Advancing Ukraine's Healthcare with Leading Academic Medical Institutions

Nearly 100,000 amputations in Ukraine (as of mid-2024) require immediate and long-term prosthetic solutions. The current pace of manufacturing and provision will take over 10 years to equip those in need. To address this critical challenge, we have joined with Baylor College of Medicine Global Health (BCM) and Texas Children's Hospital (TCH) through the leadership of Michael Mizwa; Mission for Ukraine LLC and Partners from Czech Republic and Poland in their ongoing efforts to efficiently and swiftly enhance prosthetics care in Ukraine.

The neurosurgery initiative focuses on addressing the surge of war-related neurosurgical/neurological trauma in Ukraine. This partnership with Memorial Hermann Hospital Mischer Neuroscience Institute, led by Dr. Mark Dannenbaum, aims to enhance the capabilities of Ukrainian neurosurgeons in treating traumatic brain injuries (TBI), spinal injuries, and nerve damage. GMKA’s vision is to expand on the outstanding current work being done with Memorial Hermann. Together we are exploring the establishment of a Center of Excellence.

The nursing initiative aims to transform nursing education and practice in Ukraine. This partnership with Houston Methodist Hospital led by Shannan K. Hamlin, PhD, RN, aims to enhance the capabilities of Ukrainian nurses. The program is designed to address urgent nursing gaps identified through a comprehensive needs assessment, with a targeted approach to upskilling Ukrainian nurses in key areas such as ICU management, infection control, wound care, ostomy care, basic life support, and trauma care.

The oncology initiative seeks to enhance the quality of cancer care, addressing the acute and long-term oncology needs identified through extensive assessments by leveraging the expertise of MD Anderson Cancer Center. The initiative focuses on crucial aspects, such as palliative treatment, symptom management, patient education, multidisciplinary tumor boards, and the development of standardized protocols, improving patient outcomes and easing the burden on the healthcare system.

HealUA unites Ukrainian physicians with each other and experts worldwide to facilitate a fast and efficient exchange of experiences. Physicians can discuss medical cases of different complexity and receive clinical management consultations.

Through an observership program, we provide an opportunity for medical practitioners from Ukrainian medical institutions to develop transferrable medical skills via observerships at Harvard-affiliated hospitals. Invited scholars study with committed mentors typically for 1-3 months, developing knowledge and skills necessary to advance capacity for improved medical care and services in Ukraine.

Our research initiative unites the efforts of researchers, physicians, residents, and students from the USA, Ukraine, and Europe in various specialties. Our mission is to empower healthcare providers with the knowledge and application of scientific methods to improve outcomes. We explore emergent challenges in Ukrainian healthcare to define areas for improvement and develop data-driven strategies.

The Quality and Safety initiative aims to transform and advance Ukrainian hospitals. We strive to improve the healthcare system by collecting and analyzing data, implementing international practice guidelines, increasing the safety of medical interventions, optimizing healthcare organization, enhancing interaction among medical personnel, and creating educational resources for patients.