Today, on Sant Jordi’s Day, the terrace of the IDIAPJGol headquarters filled with books, coca (a Catalan pastry), hot chocolate, and reflections on health, values, and ethics. About thirty people participated in the event, where family physician Francesc Borrell, an expert in ethics and communication, served as master of ceremonies.
In his opening remarks, Borrell emphasized that family medicine has a bright future and that it will become increasingly important to adopt a holistic view of the person, taking into account both personal and social circumstances. He also expressed admiration for Jordi Gol i Gurina, whom he knew well, describing him as “a great communicator who, despite leaving behind little written work, profoundly influenced several generations of doctors and the development of the health system.”
Borrell dedicated the final part of his speech to discussing the importance of reading, which he sees not only as a source of enjoyment but also as a learning tool. He shared practical tips for selecting good books and stated that “reading well means learning, understanding, and memorizing,” confessing that he always reads with a pencil in hand and makes notes in the margins to deepen his dialogue with the text.
A Humanistic Vision
In his speech, Josep Basora, director of IDIAPJGol, announced that the institute aims to strengthen its humanistic outlook and the application of values in research, and that Dr. Borrell will collaborate on this effort.
After the speeches, the award for the contest “Health Is Read in Values” was presented. Participants were invited to recommend readings related to health, ethics, and values. The winner by draw was Edurne Zabaleta, a nurse and avid reader, for her recommendation of A Fortunate Woman: The Story of a Rural Doctor by Polly Morland. The prize was a €50 book voucher. Six of the books recommended by Francesc Borrell were also raffled: Ten (Possible) Reasons for the Sadness of Thought by George Steiner; The Art of Making Yourself Miserable by Paul Watzlawick; The Narrative Brain by Fritz Breithaupt; In Praise of Doubt by Victoria Camps; The Ape in Us by Frans de Waal; and The Governance of Emotions by Victoria Camps, won by María Giner, Tomás López Jiménez, Enric Aragonès, Lucía Carrasco, and Montse Domingo.
