In the current context of the urgent and important investments for the development of community assistance, as envisaged by the Italian Recovery and Resilience Plan, this article has a twofold objective: (a) to describe a model of decentralization of the provision of specialized services normally managed at hub hospitals, capable of enhancing the Community Houses as a network of proximity delivery settings and (b) analyze the context determinants and managerial drivers that can be operated to design, implement and consolidate a transformational change service innovation.
The article presents the case of a transformative innovation in a “Casa della Salute” (House of Health) in a mountain area of the Piacenza Health Authority. It describes how, following a gradual process of decentralization on oncologic services, the House of Health of Bettola, a municipality of 2,600 inhabitants, delivers weekly oncological treatments decided by the Oncologic Unit of the Piacenza Hospital but locally delivered by two oncology professionals (one doctor and one nurse). The success of this case relies on the convergence of management and clinical leadership, the gradualism of the entire decentralization of oncologist services in the Health Authority, the motivation of professionals and patients and a careful attention to logistic issues. This case may serve as a prototype for replications in other settings and for introducing similar innovations in other therapeutic areas.