My name is Daniela Mattana and it has been almost three years now since I started working with the Brothers of the Hospitaller Order of Saint John of God in the Lombardy-Veneto Province; or, better still, since the day when I received the “gift” of being allowed to enrich my professionalism through the values of Hospitality.

Whatever one’s specific role, whether it lies in the direct care of the sick or as in my own case, in the administrative management of such care, I believe that the possibility of imbuing one’s work with meaning and to be able to carry it out with the guidance of others, is indeed a gift of immeasurable importance. 

True hospitality requires commitment, training programmes, and behavioral development – what we like to call Team Work – that increases professionalism by gearing it to results, service and interpersonal understanding.

From the very start, I became aware of the practical aspects of Hospitality and of the commitment needed to make it ”visible” and therefore apparent to those who benefit from our services. More recently, I have had the opportunity of recruiting young health management graduates from one of the top management schools in Europe. Their integration into our Care Center, with an emphasis on the link between Management and Hospitality is bound to enrich us all.  In other words, I believe that as in horticulture, this kind of fertilizer will lead to stronger plants bearing ever better fruit.

So this − combining the teaching of Hospitality with specialist medical training – will be our challenge for the future.