With a career marked by clinical excellence, dedication to patients, and a human-centred approach to healthcare, Dr. Patrícia Matias now takes on the role of Medical Director at the Linda-a-Velha Unit.
In this interview, she shares her broad perspective on Diaverum, the main challenges she faces in her new role, and the values that guide her medical practice and team leadership. Her approach combines technical knowledge, empathy, and innovation, reflecting a commitment to human dignity and continuous improvement in medicine.
What is your overall view of Diaverum as a company?
I see Diaverum as a global reference in the treatment of chronic kidney disease, combining clinical excellence with humanised care and innovation. Its model is patient-centred, ensuring personalised, evidence-based care focused on continuous improvement.
The investment in multidisciplinary teams and innovative digital solutions reflects a genuine commitment to quality, efficiency, and sustainability. Diaverum doesn’t just respond to today’s needs—it anticipates challenges and actively contributes to transforming renal healthcare, always focused on patients’ well-being.
What are the biggest challenges you currently face in your new role?
As Medical Director of the Linda-a-Velha Unit, I face challenges that require a balance between clinical demands, leadership, and efficient management. I would highlight in particular:
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Ensuring continuity of high-quality care, in the context of complex chronic patients with multiple comorbidities and often high vulnerability;
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Motivating, supporting, and integrating the multidisciplinary team, promoting a cohesive, rewarding work environment centred on humanised care;
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Strengthening coordination with hospitals and primary healthcare, promoting more efficient transitions of care and quicker responses to acute clinical situations;
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Implementing organisational and structural improvements aligned with Diaverum's quality standards, while adjusting to local realities and dynamics.
I see these challenges not as obstacles, but as real opportunities for transformation, allowing us to strengthen Diaverum's mission: delivering excellent renal care with empathy and a focus on human dignity.
Do you have any passions or hobbies you’d like to share with us?
Besides being a doctor, I’m deeply committed to supporting the growth of my children. It’s a demanding yet incredibly rewarding role, which I strive to approach with balance, continuous attention, and empathy—values I also aim to bring to clinical practice and team leadership.
Another great passion of mine is travelling. I love exploring different cultures, experiencing new realities, and stepping outside the routine. Travelling helps me keep an open mind, remain sensitive to diversity, and stay attuned to the needs of others.
Three traits that define you as a person?
I consider myself demanding, meticulous, and resilient. My demanding nature reflects a constant drive to improve, find effective solutions, and ensure every detail contributes to patient well-being and quality care. Precision is a fundamental pillar in how I work—I value accuracy, responsibility, and consistency in all clinical and managerial decisions. Resilience has helped me face challenges with balance and perseverance, maintaining focus even in difficult situations.
Alongside these three traits, I always try to cultivate humility, recognising that sustainable, human, and lasting solutions are built through genuine attention to others, empathy, and true team spirit.
What is your biggest dream?
As a doctor and now also as a medical director, I dream of a model of care that combines science, empathy, innovation, and sustainability. I want to help create motivated teams, healthy work environments, and healthcare of excellence that leaves a positive mark on the lives of the patients I have the privilege to care for.
On a personal level, I dream of achieving emotional balance: to be a present and conscious part of my children’s and family’s lives, to grow with them, and to keep learning—as a woman, mother, and doctor—every single day of my life.