In today's digital age, Diaverum stands at the forefront of renal care innovation, harnessing advanced technologies to improve treatment outcomes, streamline operations and enhance patient experiences. With innovation however, comes responsibility; robust cybersecurity measures are essential to safeguard sensitive data and uphold our legal & ethical obligations.
This is why the achievement of the IT & Quality departments from Diaverum Spain, of obtaining the National Security Scheme (ENS) High-Level certification in just three months - far ahead of the typical one-year timeline – is so remarkable. In creating trust through delivery, they have underscored our dedication to cybersecurity excellence, making their recognition with the 2024 Competence Award all the more significant. Here, Ignacio de León, IT Director, and Jonathan Porras Alonso, Quality Manager, explain more.
Technology with a human purpose
I have always been passionate about technology. However, it was the death of my father that inspired me to pursue this path within healthcare. He spent his last months in the hospital of my city, and bearing witness to the care he received from his doctors & medical team inspired me to give something back in my own way. A month after he passed, I started to work at the hospital where he had been treated, as an IT Manager. From that point on, my career has been dedicated to enhancing healthcare through technology.
I joined Diaverum in 2010, when Spain had just 25 clinics. Today, we’ve nearly doubled that number, with 49 centres caring for approximately 4,500 patients. The IT department has evolved alongside this growth, now supporting 1,200 employees across the country. Each one of them inspires us daily to keep pushing toward our goals, and for this, they deserve nothing less than 200% of our efforts. It’s this same sense of determination that led us to this achievement in record time.
Spain’s Esquema Nacional de Seguridad (ENS) is the country’s national cybersecurity framework, designed to ensure that public sector entities and organisations managing critical data implement the highest levels of protection. For Diaverum, aligning with the ENS framework was essential – not only to ensure our regulatory compliance, but to uphold the highest standards of cybersecurity protection.
Achieving the ENS High-Level certification is a complex and rigorous process that typically takes a year, as it requires a comprehensive assessment of our cybersecurity policies, practices, and infrastructure. In fact, such rigorous standards mean that only half of organisations succeed in obtaining the certification on their first attempt. To achieve certification in just three months, and become the first renal care provider in Spain to do so at this level, is a remarkable accomplishment. For our patients, this means that being dialysed at Diaverum Spain, in addition to receiving exceptional care, guarantees maximum protection of their information.
On the day of the awards, I felt a mixture of confidence in the work we had done, but also uncertainty, knowing how strong the competition was. When our team was announced as the winner, the emotion was indescribable. It reflects the team’s efforts and all the moments we experienced leading up to the certification. It was especially meaningful to know that my wife - who is a great source of inspiration to me – and my children were following the live broadcast. I owe this award to them for their constant and unconditional support.
Ignacio de León, IT Director
Care, growth and cybersecurity
I first joined Diaverum 15 years ago, as a nurse. Over the years, I’ve embraced many challenges, milestones, and achievements, with every day presenting an opportunity to learn and improve. Taking on - and achieving - ENS certification stands out as one of the most significant.
As Ignacio mentioned, this was an immensely complex process. It required the input of not only our teams but every person within Diaverum Spain, starting with José María Ordóñez, our Country Manager, whose steadfast involvement from the very beginning was crucial to our success. Our clinic and office staff were also instrumental, embracing the changes necessary for certification and helping with the audits. David Jakobsson, VP IT, and his team were pivotal in achieving certification, as many requirements fell under their responsibility. Many other individuals, including David Díez (a former IT technician whose early work was vital); Andrés and Alejandro from the IT user support team, who worked marathon days to provide seamless service while implementing the new processes; and many others across the country.
ENS certification doesn’t just protect information – it positions Diaverum as a cybersecurity benchmark in Spain’s renal care sector. It strengthens patient trust, sets a new industry standard, and pushes us to aim even higher.
I didn’t expect to win, so when our team was announced, it was a moment of disbelief and immense pride. It was a truly special moment to share with my wife and three kids, who had no idea I was nominated. I was also proud to share the moment with the Patient Care Coordination team, who won the Inspiration Award, and with the winners from Portugal, North Macedonia, and Morocco. I was especially pleased for Hassan Imzgane, as I had supported Agadir clinic’s integration in 2021, and was so happy to see how far they’ve come.
As for what happens next? This is just the beginning. Achieving ENS certification has shown us that we can go even further, so why not aim for other certifications in the future? Who knows? The important thing is to keep improving, innovating, and making a difference at Diaverum and in the industry.
Jonathan Porras Alonso, Quality Manager
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