Prof. Ivan Planas, Associate Researcher at the Center for Research in Economics and Health (CRES) and Adjunct Professor in the Department of Economics at Pompeu Fabra University, will become the new Deputy Director of the Catalan Health Services (CatSalut). His main responsibilities will be to ensure the alignment of projects and actions with the Government of Catalonia's Department of Health and its new Health Plan, to take on the challenge of rebuilding the post-pandemic health system with the new Recovery Plan, and to strengthen the system with EU funds for recovery and resilience.

The Catalan Health Service (CatSalut) is a public institution of the Government of Catalonia whose mission is to ensure public, comprehensive, and quality health care to all the citizens of Catalonia. It is responsible for the management and execution of health promotion and protection, disease prevention, and socio-health care and rehabilitation. CatSalut maintains a network of 892 centers: 420 primary care centers, 71 hospitals, 142 social and health centers, and 259 mental health facilities. The institution aims to guarantee that health system services not only respond to needs of the population, but also are functional, accessible to the public, equitable, efficient, and sustainable.

With his many years of experience, Prof. Ivan is well positioned for his new role. He brings on board a mix of key competencies in Economics, Policy Analysis, Education, Governance, Healthcare, Strategic Planning, and Public Finance Management. His previous roles within CatSalut include Area Director of Economic Resources and Director of Finance; Directorate General for Analysis and Monitoring of Public Finances; Director for Health Care - Public Companies; and Health Care Services Manager. He holds a Masters in Public Economics from the University of York, and a diploma of Economics and Business Administration from the UPF.

He is a Member of various Boards including the Board of Directors of the Medical Emergencies Service (SEM), the Board of Directors of the Catalan Institute of Health (ICS), the Governing Board of the Catalan Association of Economists, and the Board of Directors of the Provincial Hospital Clinic of Barcelona.

Find out more about Prof. Planas on his webpage.