Volyn Ukrainian-American Health Center

The Volyn Ukrainian-American Health Center was opened on April 26, 1999 due in large part to the valuable support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Volyn Regional State Administration at the Volyn Regional Children's Territorial Medical Center. The Director of the Center is the Honoured Physician of Ukraine Hryhoriy Volodymyrovych Vashchylin, M.D. Ph: (38)-0332-712852, (38)-03322-56171 Ph/fax: (38)-03322-56237 E-mail: bdp_lutsk@fk.lutsk.ua

In the ultrasound diagnosis room The Center started its work with the realization of the Chornobyl Childhood Illness Program (CCIP). Fourteen years have already passed since the disaster, but Chornobyl is still the main factor in the daily life of millions of Ukrainians. CCIP has the task of screening for thyroid gland cancer and doing psychological screenings of children who are the victims of the Chornobyl accident. The research is being carried out among those children born between 1980 and 1989. Those children are considered to have suffered worst of all from the devastating effects of radioactive iodine in 1986. Using a minibus equipped with mobile ultrasound diagnostic equipment, mobile teams consisting of specialists in ultrasound diagnosing and psychology ensure the complete and regular screening of children throughout the entire Volyn region. The project also fosters teaching Ukrainian physicians the most contemporary achievements in the diagnosis and treatment of thyroid cancer in children, as well as teaching our psychologists the best methods of rehabilitating children with psychological trauma.

At the end of 1999 the realization of the Ukrainian-American Birth Defects Program (UABDP) began at the Center. The UABDP has as its aims to:

• establish a birth defects surveillance system based on international standards;
• contribute to the better care and prevention of birth defects;
• contribute to the creation of a Ukrainian Alliance for the Prevention of Birth Defects.

In the Information Center

The UABDP has established an active educational system for physicians, nurses, and the general public concerning questions of birth defects prevention in children. Early in 2000 an Information Center was opened at the Ukrainian-American Health Center. It has modern computer equipment and access to a fast digital Internet connection (ISDN) that allows quick and quality providing applying to the Center persons with medical information. Moreover, the Center has the capability to give Internet access to center visitors having browsing and searching skills. The Information Center also carries out publishing work, producing various educational flyers, booklets, books and special recommendations for physicians are printed. The Center specialists have a good command of English, Russian and Ukrainian, which gives a good possibility to translate and pre-publish a large variety of informational materials including books. Lastly, the Information Center has established a base for teaching medical specialists the latest methods of diagnosing and treating birth defects as well as up-to-date birth defects surveillance methods.

Today, the Ukrainian-American Health Center has the capability to perform tele-consultations of complicated cases with leading Ukrainian and international specialists. We now have all the necessary equipment, specialists, and conditions here.