The war in Ukraine has forced families and doctors to deal with unprecedented and constant stress.

Parents are living in persistent fear for the lives of their children, families and close ones as well as the threat of losing their homes and native land. Doctors are working in extraordinarily tense conditions: trying to save the lives of children under shelling and healing them from terrible wounds and burns. And everyone is dealing with an outdated health system that doesn’t support a partnership between doctors and families of sick and injured children.

Having learned from RMHC co-founder, Dr. Audrey Evans that having the entire family involved in the care of a hospitalized child improves outcomes, the goal of RMHC Ukraine has been to be a catalyst and a facilitator for the implementation of Family-Centered Care (FCC) principles across Ukraine.

The Chapter determined that they must educate medical students if they hope to achieve their goal and spent several months partnering with the best experts to design a FCC curriculum, In 2023, implemented the curriculum in the 2nd largest medical University in Ukraine.

The course is mandatory for 4th year medical students and includes both practical skills and theoretical knowledge:

• FCC integration in healthcare delivery.
• The legal and ethical frameworks regulating patient rights.
• Lessons on effective communication between healthcare professionals, patients, and their families.

The project has received highly positive feedback from experts, students and teachers. RMHC Ukraine is working to expand the curriculum to other medical universities across the country and the model is also being adapted by other RMHC Chapters.

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