Health regionalization in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil: view of state managers

Abstract

This article aims to analyze, from the perspective of state administrators, the implementation of the health regionalization process in Rio Grande do Sul, beginning in the 2000s. This is a qualitative-descriptive study, conducted in the State Health Department. We obtained information from ten semistructured interviews with state administrators from the central level. We interpreted the data using content analysis, thematic method. As results, we highlight the improvement in healthcare quality, the progress in the organization of the state’s health system, the change in the role of the state administration, the development of the technology and the acknowledgment of pactmaking spaces for decision-making. We note that the system’s fragmentation and the historical planning insufficiency hamper regional governance. In conclusion, implementing a culture of strategic management is necessary, with the backing of adequate resource allocation and enhancement of governance in the health regions.