Dear Members of the European Academy of Clinical Leadership,

It is with great appreciation and enthusiasm that I write to you one year after being awarded the Fellowship of the European Academy of Clinical Leadership.

This Fellowship has been a pivotal milestone in my professional journey. It provided not only recognition but also the motivation and confidence to initiate and lead meaningful change within my department. The leadership tools and frameworks I was exposed to through the Academy have had a lasting impact on how I approach my role and responsibilities.

Over the past year, I have been appointed Head of the Anesthesiology Department at “Elena Venizelou” General Maternity Hospital of Athens, Greece. In this new role, I have worked with determination and focus to elevate standards of care, improve patient safety, and foster a culture of accountability and excellence. I am proud to share that, within the past few months, we have implemented several significant advancements:

– Established the first clinical protocols in the history of the department, laying the foundation for standardised, evidence-based anesthetic care.
– Implemented the WHO colour code system for anesthetic drugs, significantly enhancing medication safety and reducing the risk of errors.
– Modernised our equipment by renewing our anesthesia machines, reducing the average age from 26 years to 6 years, thereby improving both reliability and patient outcomes.
– Created a Departmental Audit and Morbidity & Mortality Registry for the first time, enabling continuous quality improvement and reflective practice.

These developments have already begun to transform the way we work as a department and the care we deliver to our patients. They would not have been possible without the insights and encouragement that the Fellowship instilled in me.

I remain deeply grateful for the opportunity to be part of the Academy and look forward to contributing further to its mission.

Please do not hesitate to reach out if I can be of service in any capacity—whether through collaboration, mentorship, or participation in Academy activities.

With sincere thanks and best regards,

Dr Konstantinos Stroumpoulis MD, PhD

Fellow of the European Academy of Clinical Leadership
Head of Anesthesiology Department
“Elena Venizelou” General MAternity Hospital of Athens, Greece