Read the Conversation
Meeting highlights:
- Introducing Dr. Henry Gallardo as the leader of one of Colombia’s most prominent healthcare institutions, recognized for its broad regional impact and commitment to international standards, and as the President-Designate of the International Hospital Federation.
- Assessing global trends for the hospital infrastructure:
- Global workforce shortages, with an estimated 25 million health workers needed worldwide and around 5 million in Latin America, require stronger attraction, training, and flexible, rewarding care delivery models.
- Mental health must be a top priority for countries and institutions, focusing both on supporting healthcare workers’ mental well-being and on proactive, preventive population approaches with an organized response for severe cases.
- Rapid aging demands intelligent, easy-access, and equitable solutions so older adults receive care regardless of socioeconomic status.
- The convenient position of Colombia’s health system, achieving high coverage and good outcomes relative to national income, is supported by internationally recognized quality programs.
- Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá operates 20 centers of excellence delivering world-class results (JCI certifications), proving global-level performance, focusing on superior outcomes, a compassionate and seamless patient experience, and maximum efficiency.
- Distinctive Institutional Model: The foundation is unique in blending advanced clinical care, education, research, and public health programs, offering a 360º approach to health management.
- Technology: With 1,500 robotic-assisted surgeries performed and a philosophy of leveraging technology as a complement to human capabilities, Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá is recognized as a leader in healthcare innovation.
- Team and Impact: Emphasizing the importance of teamwork and acknowledging that the real strength of the organization lies in its skilled, dedicated staff.
EF: To start, what global trends should hospital leaders prioritize, and how is Colombia positioned within this landscape?
HG: First, there is a marked shortage of health professionals worldwide and in Latin America, reflecting a declining vocation to serve; attracting, training, and educating more people—and making care delivery flexible and engaging—are essential. Second, mental health must be a maximum priority for all countries and institutions, with attention to healthcare workers’ mental well-being and a preventive, proactive approach for the public, plus an organized response capacity for severe situations. Third, aging populations increase illness, accidents, and falls, so solutions must be intelligent, easy to access, and equitable healthcare, ensuring older adults receive care regardless of socioeconomic status.
EF: And specifically, how does Colombia fit into this picture in terms of performance and quality?
HG: Colombia’s health system has achieved high coverage and maintains internationally recognized quality programs, delivering outcomes that are strong relative to the country’s income level. At Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá, 20 centers of excellence deliver world-class results, showing how a Latin American institution can match top clinical outcomes and have a global impact despite resource constraints.
EF: What lessons or practical advice would help health systems and hospitals worldwide reach excellence in healthcare delivery?
HG: Excellence rests on three imperatives: pursue the best possible outcomes and clinical results, create a humane, compassionate, empathic experience that is easy, rapid, and fluid, and drive maximum efficiency to avoid waste that restricts access for real people. These elements must be organized into person-centered models of care where the system revolves around people, not the other way around, and where subspecialties are reconciled with experience design, journey maps, and service lines to keep care simple and effective from the citizen’s perspective.
Our model is unique: we’re not just a hospital; we’ve built an ecosystem around the patient. By breaking down barriers among specialties and reorganizing the patient’s journey, we ensure anticipatory, holistic care delivered as quickly and efficiently as possible. This required major digital transformation and a rethinking of governance—an ongoing process, but one that’s already delivering a better health experience for Colombians.
EF: Could you elaborate on the Foundation's footprint and its journey to date?
HG: The Santa Fe de Bogotá Foundation was founded in 1972 by six individuals, remarkable leaders, as a private, non-profit organization. This includes providing services at a high complexity university hospital for the training and education of new generations of professionals, conducting research to generate internationally recognized knowledge, and promoting public and population health. We have dedicated teams that travel across the country's municipalities to solve collective health problems (nutrition, maternal and child health, and mental health, among others). It's a unique model that provides a 360-degree view of the healthcare landscape. Today, the Foundation applies this management value formula for society, organizing itself by clinical conditions, seeking the highest clinical outcome for each condition we work with.
EF: What do you see as key innovations at Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá?
HG: We’ve invested in both technology and process. For example, we’re pioneers in robotic-assisted surgery, with 1,500 such procedures performed to date. But more importantly, we measure outcomes closely—using metrics like PROMS, customer effort score, and Net Promoter Score (NPS) to understand the human side of care. Our philosophy is that technology, digital transformation, and AI are not an end in themselves but a tool to extend and enhance the capabilities of our staff.
EF: How did Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá reach its current level of excellence?
HG: It’s been a 53-year journey. The founders envisioned a private entity for public service, and today we’re a health system with two academic hospitals of high complexity, not only serving individuals but also educating professionals, producing impactful research, and reaching out to communities across Colombia. Our footprint now includes more than 12 sites in Bogotá, a new cutting-edge hospital in Cartagena, and a planned expansion in the Coffee Region—the community invited us and asked us to lead this health transformation.
Certification with JCI, Magnet, Planetree, and others isn’t just about badges—it’s a philosophy of continuous improvement and global benchmarking. Planetree's Gold certification with leadership distinction is rare. In Latin American terms, our 20 Centers of Excellence certified by JCI put us at the top worldwide—a source of pride not only for Colombia, but for our whole continent.
Our team includes 4,700 people in Bogotá, 1,100 in Cartagena, and a small group that is beginning to consolidate in the Colombian coffee region. We manage our culture and the needs of our people. In terms of culture, we focus on key areas, including principles and values, competencies and expected behaviors, and strategies for enhancing team leadership.
EF: How do you view the role of AI and digitalization in healthcare?
HG: For us, digital transformation and AI are about amplifying human ability, not replacing it. We see these innovations as means to better care, faster decision-making, and more humane service. It’s all about putting technology in the service of patients and professionals alike—this is what makes us a reference in medical innovation.
EF: Henry, can you describe your role in managing Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá and how you handle the operational complexity?
HG: Managing this institution is both challenging and deeply rewarding. It’s not just about administration—it’s about being present, responsible, and precise in every decision, much like driving a Formula One car. Passion and strong management are essential to deliver the best care for our patients.
Serving people and making a real difference in their lives has always been my motivation. I’ve worked in many departments over nearly two decades, and I believe leadership is necessary at every level. Knowing your strengths and seeking opportunities for growth is what brought me to the CEO role.
EF: What advice would you give to the next generation entering healthcare?
HG: Find your passion and let it guide you. Understand that your impact goes beyond individual patients; it reaches families and society as a whole. Healthcare is a life mission, and embracing this responsibility is what allows you to excel.
EF: What achievements are you most proud of this year?
HG: I’m proud of our team and institutional growth, especially expanding our operations to Cartagena and continuing to strengthen our presence in Bogotá. Our international recognition, such as Newsweek rankings, Magnet, and Joint Commission International certifications, is a testament to our team’s hard work and Colombia’s healthcare progress. We are also developing a model to replicate our success in the coffee region.
Healthcare is more than a job; it’s about changing lives and communities. Communication and understanding among citizens are essential for progress. Let’s continue working together to build better societies through healthcare.
