ABSTRACT:
Inspired by the Peripatetic School, more specifically by the Peripatetic Clinic (Lancetti, 2008¹), the municipality of Itabuna/Bahia/Brazil innovated the Primary Health Care (APS) management model by creating the peripatetic management method - APS in Action. The inspiration from the Peripatetic School/Clinic was based on the understanding that itinerancy, by producing an ethic of care, can enable the territory to also become a management laboratory. Comprising one coordination unit and five centers: the Center for Health Work and Education Management; the Tactical Center; the Administrative Center; the Operational Center; and the Social Participation Center, the peripatetic management method - APS in Action has achieved results that confirm the initiative's effectiveness. For instance, in 21 months: growth in all APS indicators, with an increase in the number of home visits from 725 to 1,955, and collective activities from 925 to 3,285; an increase in APS coverage from 84% to 100%; implementation of 4 new family health teams; holding of the 1st Exhibition “APS, Aqui Tem SUS”, with 143 successful experiences; expansion from 1 to 5 Multidisciplinary Teams; expansion of the Street Clinic from 1 to 3; approval of the Municipal Multidisciplinary Residency Program; implementation of the Municipal Law for the Promotion of Equity; APS selected among the 29 successful Brazilian experiences - Rede Colabora APS/ENSP/FIOCRUZ. Therefore, aiming to encourage constant interaction between proposed actions and the demands of individuals through the exploration of spaces and the promotion of listening, the peripatetic management model emerges as an innovative method of public health management that has been promoting the fulfillment of APS attributes, especially cultural competence. Furthermore, management should no longer take place behind the walls of government offices; after all, to paraphrase Milton, healthcare belongs where people are.