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Summer School "Administration in a transformed health care system in Ukraine"

 

 

In June, 18-22 2014, the First Summer School for health care leaders "Administration in a transformed health care system in Ukraine" has taken the place in the Carpathian Mountains in Ukraine. This educational event has been jointly initiated by the School of Public Health, National University of "Kyiv-Mohyla Academy" and Ukrainian - Swiss "Mother and Child Health" Programme.


The project is supported by leading international organizations - the World Bank, World Health Organization (WHO), UN Children's Fund UNICEF, Swiss Tropical & Public Health Institute. The financial support of the Summer School 2014 has been provided by Swiss Cooperation Office in Ukraine. Summer School 2014 has also been officially supported by the Ministry of Health of Ukraine – participants have received credits and certificates signed personally by the Minister of Health.

 


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The mission of the Summer School is to support the processes of modernization and reforming of Ukrainian health care sector by creating a platform for learning and communication specifically aimed at health care leaders who are willing to support changes in the sector.  According to Natalia Riabtseva, PIO head of Ukrainian - Swiss "Mother and Child Health" Programme and member of Summer School organizational committee: "the idea of the Summer school on health care administration is to create a critical mass of people in the medical community who would be inclined to perform a real reform. There are a lot of discussion about health care reforms,  but in practice changes are not accepted,  especially among health care community. Therefore, we aim to gradually - year by year,- to form a group of managers of all levels, full of initiative, who would be devoted to the idea of transformation and would become its agents in their workplaces. "

This year, because of the revolutionary and military events in Ukraine, it was difficult to conduct a full campaign to attract participants. Nevertheless, in three open-for-application weeks  43 applications were received: applicants were from 12 regions of Ukraine, mostly participants represented state health care facilities, but there were also applicants from private facilities, NGOs and health care governmental bodies.  Scientific Board and organizational committee had to select 20 participants from the list of applicants.

In order to ensure multi-perspective teaching approach, organizational committee invited lecturers with regard to the need of mix international experience and Ukrainian context, practical and expert areas, health care and business sectors. Most of invited speakers readily agreed to make an intellectual contribution to the content of Summer school 2014: Paolo Belli (Leading Economist, World Bank), Andriy Huk (expert on Ukrainian health care policy and organisation ), Victor Galaida (expert on health care financing), Axel Hoffmann and Martin Raab (Swiss Tropical & Public Health Institute), Kateryna Bulavinova (UNICEF),  Oksana Shchehelska (Director of Strategic Consulting Group and lecturer of Kyiv-Mohyla Business School) Oleg Petrenko (first vice-head of Oberig private clinics and School of Public Health’s master program graduate of 2006 ) and other experts.

The program of the Summer School was built on the principle "from the general issues – to specific." First, topics related to general health care system organization and financing as well as its reforms have been presented. Separately, we dealt with the context of health care system of Ukraine. After that, participants had a chance to be involved in the educational activities linked to facility-level administration: Human Resource Management, Quality Management, eHealth etc. To integrate the pieces of knowledge provided within Summer School, all participants have prepared practical projects for their real health care organizations. The aim of the project was to suggest a project of changes for health care facility or department while one group of participants have developed the project of change for health care system of Ukraine.

Taking into account the feedback of participants, the most interesting topic was Ukrainian health care system, its organization and other peculiarities. It has only emphasized the success of organizational decision which also met expectations of participants. Health care leaders, being a part of health care system of Ukraine, are experiencing acute need for information on system organization of the whole as well as on its reforms.

Apparently, given a short-time format of the Summer School speakers and organizers could not provide health care leaders with a full education on health care management. However, participants have got an idea of organization of modern civilized health care system, what is the path to system organization, and how administration of one health care facility looks like.

Highly esteemed by participants, speakers and organizers and donors Summer School confirms all-parties intention to continue development of this successful project in the coming years. In 2015 it is planned to extend both the format and the scope of the Summer School. For example, specific studying topics will be deepen due to the format of two-three-day courses. Also, our audience will be extended: not only health care facility managers but also public administrators will be invited to participate in the event. Given the wide publicity and popularity of the project in 2014, an early registration for 2015 Summer School will be opened soon.

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