UNIVANTS of Healthcare Excellence Award - Report 2018-2025

This report provides a structured and comparative analysis of the best clinical and organizational practices recognized by the UNIVANTS of Healthcare Excellence Award between 2018 and 2025. The UNIVANTS recognition aims to promote healthcare initiatives capable of integrating interdisciplinary approaches, concrete impact metrics, and a value-oriented perspective for patients, professionals, health systems, and economic stakeholders. The program is based on the premise that excellence in healthcare delivery stems from the synergistic implementation of innovative organizational models, advanced laboratory medicine, and outcome-driven strategies.
The analysis highlights how the awarded initiatives stand out for their ability to translate the value-based healthcare paradigm into tangible actions. These practices adopt scalable, evidence-based solutions co-designed by multidisciplinary teams to bridge care gaps, optimize diagnostic and therapeutic pathways, and improve the patient experience. The report identifies eight strategic dimensions recurring across the projects: avant-garde research, information and disease management, organizational transformation, patient engagement, care pathway, personalized medicine, risk and safety management, and workforce development. Each dimension corresponds to specific areas of intervention, expected outcomes, and levers for change.
The analysis brings to light several emerging innovation trajectories: the expanding strategic role of laboratory medicine, no longer solely a diagnostic function but a platform for clinical integration and governance; the growing relevance of task-shifting and skill-mix to enable more flexible management of professional resources; and the adoption of agile, personalized, and digitally supported delivery models. The VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous) environment in which health systems operate makes these transformations not only desirable but necessary.
Finally, the report proposes a taxonomy applicable to various contexts, useful for replicating or adapting the recognized practices. In doing so, the document is intended to serve as a learning and orientation tool for healthcare managers, professionals, and policy makers aiming to enhance the effectiveness, sustainability, and value of their services. The experiences presented serve as concrete and replicable benchmarks to shape the "new normal" of contemporary healthcare.