The conference took place on April 24, 2026. We look forward to seeing you in 2027!
Every year, the international charitable organization Ronald McDonald House Ukraine holds the All-Ukrainian Family-Centered Care Conference for hospital staff providing medical care to children. This year, the conference was held with the support of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, the National Health Service of Ukraine, and the NHSU Academy.
The event was held under the theme “Efficiency and Stability of Hospital Operations in Times of Crisis” and was dedicated to issues of resilience, efficiency, and development of children’s hospitals in Ukraine during prolonged crises, including wartime challenges, systemic transformations in healthcare, and growing needs of families with children.
The conference is valuable for: heads of departments, physicians, nurses, and nursing staff of children’s hospitals and pediatric departments of adult hospitals, heads of regional and city health departments, students and faculty of medical educational institutions, members of children’s hospital supervisory boards, journalists, and all those involved in shaping policy and financing healthcare at the national, regional, or community level. The conference is an important annual professional platform for exchanging experience, ideas, motivation, and inspiration.
We invite you to watch the conference recording:
8:30-9:00
We invite you to welcome coffee and networking during this time
9:00-9:20
Welcome Address
“Family-Centered Care in 2026: Resilience and Development”
Galyna Solovey, Director of Ronald McDonald House Charities Ukraine
9:20-9:40
Communication as a Clinical Tool in Times of Ongoing Crisis: The Long-Term Impact of Physician Words, Partnership with Parents, and Working with Trauma
Nanon Labrie (Netherlands), researcher in language and communication, particularly in interactions between parents and healthcare professionals in pediatrics and neonatology.
9:40-10:00
Telemedicine in Pediatric Care During Crises: Supporting Families in Hospital and Home Care
Michal Štybnar (Czech Republic), Project Manager, University Hospital Olomouc and National Telemedicine Center
10:00-10:20
Reflection and Coffee Break
10:20-10:40
Ethical Communication in Medical Teams: Empathy, Soft Skills Development, and Effective Interaction. Audience Interaction
Ihor Zastavnyi, co-founder and family doctor at svoi.ridni, Associate Professor at the UCU School of Public Management
10:40-11:00
Financial and Operational Resilience of a Medical Institution During Transformations: Management Experience of the National Cancer Institute
Stepan Krulko, General Director of the State Non-Profit Enterprise “National Cancer Institute”
11:00-11:20
Center of Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery: Continuity of Critical Care in Wartime
Andriy Maksymenko, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Head of the Department of Pediatric Interventional Cardiology, Deputy Medical Director, State Institution “Center of Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine”
11:20-11:40
Infection Control in Children’s Hospitals
Yuliia Stas, Head of the Infection Control Department of the National Cancer Institute, epidemiologist
11:40-12:00
Patient Experience Management as a Key Element of Ensuring Quality Medical Care
Yuliia Volodina-Brykulska, Chair of the public organization “Medical Leaders”
12:00-13:00
Lunch Break
13:00-13:20
The Future of Children’s Hospitals in Ukraine: The Role of the State and NHSU Support for Family-Centered Care
Nataliia Husak, Head of the National Health Service of Ukraine
13:20-13:40
Legal Safety of Healthcare Professionals: Preventing Conflicts and Responding to Patient Complaints
Radmyla Hrevtsova, attorney, Candidate of Legal Sciences, Associate Professor, Vice-Rector for Academic and Public Health Affairs at Kyiv Medical University, member of the Board of Directors and Chair of the Professional Practice Committee of the World Association for Medical Law
13:40-14:10
Development of Family-Centered Services in Children’s Hospitals in Ukraine: Experience, Challenges, and Prospects. Panel discussion moderated by Halyna Solovey
Oleksandr Urin, General Director of the National Children’s Specialized Hospital “Okhmatdyt” of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine
Iryna Pastushchenko, Deputy Director for Quality Management at the Yuriy Semeniuk Rivne Regional Clinical Hospital
Zoryana Furtak, Head of the Department of Medical Rehabilitation for Premature and Young Children at Lviv Perinatal Center
14:10-14:50
Leadership in Healthcare: How to Support Teams and Make Decisions in Conditions of Instability
Matvii Khrenov, co-founder of the Ukrainian Healthcare Center (UHC)
14:50-15:10
Coffee Break
15:10-15:40
Leadership in Implementing a Family-Centered Approach: From Training Program to Changes in Practice
Kateryna Komar, Master of Nursing, Candidate of Medical Sciences, Associate Professor, Master of Public Administration, Director of the State Institution “Center for Nursing Development” of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine
15:40-16:10
Children’s Hospital Fundraising: Attracting Resources for Resilience, Development, and Family Support
Taras Melnyk, Chief Physician of Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Children’s Clinical Hospital
16:10-16:30
Person-Centered Medicine: Values as a Strategic Foundation
Yaryna Pikulytska, founder and director of Vulyk Family Clinic, Doctor of Bioethics, pediatrician
16:30-17:00
Combating Exhaustion and Professional Burnout of Healthcare Professionals: Practical Tools for Support and Self-Preservation
Anastasiia Khodan, family physician, co-founder and medical director at svoi.ridni, lecturer at UCU Business School and master trainer under the mhGAP program
17:00-17:10
Conference Closing, Feedback Form Completion
Director of Ronald McDonald House Charities Ukraine
Master of Nursing, Candidate of Medical Sciences, Associate Professor, Master of Public Administration, Director of the State Institution “Center for Nursing Development” of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine
Chair of the public organization “Medical Leaders”
Head of the National Health Service of Ukraine
researcher in language and communication, particularly in interactions between parents and healthcare professionals in pediatrics and neonatology
General Director of the National Children’s Specialized Hospital “Okhmatdyt” of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine
Project Manager, University Hospital Olomouc and National Telemedicine Center
founder and director of Vulyk Family Clinic, Doctor of Bioethics, pediatrician
General Director of the National Cancer Institute
co-founder of the Ukrainian Healthcare Center (UHC)
Head of the Infection Control Department of the National Cancer Institute, epidemiologist
Deputy Director for Quality Management of Rivne Regional Clinical Hospital named after Yurii Semeniuk
family physician, co-founder and board member of the public organization “Academy of Family Medicine of Ukraine,” co-owner at svoi.ridni
family physician, co-founder and medical director at svoi.ridni, lecturer at UCU Business School and master trainer under the mhGAP program
Chief Physician of Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Children’s Clinical Hospital
journalist, editor. Worked at Detector Media, Ukrainska Pravda. Zhyttia, LB.ua
Doctor of Medical Sciences, Head of the Department of Pediatric Interventional Cardiology, Deputy Medical Director, State Institution “Center of Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine”
Head of the Department of Medical Rehabilitation for Premature and Young Children at Lviv Perinatal Center
attorney, Candidate of Legal Sciences, Associate Professor, Vice-Rector for Academic and Public Health Affairs at Kyiv Medical University, member of the Board of Directors and Chair of the Professional Practice Committee of the World Association for Medical Law
At the conference, you will hear how leading Ukrainian and international experts find working solutions for hospitals providing medical care to children. We will address the following topics:
– a systemic view of the future of children’s hospitals in Ukraine and the role of state financial mechanisms,
– practical management experience of financial and operational stability of a medical institution during transformations,
– communication as a clinical tool in conditions of ongoing crises,
– issues of telemedicine in pediatric care and its role in supporting families during crises,
– how to build fundraising that ensures institutional resilience and development, and how to launch case management without overburdening the team,
– application of leadership tools,
– how to strengthen the role of nurses,
– ethical team communication and burnout prevention, and much more—everything that will help your hospital work more efficiently, confidently, and with higher quality every day.
The conference will be of interest to: heads of departments, physicians, nurses, and nursing staff of children’s hospitals and pediatric departments of adult hospitals, heads of regional and city health departments, students and faculty of medical educational institutions, members of children’s hospital supervisory boards, journalists, and all those involved in shaping policy and financing healthcare at the national, regional, or community level.
Ronald McDonald House Ukraine is a charitable non-profit organization that creates and supports programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children and their families. The global network consists of more than 260 chapters in 62 countries and regions and has existed since 1974. It is a catalyst for the development of a family-centered approach in the treatment of children through programs, education, and access to quality healthcare. Every year, the Foundation organizes all-Ukrainian family-centered care conferences for the medical community, training sessions in medical institutions, and video courses. The main program in Ukraine is Ronald McDonald House Family Rooms in 6 hospitals, so that parents can be close to their children during treatment. With the onset of war, the organization launched humanitarian aid programs and has provided support worth more than 140 million UAH. It plans to open the first Ronald McDonald House in Ukraine, which will provide comfort, support, and resources for families with hospitalized children on the territory of the National Children’s Specialized Hospital Okhmatdyt of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine.
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