The quality of the reception of the patients in the health services is one of the projects of one of the Local Health Authorities of Genova, with the aim of improving its personalization, information and humanization and, therefore, its perceived quality. The judgements of patients and health workers were collected. Ten focus groups with 146 patients representing different populations (mothers, elderly, people living in suburbs) were activated, and 2644 questionnaires were distributed to the health workers (nurses, technicians, clerks etc) of the hospitals and districts (response rate 62%). Efficiency is the key meaning of reception for health care workers (giving information, orienting receiving with politeness and kindness); whilst patients value more other aspects such as the interpersonal relationship and the humanization (empathy, listening, answer to needs). Both stress the need of easing procedures and clinical pathways. Patients and health care workers judge physical environments (rooms, furnitures, signs, bathrooms) inadequate and for patients this judgement is more negative for the hospital compared to the district. Scarcity of readily accessible personnel and a non-individual centered approach are the two main specific complaints, while a general observation of dissatisfaction is attributed to the fact that everything seems to be left to the good will of individual health care workers. The data collected are now used to plan educational initiatives, protocols more broadly to redefine procedures of reception. Because of their role and number nurses may certainly play a pivotal role in this process.