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A new type of nurse role was established in the Spanish health care system in the late 1990s, currently called case manager nurse, to ensure access to resources needed to cope with chronic conditions and comprehensive home care. This paper aims to present this figure and discuss aspects of its work. The methodology was based on the bibliographic review of papers and normative publications and interviews with primary health care nurses, nursing faculty, and case management nurses. We present a brief history of the implementation of the case manager nurse role and the conceptual and operational bases of her practice in three autonomous Spanish communities: Andalusia, Valencian Community, and Basque Country, discussing potentialities and issues concerning this practice. In the conclusions, we make some considerations on the possible implementation of the case manager nurse in the Brazilian health system.

Distinct models of health management reflect the core principles upon which they were founded and their institutional arrangement can lead to the improvement of health policy. This paper seeks to reflect on the potential benefits and limitations of the organizational structure and the social capital to lead to changes in the performance of public health organizations in the quest for enhanced quality of care. The description and analysis of two experiences of universal public health systems, in Catalonia and in Brazil, reveal similarities in the legal basis of both health systems. However, the mode of deployment differed greatly, which gave rise to divergent management experiences. One prioritized managerial organization, while the other concentrated on the importance of the social actors promoting the institutionalization of social capital. It is suggested that models of management with dialogue between an efficient organizational design and citizen participation capable of constructing social capital may lead to change in the organizational culture and enhance the quality of care.

The paper discusses the issue of waiting times based on a study of Spain's National Health System (Sistema Nacional de Salud, SNS), focusing on the national context, management issues and local practices. Observation visits and interviews with health personnel and managers conducted in the metropolitan areas of the Autonomous Communities of Madrid, Andalusia, Catalonia and Basque Country were complemented by secondary data and a review of the literature. There is unanimity as to the positive results of the SNS, but cutting waiting times seems to be one key aspect requiring improvement. Two directions were identified for complementary measures: guaranteed maximum waiting times in the macro-social sphere associated with local measures to increase service integration and primary care resolution rates. The peculiarities of the Spanish decentralisation process and the existence of economic, political and health profession corporate interests were mentioned as factors hampering waiting list regulation, transparency and management. A comprehensive approach to this issue shows the need to shift discussion from waiting list monitoring and/or expanded supply to guaranteed timely access. That is the quality differential that primary care-oriented systems must bring to public health systems.