departments, and a new building was inaugurated in the complex, nowadays the Rehabilitation and Traumatology Hospital, followed by the Birth and Pediatrics Hospital.
Later on, the hospital has incorporated the Regional Center for Blood Transfusions, the female school for nursering (now extinct), the Diagnosticsand Treatment Center and the Pabillion of Pathologic Anatomy. In the 80s, the hospital transferred it management to the regional government (Junta de Andalucia) and signed a collaboration with the University of Seville, obtaining from then on the denomination of "University Hospital".[3]
The complex is cataloged as a regional hospital, that is, a third level center which offers the medical specialties included in the Spanish Healthcare System.[4]
Its influence area extends through the western side of Andalusia (provinces of Seville and Huelva), which adds around 550,000 inhabitants. The hospital hosts over 8,000 different professionals, with a budget of €516,831,000. In a year, it averages, among others, 50,000 hospitalizations, 300,000 consultations of emergency medicine, 47,000 surgeries, 1,160,000 external consultations, 6,000 births and 280 transplants.[5]
The hospital Virgen del Rocio is known for the quality of its research, both inside and outside of Spain. In fact, the Biomedical Research Institute of Seville is managed by the same complex, so that professionals can participate and manage biomedical research projects found in their consultations, easing the transference of research.
Professionals working at the HUVR participate are also part of different excellence efforts, like the European Research Network (ERN),[6] the Reference Centers, Services and Units (CSUR)[7] and the Reference Services in the Andalusian Public Health System (Servicios de Referencia en el Sistema Sanitario Público de Andalucía) [8] working on different projects.
The HUVR has an agreement with the University of Seville, to improve the knowledge both in experimental and empirical science, and the formation of its professionals (Diagnosis, prognosis, therapy and practical abilities).
The undergraduate activity at the University Hospital adds up to:
Regarding postgraduate training, the data are as follows:
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