Ulana Suprun

Ukrainian-American physician, activist
Ulana Suprun
Acting Minister of Healthcare
In office
27 July 2016 – 29 August 2019
Prime MinisterVolodymyr Groysman
Preceded byViktor Shafransky (Acting)
Succeeded byZoriana Skaletska
Deputy Minister of Healthcare
In office
22 July 2016 – 27 July 2016
Prime MinisterVolodymyr Groysman
Personal details
Born
Ulana Nadia Jurkiw

(1963-01-30) 30 January 1963 (age 61)
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Citizenship
SpouseMarko Suprun
Residence(s)Kyiv, Ukraine
Alma materWayne State University (BS)
Michigan State University College of Human Medicine (MD)

Ulana Nadia Suprun (Ukrainian: Уляна Надія Супрун, romanized: Ulyana Nadiya Suprun; née Jurkiw (Юрків, Yurkiv); born 30 January 1963) is a Ukrainian-American physician, activist, and philanthropist who served as the acting Minister of Healthcare from 2016 to 2019. Prior to her government career, Suprun served as Director of Humanitarian Initiatives for the Ukrainian World Congress.

Suprun is the founder of the nongovernmental organization Patriot Defence, which is devoted to developing tactical and emergency medical care in Ukraine. After moving from the United States to Ukraine in 2013, she was appointed Director of the School of Rehabilitation Medicine at Ukrainian Catholic University and became an advisor to the Committee on Health of the Verkhovna Rada in 2015. On 22 July 2016, she was nominated First Deputy Minister of Healthcare by Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman; the nomination was supported by President Petro Poroshenko and confirmed by the Cabinet of Ministers. A week after taking office as Deputy Minister, Suprun was elevated to acting Minister of Healthcare due to the position's longstanding vacancy.

Ukrainian citizenship was conferred upon Suprun by Poroshenko in July 2015 and Ukraine's Immigration Service has repeatedly stated that her citizenship status is not under question.[1]

Early life and education

Suprun was born on 30 January 1963 in Detroit, Michigan to parents George Harry and Zenovia Jurkiw, of Ukrainian descent. She has a sister named Lydia.[2] Suprun attended Immaculate Conception Ukrainian Catholic School in Warren, Michigan. In her youth, Suprun was a member of Plast.[3] After finishing high school, Suprun enrolled in Wayne State University in Detroit. She graduated with a bachelors of science degree in biology in 1985.

Following her graduation from university, Suprun attended Michigan State University College of Human Medicine in East Lansing, Michigan, where she graduated with her Doctor of Medicine degree in 1989.[4] Afterwards, Suprun completed her intermediate residency with the Oakwood Health System in Detroit, and later worked as a diagnostic radiology resident at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City.[5] From 1994 to 1995, Suprun undertook postgraduate research in mammography and tomographic radiology at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.[6] She is board certified in radiology.

Career

Suprun speaking in Toronto in 2015.

In 1995, Suprun began working at a women's medical imaging center in New York City. She left this position in 1999, after being named acting Director of Women's Imaging at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.[7] In 2000, she returned to the New York medical imaging center when she became deputy chief physician-radiologist. Suprun later became deputy medical director and partner at the medical center. She left the position in 2009.[4]

While in the United States, Suprun was active in a number of medical and Ukrainian-American organizations. She has served as a member of the supervisory boards of the First Volunteer Mobile Hospital (FVMH) and the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (1990–present), as director of the Council of Humanitarian Aid for Ukrainians (UCCA) from 1997 to 1999, and as president of the Ukrainian American Civil Liberties Association from 2000 to 2009.[4]

In 2013, Suprun and her husband left the United States and moved to Ukraine. They became active in the 2014 Ukrainian revolution, and Suprun performed medical procedures for those injured during Euromaidan.[8][9] This led to her being named Director of Humanitarian Initiatives for the Ukrainian World Congress.[10] Suprun later founded Patriot Defence, a nongovernmental organization (NGO) that provides tactical medical training and distributes NATO first aid kits to Ukrainian servicemen.[11][12][13] Following her work during Euromaidan, Suprun became the founder and was appointed director of the School of Rehabilitation Medicine at Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv.[14][15]

Minister of Healthcare

Suprun speaking before the Verkhovna Rada in 2018.

On 12 July 2016, President Petro Poroshenko announced his support for a proposal by Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman to appoint Suprun as First Deputy Minister of Healthcare.[16][17][18] She had previously been serving as an advisor to the Committee on Health of the Verkhovna Rada since 2015.[19] After serving for a week, Suprun was elevated to the position of acting Minister of Healthcare.[20][21][22][23] She was succeeded as Deputy Minister by Pavlo Kovtonyuk, Oleksandr Linchevsky, and Oksana Syvak.[24]

On 30 November 2016, ten resolutions regarding laying the foundations for reforming the Ukrainian healthcare system, as well as resolving operational issues in the management of the medical sector were adopted by the Government.[25] Specifically, the resolutions focused on healthcare financing reform, development of a national health strategy, establishment of hospital districts, approving of licensing conditions for the conduct of economic activities for the production of medicinal products, as well as two resolutions which allocated more than 867 million to healthcare reform.[26]

On 1 April 2017, the Government and the Ministry of Healthcare launched the Affordable Medicines program, and allocated ₴500 million to the program. Through the program, patients would receive medications for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and bronchial asthma for free or with a small surcharge.[27] By that July, 6,179 pharmacies had begun taking part in the program. By August, the program was allocated an additional ₴20 million for further growth.[28] On 8 June 2017, the Verkhovna Rada adopted the Draft-Law #6327, which would introduce a new model of financing the healthcare system in Ukraine.[29] On 19 October, the Verkhovna Rada passed the law on its second reading. It went into effect on 30 January 2018.[30]

After being conferred Ukrainian citizenship, and submitting all necessary paperwork in compliance with Ukrainian law, Ukraine's immigration service has confirmed several times that her citizenship status does not violate Ukrainian law. Ihor Mosiychuk, a former deputy of the Verkhovna Rada, filed a nuisance case against Suprun which argued that she could no longer remain an acting minister for more than a month due to concerns around her citizenship status. On 5 February 2019, a Kiev court ruled that Suprun could not sign documents but could remain an acting minister because of this.[31] On 14 February, the court reversed their own decision, allowing Suprun to continue serving as acting Minister of Healthcare. Mosiychuk's case has since been dismissed.[32]

Critics opposed to the medical reforms began referring to Suprun derogatorily, employing the moniker Dr. Death (Ukrainian: лікар-смерть). It continues to reappear in several websites.[33][34][35][36] the position on 29 August 2019, after Zoriana Skaletska was appointed Minister of Healthcare in the Honcharuk Government.[37]

Personal life

On 11 July 2016, Ukrainian citizenship was conferred upon Suprun and her husband by President Petro Poroshenko. Poroshenko stated that her "efforts saved thousands of lives", and that the decree awarding citizenship were deemed "in the state's best interests".[38]

References

  1. ^ "Poroshenko confirms that Suprun has Ukrainian citizenship". Interfax-Ukraine. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  2. ^ "George Jurkiw | Ukrainian Catholic Education Foundation". ucef.org. Retrieved 2018-11-08.
  3. ^ "Ulana Suprun about modernization of the army, the nation and Ukraine - Patriot Defence". Patriot Defence. Retrieved 2016-07-27.
  4. ^ a b c "Ulana N. Suprun, M.D." en.moz.gov.ua. Retrieved 2019-02-05.
  5. ^ "Ulana Suprun | Mount Sinai - New York". Mount Sinai Health System. Retrieved 2018-11-08.
  6. ^ "National Provider Identifiers Registry, 1629119458 ULANA SUPRUN" (PDF). Retrieved May 21, 2021.
  7. ^ "Dr. Ulana Suprun, MD – New York, NY | Radiology on Doximity". Doximity. Retrieved 2019-01-23.
  8. ^ "Former Hamtramck woman inspired to aid Ukraine's fight to remain free". 31 January 2012. Retrieved 2016-07-27.
  9. ^ "Засновницю проекту "Захист патріотів" призначено консультантом комітету ВР з питань охорони здоров'я". Retrieved 2016-07-27.
  10. ^ "UCC WELCOMES ADDITIONAL SUPPORT BY CANADA FOR UKRAINE". Ukrainian Canadian Congress. 2015-01-27. Retrieved 2016-07-27.
  11. ^ "Our team - Patriot Defence". Patriot Defence. Retrieved 2016-07-27.
  12. ^ Contributor, About the Source Euromaidan Press (2014-07-07). "Support the initiative "Patriot Defence" to save lives of Ukrainian soldiers who defend their motherland -". Euromaidan Press. Retrieved 2016-08-01. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  13. ^ "Project: Patriot Defence". www.ukrainianworldcongress.org. Retrieved 2016-08-01.
  14. ^ "УКУ відкриває Школу реабілітаційної медицини". UCU. Retrieved 2019-01-23.
  15. ^ "Ulana Suprun: UCU's School of Rehabilitation Medicine Will Be a World-Class Program to Prepare Specialists | Ukrainian Catholic University". ucu.edu.ua. Retrieved 2016-07-27.
  16. ^ "President offered volunteer Ulana Suprun to become Deputy Minister of Health". Official website of the President of Ukraine. Retrieved 2019-01-23.
  17. ^ "Ukrainian American radiologist tapped as Ukraine's deputy minister of health". Ukrainian Weekly. July 2016.
  18. ^ Getto, Michael (2016-10-25). "The Doctor Is In: Ukraine's New Health Minister Already Shaking Up Sclerotic System". Atlantic Council.
  19. ^ "Директора гуманітарних ініціатив Світового Конгресу Українів Уляну Супрун призначено Консультантом парламентського Комітету з питань охорони здоров'я". bogomolets.com. Retrieved 2016-07-27.
  20. ^ "Ulana N. Suprun, M.D." en.moz.gov.ua. Retrieved 2018-11-08.
  21. ^ "Ukrainian Cabinet appoints Suprun as acting health minister". Retrieved 2016-07-27.
  22. ^ "Suprun appointed acting health minister". Retrieved 2016-07-27.
  23. ^ "В.о. міністра охорони здоров'я отримала карт-бланш – Розенко". Українська правда (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2019-01-23.
  24. ^ "Нова команда МОЗ: хто є хто". LB.ua. Retrieved 2019-01-23.
  25. ^ Kitsoft. "Кабінет Міністрів України - Уряд ухвалив 10 постанов, які кардинально вплинуть на діяльність системи охорони здоров'я". www.kmu.gov.ua (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2019-01-23.
  26. ^ Volodymyr Groysman (2016-11-30). "Концепція реформи фінансування охорони здоров'я". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  27. ^ "Affordable Medicines". en.moz.gov.ua. Retrieved 2019-01-23.
  28. ^ "МОЗ оновило перелік препаратів у ... :: Публікації :: МОЗ України". old.moz.gov.ua. Retrieved 2019-01-23.
  29. ^ "Офіційний портал Верховної Ради України". w1.c1.rada.gov.ua. Retrieved 16 February 2019.
  30. ^ "Про державні фінансові гарантії медичного обслуговування населення" [On State Financial Guarantees of Public Health Care]. zakon5.rada.gov.ua. Retrieved 2019-01-23.
  31. ^ "Kyiv Court Says U.S.-Born Suprun Can No Longer Head Health Ministry". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 5 February 2019.
  32. ^ "Kyiv's court rules to reinstate Suprun as Ukraine's Acting Health Minister". UNIAN. 14 February 2019.
  33. ^ "Откуда у Супрун прозвище "Доктор Смерть"". 24 Канал. Retrieved May 21, 2021.
  34. ^ "Зеленский нервно смеялся: Супрун ответила на шутку-намек президента про "доктора смерть"". ukranews_com. Jun 5, 2019. Retrieved May 21, 2021.
  35. ^ "Доктор Смерть: звідки це прізвисько у Супрун і як його підхопив Зеленський, відео". uaportal.com. 5 June 2019. Retrieved May 21, 2021.
  36. ^ Raczkiewycz, Mark (7 June 2019). "In Brussels, Zelenskyy underscores Ukraine's course toward NATO and the European Union". The Ukrainian Weekly. Retrieved May 21, 2021.
  37. ^ "Health minister Skaletska: first we need to work out emergency medical service, transplant surgery". Interfax-Ukraine. September 4, 2019. Retrieved September 12, 2019.
  38. ^ "Poroshenko grants Ukrainian citizenship to Ulana and Marko Suprun of the U.S." 17 July 2015. Retrieved 2016-07-27.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ulana Suprun.
  • Patriot Defence website
  • Personal website
Political offices
Preceded by
Viktor Shafransky
Minister of Healthcare
Acting

2016–2019
Succeeded by
Authority control databases Edit this at Wikidata
International
  • VIAF
National
  • Poland