The 5th Annual Health and Wellness Awards ceremony once again brought together professionals, patients, and industry leaders for an evening that celebrated talent and innovation

Last Tuesday, the Hotel Alfonso XIII in Seville hosted the Grupo Joly Health and Wellness Awards ceremony. Now in its fifth year, the event has become an unmissable, welcoming, and well-established gathering for the Andalusian healthcare sector. The awards are an initiative of Grupo Joly, with the support of Cofares and Teva, aimed at recognizing and raising the profile of individuals or initiatives in three distinct fields that share a common goal: to support healthcare and prevention in Andalusia with a commitment to excellence and a clear contribution to social well-being. As such, the awards are designed to recognize professionals in the fields of pharmacy, research, and community organizations who improve patients’ lives.

This year, the award recipients were Jaime Román, current president of the Seville College of Pharmacists, in the Pharmacy category; the researcher María Rosa Durán, who specializes in childhood cancer research at the national level, in the Research category; and the Andalusian Cystic Fibrosis Association in the Patients category.

The ceremony, hosted by Magdalena Trillo, Digital Transformation Advisor at Grupo Joly, began with remarks by Dr. Carlos Infantes, president of the Royal Academy of Medicine of Seville and chair of the awards jury. His remarks constituted a full-fledged presentation and a profound reflection on the scope of suicide as a major health and social problem affecting both adults and young people. For this reason, he encouraged everyone to improve their ability to“not underestimate the warning signs that often precede these episodes.” “No attempt should be considered a cry for attention but rather a plea for help,” Dr. Infantes stated.

As she explained, talking about the issue is a form of prevention, and, in fact, “the media also has a crucial role to play in ensuring that information about suicide is published in the health section rather than the news section.” Prevention is complex, but it is possible and necessary. “We need prevention strategies that are adequately resourced. The Regional Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs launched a 2022–2023 Suicidal Behavior Intervention Program, which should serve as a framework.” The Seville Academy of Medicine has expressed its concern about this issue in several initiatives promoting discussion on the pandemic, mental health, and suicidal behavior.

Following Dr. Infantes’ remarks, the first award of the evening was presented. Eduardo Pastor, president of Cofares, took the stage to present the award in the Pharmacy category to Jaime Román, current president of the Seville College of Pharmacists. Román is a member of the board of directors of the Pharmaceutical Care Foundation and a professor in the Master’s programs in Pharmaceutical Care at the University of Seville and San Pablo CEU. While reading the list of award winners, Victoria Herrera, Head of Business Development at Grupo Joly, highlighted that “his professional career—defined by his efforts to establish pharmacists as key healthcare figures in their communities and to promote Projects that foster professional development in this sector—are among the core elements of his action plan.”

Jaime Román expressed his pride in receiving an award that is “a recognition of patient-centered pharmacy care.” He also took the opportunity to dedicate the award to his pharmacy’s “ Team ” (Healthy Living), located in the San Julián neighborhood of Seville, “which has a clear philosophy: to work at the intersection of medication and patient care, always seeking positive health outcomes”; and he emphasized the importance of working side by side with primary care providers. Finally, he wished to share the award with everyone who is part of the new Governing Board of the Seville College of Pharmacists and “their commitment to advancing the field of pharmacy to meet the needs of 21st-century society.”

Next, the award in the Research category was presented. Juan Carlos Conde, Teva’s general manager for Spain and Portugal, presented the award, which on this occasion went to the researcher María Rosa Durán. This researcher focuses on obtaining results that can be applied to unsolved problems in medicine, with a special emphasis on childhood cancer. She is currently a Full Professor at the University of Cádiz, holds a Ph.D. in Mathematics, and serves as the principal investigator on four Projects national childhood cancer research projects. In addition to her significant track record in this field, the award highlights one of her Projects,“Relapse 0: Mathematics Against Childhood Leukemia,”which focuses on improving the risk classification of patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia through mathematical algorithms, thereby anticipating treatment resistance and preventing relapses.

María Rosa Durán She thanked the organizers for the award and dedicated it to her family and to her thesis advisor and professor emerita at the University of Cádiz, María Luz Gandaria. She also wanted to acknowledge the Pablo Ugarte Association Against Childhood Cancer, “which has always supported me since I began this project.” She thanked her Team for their work, which was key to getting us where we are today. “The future lies in research; it is tomorrow’s cure. We need new tools and new perspectives for those diseases that require a cure. Twenty-five percent of childhood cancer cases are leukemia, ”she explained.

The third and final award of the evening was presented by Catalina García, the Regional Minister of Health and Consumer Affairs for the Regional Government of Andalusia, and went to the Andalusian Cystic Fibrosis Association, which accepted the award through its treasurer, José Manuel López. The jury particularly commended the association’s home care service for families with children who have cystic fibrosis, which helps them learn and correctly apply respiratory physical therapy and postural hygiene techniques, with the goal of promoting adherence to physical therapy treatment, personal autonomy, and a healthy lifestyle.

José Manuel López expressed his gratitude for the award and dedicated it to the three cornerstones of the association: “the 800 Andalusian families who have firsthand experience with cystic fibrosis; the staff and all the technical Team of the association who, day in and day out, support and provide assistance to all those families; and all the family members who selflessly support this community through their efforts.”

The Regional Minister of Health closed the event and addressed the issue of suicide raised by Dr. Carlos Infante in his remarks. “We may all have someone close to us who is having suicidal thoughts. Just today, our strategy in this area was approved by the Regional Government Council. The President of the Regional Government of Andalusia is truly concerned about this issue.” She also addressed mental health issues among adolescents and young adults, calling it “a key area for improving early detection—a challenge we all share.”

Pharmacy Award:

Jaime Román. President of the Seville College of Pharmacists

The current president of the Seville College of Pharmacists, Jaime Román, accepted the award from Eduardo Pastor, president of Cofares. The award recognized his dedication to the pharmacy community, based on the spirit of personalized care and highlighting the importance of community pharmacies. Román emphasized the importance of collaboration between pharmacies and primary care professionals, and dedicated the award both to his colleagues at the pharmacy located in Seville’s San Julian neighborhood and to the members of the governing board of the professional association he now presides over.

Research Award:

María Rosa Durán, University of Cádiz

Through the project “Relapse 0: Mathematics Against Childhood Leukemia,” Durán has focused over the past five years on various studies aimed at applying mathematical modeling and artificial intelligence strategies to predict relapse, improve diagnosis, and optimize treatments for childhood leukemia. His achievements have been published in leading scientific journals in his field, such as PLOS Computational Biology, Cancers, the Journal of Theoretical Biology, and the International Journal of Molecular Sciences. Pictured here with Juan Carlos Conde, Teva’s general manager for Spain and Portugal.

Patients' Choice Award:

Andalusian Cystic Fibrosis Association

The Andalusian Cystic Fibrosis Association is a nonprofit, regional organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for people with this disease, while also raising awareness about it. In the photo, José Manuel López, the association’s treasurer, accepted the award from the Regional Minister of Health, Catalina García. The organizers of these awards sought to recognize the association’s work, which benefits nearly 800 families, with a special emphasis on the home care program for respiratory physical therapy for families with affected children.

🔗 More information: Diario de Sevilla