The INHWE Barcelona 2024 Congress, themed “Building Collaborative Competencies,” brought together healthcare professionals from around the globe to enhance holistic patient care. This approach leverages the expertise of multiple disciplines, streamlining workflows, fostering timely communication, and ensuring coordinated interventions. Such collaboration ultimately leads to more efficient healthcare delivery and high-quality, patient-centered care.

Highlighting the HEROES Project
A notable moment at the congress was the presentation by Xavier Bayona-Huguet, from Spain Work Package 5 and Evaluation team of the HEROES Joint Action (JA) project. His engaging presentation shed light on the HEalth woRkfOrce to meet health challEngeS (HEROES) initiative, an EU-funded project aimed at strengthening the healthcare workforce across Europe.

Bayona-Huguet emphasized the necessity of a robust and effective health workforce (HWF) that is equitably distributed, accessible, well-equipped, skilled, motivated, and authorized to deliver quality care. His presentation not only outlined the current achievements and future steps of the HEROES project but also sparked a lively dialogue among attendees, underscoring the significant interest in this groundbreaking work.

Global Collaboration and Learning
The congress featured contributions from universities and health institutions worldwide, including the USA, Australia, the UK, Chile, and Spain. These sessions provided valuable insights into improving health professional training, focusing on tools, programs, skills, and policies. Both traditional face-to-face training and innovative online and blended learning methods were discussed, highlighting the evolving landscape of healthcare education.

To foster connections and cultural exchange, the congress also organized networking activities, such as a visit to the historic monastery of Sant Cugat and a scenic walk in the Collserola mountain range. These events allowed participants to build relationships and share experiences in a relaxed setting.

The presentation of the JA HEROES project was a notable success, drawing considerable attention and interest. Overall, the INHWE Barcelona 2024 Congress achieved its goals, promoting international collaboration and knowledge exchange on educational strategies for health professionals. With over 200 participants from diverse backgrounds, the event marked a significant step forward in enhancing global healthcare education and practice.