Small daily choices can make a big difference in health, as demonstrated by users of the USF Guilherme Jordão. Maria Teresa Ramos, diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, saw her quality of life improve by participating in the “Pelo Movimento Promovemos Mais Saúde” project. “Changing small things, small daily alterations, can lead to an improved life,” she shares, emphasizing the importance of movement and diet.
Márcia Vieira, who also joined the project at the suggestion of nurse Matilde, felt the need to prioritize her health. “The second time, I really felt I had to draw a line, meaning, leave work and go for an activity that essentially changed how I viewed certain health issues,” she recounts. The sessions on hypertension and nutrition were particularly impactful, leading her to correct her diet and feel more motivated.
The “Pelo Movimento Promovemos Mais Saúde” project, aimed at users under 65 with a diagnosis of arterial hypertension, unites these testimonials by demonstrating that caring for health can be an act of socialising and sharing. The sessions cover topics such as physical exercise, sleep hygiene, and nutrition, often culminating in a walk. “After the walks, I feel lighter, with more availability, more disposition,” confesses Maria Teresa.
The USF Guilherme Jordão, established in September 2021, primarily serves the parish of São Domingos de Benfica and other areas of Lisbon, with 13,091 registered users. Since its opening, it has conducted over 107,000 in-person medical consultations, consolidating its presence in the community.
The team, comprising eight doctors, seven nurses, and five technical assistants, reinforced in July 2025, has shown consistent improvement in the unit's Performance Index, reaching 86.2% in June 2025. Teresa Vargas, Interim Coordinator, expresses pride: “In these five years, the USF Guilherme Jordão team has built a very strong foundation, a relationship of trust with users that is reflected in the results, but is felt even more in daily life. That is the legacy we want to continue to honor.”
In addition to the movement project, the unit offers a weekly multidisciplinary smoking cessation clinic and has conducted 1,557 cervical cancer screenings and 1,153 colorectal cancer screenings.
“"Five years on, what makes me most proud are not just the numbers, which are significant, but how this team has always known how to put the person at the center. Projects like ‘Pelo Movimento Promovemos Mais Saúde’ show that caring for health can also be an act of sharing and community. That is what drives us."
“"The USF Guilherme Jordão is an example of what proximity healthcare can and should be. In five years, it has built a relationship of trust with its community that is reflected in the results, but also in the stories of the people it serves. Congratulations to the entire team for this journey."
The USF Guilherme Jordão continues to prove that health is also built step by step, session by session, walk by walk.
