Professor Elaine Cristina de Ataíde assumed this Thursday morning (23) the position of superintendent of the Hospital das Clínicas (HC) at Unicamp. It is the first time that a woman has been elected to the role in the hospital's 37 years of existence. Elaine will serve a four-year term, replacing professor Antônio Gonçalves de Oliveira Filho, in the position since 2018.
“Today is a unique moment for me, a milestone in my journey”, said the surgeon in her speech. “My family members in the audience know how important it is for me to be here today. Despite the adversities that will certainly come, this is a victory,” she added.
Regarding his arrival at the university, he said: “In 1995, when I joined Unicamp, I had the Faculty of Medicine as the college of my dreams, the Hospital das Clínicas as the hospital of my dreams, and Unicamp as the university of my dreams, what it continues to be”, he assured.
Professor Elaine received 863 votes in a consultation held at the beginning of May with the Hospital das Clínicas and Faculty of Medical Sciences (FCM) community. Teachers, resident doctors, undergraduate students in medicine, pharmacy, speech therapy, postgraduate and improvement students, and HC employees participated in the vote. Since September, Elaine de Ataíde has worked as Assistance Coordinator.
At her inauguration, she received words of encouragement from the University's general coordinator, Maria Luiza Moretti. “Trust in your work. Be resilient. Be a peacemaker,” she taught her. “I will always be by your side”, added the vice-rector, who handed a bouquet of flowers to her colleague.
The dean of Unicamp, professor Antonio Meirelles, wished the new superintendent luck and promised resources for the hospital's structure. “We intend to promote a general recovery of the HC’s infrastructure, with painting and restoration of the external area. It's a fight for Professor Maria Luiza. We want to allocate the resources this year”, she anticipated.
The rector also said that he intends to expand the interaction between the University's health organizations and the health structures of Campinas and municipalities in the region. “The Public Authorities will notice our willingness to collaborate,” he said.
House silver
Elaine Cristina de Ataíde is 44 years old. She is a professor at FCM, deputy coordinator of the Gastrocentro, deputy clinical director and clinical coordinator of the Liver Transplant Team at Hospital de Clínicas.
Graduated from Unicamp, she completed residencies at the Department of General Surgery, Digestive System Surgery and Liver Transplantation at FCM.
Before Elaine, pediatrician Teresinha Tressoldi temporarily assumed the superintendence of the HC between April and December 2002, but without having been subjected to an electoral process.
Feeling of gratitude
Professor Antonio Gonçalves de Oliveira thanked the HC employees. “I don’t want to talk about works carried out. I want to talk about the gratitude I have for everyone,” he said.
“I met fantastic people over these years. Many heroes, anonymous and well-known, who made this hospital and this University institutions of the highest level”, he stated.
The mayor of Campinas, Dário Saadi; the executive secretary of State for Health, Eduardo Ribeiro; the Secretary of Health of Campinas, Lair Zambon, and the deputy secretary, Deise Hadich, also participated in the inauguration ceremony.
Also present were the director of the Faculty of Medical Sciences at Unicamp, Luiz Carlos Zeferino, and professor Oswaldo Grassiotto, executive director of the Health Area Directorate at Unicamp.
