The Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra (CHUC) offers specialized care on all areas of medicine, from prenatal to elderly care, covering the entire life cycle of the person and family. Clinical and translational research is a critical component of our mission, and one of our priorities.
The Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra (CHUC) is the largest healthcare institution in Portugal. It includes 2 general hospitals (Hospitais da Universidade de Coimbra and Hospital Geral), a paediatric hospital (Hospital Pediátrico de Coimbra), two maternities (Maternidade Bissaya Barreto and Maternidade Daniel de Matos) and a psychiatric hospital (Hospital Psiquiátrico Sobral Cid). We offer specialized care on all areas of medicine, from prenatal to elderly care, covering the entire life cycle of the person and family.
CHUC acts both as proximity centre for the population of the Coimbra District as well as reference tertiary centre for the Centro region of Portugal with about 2 million inhabitants. In 2021, CHUC includes 18 accredited reference centres (the largest number in Portugal) and is a partner in 10 European Reference Networks (highest number in Iberian Peninsula, along with Vall D’Hebron Hospital in Barcelona).
Our main purpose is to provide excellent person-centred medical care in association with pre and postgraduate education and the best biomedical research. Clinical and translational research is a critical component of our mission, and one of our priorities. The Unit of Innovation and Development (UID) promotes and manages research activities at CHUC. The unit includes a management board, secretarial support, project managers and study coordinators (currently 8), which support researchers in the attraction, submission, and development of clinical and translational studies. The Unit’s activities take place on all CHUC hospitals, while a specific building is used for headquarters.
In 2019, there were 126 active trials in CHUC, with 826 patients included. We aim to increase this activity by investing in new strategic units such as Ophthalmology and Paediatrics. CHUC is a national reference on healthcare innovation projects, due to the strong commitment of our professionals. By the end of 2020 CHUC was a partner on 21 internationally funded projects. The areas with more expression on these projects are neurological and cardiovascular diseases, but other areas such as anaesthesiology, pulmonary diseases, vision and metabolic diseases are also included.
Our institution has a solid connection to the University of Coimbra (UC) and the Faculty of Medicine (FMUC) since its inception. CHUC and UC joined for a Consortium named Centro Académico e Clínico de Coimbra (CACC), that aims to create synergies and strategic partnerships, introduce innovative programs and promote a culture of clinical and scientific excellency as well as quality of care. This consortium (Coimbra Health) is a member of the M8 Alliance of Academic Health Centers, Universities and National Academies, which aims for global health improvement and development of science-based solutions to global health challenges.