The Local Health Unit of Baixo Alentejo, EPE is a public business entity integrated into the National Health Service, created by Decree-Law no. 183/2008, of 4 September, which resulted from a concern for the added value that it can bring to the effective provision of care to citizens, the effective articulation between primary health care and differentiated health care.
ULSBA, EPE aims to provide primary, differentiated and continuous health care to the population, namely to beneficiaries of health subsystems, or to external entities that contract with them to provide health care, and to all citizens in general, as well as ensuring public health activities and the means necessary to exercise the powers of the health authority in its geographical area of coverage.
ULSBA develops its activity on 3 levels of care:
- Primary Health Care I Group of Health Centers of Baixo Alentejo, which integrates the functional units of the Health Centers of Aljustrel, Almodôvar, Alvito, Barrancos, Beja, Castro Verde, Cuba, Ferreira do Alentejo, Mértola, Moura, Ourique, Serpa and Vidigueira, as well as the Shared Assistance Resources Unit (URAP), Public Health Unit (USP), Pneumological Diagnosis Center (CDP) and the Detection Counseling Center (CAD).
- Hospital Health Care I Hospital José Joaquim Fernandes, Beja
- Palliative Care I Community Support Team in Palliative Care Beja + (support to all municipalities, except Moura, Barrancos and Mértola), Community Support Team in Palliative Care in Moura and Barrancos and Community Support Team in Palliative Care in Mértola
Population Characterization
Resident Population (2011 Census): 126,692 inhabitants and of these 30,492 inhabitants are 65 years old or more.
The population in the area of influence of ULSBA, EPE has a wide geographical dispersion , which raises great difficulties in accessing health care, especially in the older population segment and in areas with low population density.
The aging of the population also results in an increase in the incidence of certain types of chronic and disabling pathologies (high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, depression and acute myocardial infarction), which presupposes the adaptation of the response capacity of health care.
The municipalities in the area of influence of ULSBA, EPE with the highest degree of aging are Mértola and Ourique, with more than 300 elderly people for every 100 young people. The least aged municipalities are Beja and Moura.
The Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of mortality . Mental Health problems are of great relevance, being the region of the country with the highest suicide rate among the elderly, especially in the southern districts of the District. Oncological disease has an increased incidence.
MISSION, VISION AND VALUES
The Local Health Unit of Baixo Alentejo, EPE aims at its recognition for clinical excellence, guaranteeing equity and the effective integration of the various levels of care, assuming itself as a reference institution, with a concern for quality, efficiency and effectiveness, technical and social.
ULSBA’s mission is to provide integrated care, with quality and in a timely manner, at socially affordable costs, within a framework of efficiency and effectiveness, in close coordination with other health services and social institutions in the community.
In addition to the assistance activities, the training, training and research functions deemed necessary for the technical and professional development of ULSBA workers and collaborators are developed.
In the development of its activity, ULSBA and its collaborators adopt an attitude centered on the user / patient, on the deep respect for the dignity of human life, in the sense of prevention and promotion of individual and community health, in accessibility and equity in the provision care, as well as obtaining health gains, aiming at the progressive improvement of the level of all health indicators of the population of Baixo Alentejo.
LEGISLATION
- General Bases of the Statute of State Public Companies – Decree-Law no. 133/2013 of 3 October .
- Creation of the Baixo Alentejo Local Health Unit, EPE – Decree-Law no. 183/2008 of 4 September.
- Statutes of the Local Health Units of Baixo Alentejo, EPE – Decree-Law no. 18/2017 of 10 February
- Regime for the Creation, structuring and functioning of Health Center Groupings of the National Health Service – Decree-Law no. 239/2015 (Proceed to the sixth amendment to Decree-Law no. 28/2008)
- Appointment of the ULSBA, EPE Board of Directors – Resolution of the Council of Ministers no. 67/2017