About real leadership in medicine

On Independence Day, the President traditionally presented state awards to outstanding citizens. Doctors were among them. And it is very important that this list includes representatives of the medical community of a new formation. Not such “doctors from God” who for years created a system that would work, first of all, on themselves. And the new heads of medical institutions, who are building the system – for the patient.

For example, Serhii Horishchak, director of Children’s City Polyclinic No. 6 of Odesa, received the Order of Merit. I remember how, at the beginning of the transformation of the medical system, Serhii Horishchak dreamed of creating a center for special children on the basis of his polyclinic. So that young patients and their parents receive decent service in a state medical institution, feel comfortable and cozy. And already in September 2019, such a center was opened. In creating the center, the institution invested the money it earned under the contract with the National Health Service. The early intervention center in the Odesa polyclinic fully complies with international standards and norms. The institution is completely patient-oriented, uses modern practices and tools that improve the access of young Ukrainians to medical care.

Odesa Children’s City Polyclinic No. 6 concluded contracts with the NHSHU for the provision of both primary (a contract for the amount of UAH 23.4 million) and specialized medical care (a contract for the amount of UAH 25.8 million). Almost 49,000 patients chose their pediatrician or family doctor here. As part of the medical guarantee program, the institution provides free specialized medical care in six packages. These are all three medical packages for rehabilitation, as well as medical packages for providing ambulatory, mobile palliative care and accompanying and treating patients with tuberculosis at the primary care level.

Oleg Yakovenko, head of the pulmonology department of the Volyn Regional Hospital, is another doctor on the list of awardees. He created and organized the work of the 200-bed infectious disease department from scratch, and now the most severe patients with COVID-19 are taken there from all over Volyn. Today, the department is equipped with all the necessary equipment, all beds are equipped with a centralized oxygen supply, and the institution is ready to receive patients at any time. Currently, the Volyn Regional Hospital is developing other new areas. In addition to the infectious department, the institution opened a palliative department. The hospital has ambitious plans to do transplants.

The President also awarded Mykola Turchyn, the head of Odesa City Hospital No. 11, with the Order of Merit. The hospital entered the medical reform with good indicators and received funding that allowed to update the equipment in the inpatient facilities, as well as to completely reconstruct one of the buildings. The hospital has four departments of traumatology and there was always a need for blood for transfusion. And the institution created a blood transfusion station from scratch, which also helps other hospitals in the city. The hospital has the only ENT department in the region that deals with oncology. Moreover, the medical facility plans to expand and on August 31 will open an emergency medical care department.

In fact, there are many people who represent true leadership in medicine. Not all of them made it to the President’s list. But they provide professional consultations, perform operations, go to emergency calls, create successful medical facilities. They work in big and small cities. They have ambitious dreams that they bring to life.

For example, Kostyantyn Rozhyn, the head of the Bilopol Center of Primary Medical Care of the Sumy Region, always dreamed that the residents of his native community would receive primary care at the level of leading institutions in big cities. And he did a lot for this – together with the community authorities. In 2018, he began to create such an institution for the patient almost from scratch: there was no staff, equipment, Internet connection, computers, and the building, a historical monument of 1891, had not been repaired in the last 50 years and was in a state of disrepair .

Today, the Bilopol Center of Primavera concluded contracts with the National Health Service for the amount of more than UAH 14 million. The institution is fully equipped with computers and Internet connection. And his patients make an appointment using a special mobile application. And also – they use the services of a modern call center. And the Bilopol facility, despite the age of the building, meets all the requirements for ensuring access to groups of the population with reduced mobility. By the way, the head of Bilopolska Primary School himself is constantly studying in order to effectively manage a medical institution. He graduated from the Lviv Business School, the Leaders for Health course and the pre-MBA “Business” program of the MIM (International Institute of Management, Kyiv) business school.

These people are not building a monument to themselves in the system, but a system that serves people. And it is very important that such leadership in the medical field is communicated and supported at the highest state level. That it is such people who go out and receive awards on the biggest public holiday. This is a reference point and vector for development for everyone who is currently changing and developing Ukrainian hospitals. Makes them patient friendly.