surgeon In modern medicine, a surgeon is a medical professional who performs surgery. Although there are different traditions in different times and places, a modern surgeon usually is also a licensed physician or received the same medical training as ...

oncologist Oncology is a branch of medicine that deals with the study, treatment, diagnosis and prevention of cancer. A medical professional who practices oncology is an ''oncologist''. The name's etymological origin is the Greek word ὄγκος (''ó ...

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...

Kharkiv, Ukraine Kharkiv ( uk, Ха́рків, ), also known as Kharkov (russian: Харькoв, ), is the second-largest city and municipality in Ukraine.

Yuliya Svitlychna Yuliya Svitlychna ( uk, Юлія Олександрівна Світлична, born 6 June 1984, Kharkiv) is a Ukrainian politician. In a 2019 Ukrainian parliamentary election by-election on 15 March 2020 Svitlychna was elected to Ukraine's parl ...

Kharkiv Oblast Council The Kharkiv Oblast Council ( uk, Харківська обласна рада) is the regional oblast council (parliament) of the Kharkiv Oblast (province) located in eastern Ukraine. The council is composed of 120 members and is situated in the o ...

Kharkiv, Ukraine Kharkiv ( uk, Ха́рків, ), also known as Kharkov (russian: Харькoв, ), is the second-largest city and municipality in Ukraine.

senior research fellow A research fellow is an academic research position at a university or a similar research institution, usually for Academic rank, academic staff or faculty members. A research fellow may act either as an independent investigator or under the super ...

leading researcher Research is "creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge". It involves the collection, organization and analysis of evidence to increase understanding of a topic, characterized by a particular attentiveness t ...

Doctor of Sciences Doctor of Sciences ( rus, доктор наук, p=ˈdoktər nɐˈuk, abbreviated д-р наук or д. н.; uk, доктор наук; bg, доктор на науките; be, доктар навук) is a higher doctoral degree in the Russi ...

oncology Oncology is a branch of medicine that deals with the study, treatment, diagnosis and prevention of cancer. A medical professional who practices oncology is an ''oncologist''. The name's etymological origin is the Greek word ὄγκος (''ó ...

Kharkiv National Medical University Kharkiv National Medical University ( uk, Харківський національний медичний університет), formerly known as Kharkiv Medical Institute and previously Kharkiv State Medical University, is a medical univer ...

CEO A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...

Kharkiv Oblast Council The Kharkiv Oblast Council ( uk, Харківська обласна рада) is the regional oblast council (parliament) of the Kharkiv Oblast (province) located in eastern Ukraine. The council is composed of 120 members and is situated in the o ...

Verkhovna Rada The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine ( uk, Верхо́вна Ра́да Украї́ни, translit=, Verkhovna Rada Ukrainy, translation=Supreme Council of Ukraine, Ukrainian abbreviation ''ВРУ''), often simply Verkhovna Rada or just Rada, is the ...

Iryna Sysoyenko Iryna Sysoyenko ( uk, Ірина Володимирівна Сисоєнко; born March 6, 1982) is a Ukrainian politician and lawyer. She is a former National Deputy of the Verkhovna Rada (Parliament of Ukraine) representing the Samopomich (S ...

Governor of Kharkiv Oblast The Governor of Kharkiv Oblast ( uk, Голова Харківської обласної державної адміністрації) is the head of executive branch for the Kharkiv Oblast. The office of Governor is an appointed position, wit ...

Yuliya Svitlychna Yuliya Svitlychna ( uk, Юлія Олександрівна Світлична, born 6 June 1984, Kharkiv) is a Ukrainian politician. In a 2019 Ukrainian parliamentary election by-election on 15 March 2020 Svitlychna was elected to Ukraine's parl ...

Kharkiv Oblast Council The Kharkiv Oblast Council ( uk, Харківська обласна рада) is the regional oblast council (parliament) of the Kharkiv Oblast (province) located in eastern Ukraine. The council is composed of 120 members and is situated in the o ...

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...

Kharkiv, Ukraine Kharkiv ( uk, Ха́рків, ), also known as Kharkov (russian: Харькoв, ), is the second-largest city and municipality in Ukraine.

honors Honour (or honor in American English) is the quality of being honorable. Honor or Honour may also refer to: People * Honor (given name), a unisex given name * Brian Honour (born 1964), English footballer and manager * Gareth Honor (born 1979) ...

Kharkiv National Medical University Kharkiv National Medical University ( uk, Харківський національний медичний університет), formerly known as Kharkiv Medical Institute and previously Kharkiv State Medical University, is a medical univer ...

internship An internship is a period of work experience offered by an organization for a limited period of time. Once confined to medical graduates, internship is used practice for a wide range of placements in businesses, non-profit organizations and gover ...

Kharkiv Kharkiv ( uk, wikt:Харків, Ха́рків, ), also known as Kharkov (russian: Харькoв, ), is the second-largest List of cities in Ukraine, city and List of hromadas of Ukraine, municipality in Ukraine.Valky, Ukraine (

distance education Distance education, also known as distance learning, is the education of students who may not always be physically present at a school, or where the learner and the teacher are separated in both time and distance. Traditionally, this usually in ...

). In 2008, Skoryi graduated early from the Institute of General and Urgent Surgery of the NMAU in

Kharkiv, Ukraine Kharkiv ( uk, Ха́рків, ), also known as Kharkov (russian: Харькoв, ), is the second-largest city and municipality in Ukraine.

. Upon his graduation, he acquired the

Candidate of Sciences Candidate of Sciences (russian: кандидат наук, translit=kandidat nauk) is the first of two doctoral level scientific degrees in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States. It is formally classified as UNESCO's ISCED level 8, "do ...

degree, which is the first of the two scientific degrees in some post-

Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

countries and may be recognized as the

Doctor of Philosophy degree A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is ...

. In 2013, Skoryi acquired his Doctorate in Sciences degree, which is a higher doctoral degree and the highest of the two scientific degrees in some post-Soviet countries.

Career

Medical and teaching career (2004–present)

From 2004 to 2005, Skoryi worked as a surgeon in the Central Hospital in Valky, Ukraine. In 2005, he transferred to the Institute of General and Urgent Surgery of the National Medical Academy of Ukraine (NMAU) ( uk, Інститут загальної та невідкладної хірургії Академії Медичних Наук України) in

Kharkiv, Ukraine Kharkiv ( uk, Ха́рків, ), also known as Kharkov (russian: Харькoв, ), is the second-largest city and municipality in Ukraine.

, where he worked in this capacity until 2008. In 2008–2013, Skoryi was a

senior research fellow A research fellow is an academic research position at a university or a similar research institution, usually for Academic rank, academic staff or faculty members. A research fellow may act either as an independent investigator or under the super ...

and in 2013–2016, a

leading researcher Research is "creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge". It involves the collection, organization and analysis of evidence to increase understanding of a topic, characterized by a particular attentiveness t ...

at the department of liver surgery of the Institute of General and Emergency Surgery of the NMAU. In 2011, Skoryi became a part of a medical team which was one of the first in Ukraine to perform bloodless surgeries on livers, split

liver resection Hepatectomy is the surgical resection (removal of all or part) of the liver. While the term is often employed for the removal of the liver from a liver transplant donor, this article will focus on partial resections of hepatic tissue and hepatopo ...

s, extended and multivisceral liver resection. For these surgeries, the team invented a gas-jet surgical scalpel, which cuts the tissue with

carbon dioxide Carbon dioxide (chemical formula ) is a chemical compound made up of molecules that each have one carbon atom covalently double bonded to two oxygen atoms. It is found in the gas state at room temperature. In the air, carbon dioxide is transpar ...

. From 2007 to 2015, Skoryi took part in various medical training courses in Ukraine and abroad, including Russia, China, Austria, Japan, Germany, and South Korea. From 2016 and as of 2021, Skoryi teaches at the

oncology Oncology is a branch of medicine that deals with the study, treatment, diagnosis and prevention of cancer. A medical professional who practices oncology is an ''oncologist''. The name's etymological origin is the Greek word ὄγκος (''ó ...

academic department An academic department is a division of a university or school faculty devoted to a particular academic discipline. This article covers United States usage at the university level. In the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries, univers ...

of the

Kharkiv National Medical University Kharkiv National Medical University ( uk, Харківський національний медичний університет), formerly known as Kharkiv Medical Institute and previously Kharkiv State Medical University, is a medical univer ...

and is a

chief executive officer A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...

(CEO) of the

municipal A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

nonprofit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

Regional Center of Oncology ( uk, КНП "Областний центр онкології") in Kharkiv. From 2018, Skoryi was a chief researcher in the Ukrainian branch of the multinational

pharmaceutical A medication (also called medicament, medicine, pharmaceutical drug, medicinal drug or simply drug) is a drug used to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent disease. Drug therapy (pharmacotherapy) is an important part of the medical field and re ...

and

biotechnology Biotechnology is the integration of natural sciences and engineering sciences in order to achieve the application of organisms, cells, parts thereof and molecular analogues for products and services. The term ''biotechnology'' was first used b ...

company

AstraZeneca AstraZeneca plc () is a British-Swedish multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company with its headquarters at the Cambridge Biomedical Campus in Cambridge, England. It has a portfolio of products for major diseases in areas includin ...

. As of 2021, Skoryi co-authored and registered 12 medicinal patents, published 111

scientific articles : ''For a broader class of literature, see Academic publishing.'' Scientific literature comprises scholarly publications that report original empirical and theoretical work in the natural and social sciences. Within an academic field, scienti ...

in medical periodicals, and released 4 monographs.

CEO of the Kharkiv Regional Oncology Center (2016–present)

Kharkiv Regional Center of Oncology 2021

Appointment to the position

The Kharkiv Regional Center of Oncology ( uk, КНП "Областний центр онкології") is a medical facility in Kharkiv that provides medical services for

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...

patients. In 2016, an inspection from

Kharkiv Oblast Council The Kharkiv Oblast Council ( uk, Харківська обласна рада) is the regional oblast council (parliament) of the Kharkiv Oblast (province) located in eastern Ukraine. The council is composed of 120 members and is situated in the o ...

(Kharkiv Regional Council) stated that the Center was in "emergency condition"; its management was corrupt and provided dubious medical care. The previous management was fired and the Center was reorganized as a

municipal A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

nonprofit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

enterprise under the name of the Regional Center of Oncology. Through voting of the Kharkiv Oblast Council, Skoryi was elected the new CEO of the Center. He was elected for a 5-year term and became one of the youngest regional medical facility CEOs in Ukraine. He brought a new team of doctors with him to occupy managerial and other positions. When the new team came to manage the Regional Oncology Center, two of its hospital buildings were reported as half destroyed and in need of a complete renovation. The Center lacked modern medical equipment. At the time, the medical facility was considered the worst of Ukrainian oncology centers.

Funding issues and political opposition

In 2016, when the Kharkiv Oblast Council reorganized the old Oncological Center into the Regional Center of Oncology, they promised to support the new facility on an administrative level and provide funds for its further development. Since 2017, the Kharkiv regional government funded the staff's wages, hospital's utilities, and maintenance of the facility. As time passed, the management of the Center did not get any additional government funding to pay for buildings renovations or new equipment. Instead of providing support, regional authorities sent numerous inspections to check the facility, which interfered with the hospital's workflow and did not result in any positive changes. According to Skoryi, this and other regional authorities' actions towards the Center, such as delays in wages and in providing other promised funds, were signs of intentional pressure from the local government. On the other hand, the Healthcare Department of the

Kharkiv Oblast Council The Kharkiv Oblast Council ( uk, Харківська обласна рада) is the regional oblast council (parliament) of the Kharkiv Oblast (province) located in eastern Ukraine. The council is composed of 120 members and is situated in the o ...

stated they were doing enough to support the facility, their inspections were focused on benefitting the establishment in the future, and the hospital's management would not cooperate. Skoryi and his team maintained and developed the new facility with the help of some non-governmental funds donated by public organizations, volunteers, and other Ukrainian doctors and medical facilities. The Regional Oncology Center's management opened new departments to create adequate surgical and research areas and patients' wards. Skoryi's team formed the facility's International Board of Trustees, which included several members of public organizations. Eventually, the local authorities provided some additional funding to the facility. The moneys were allocated to the Center through a 2017 tender in order to do partial renovations in one of the Center's buildings. The regional authorities also voiced their plans to fund other renovations with the help of the

European Investment Bank The European Investment Bank (EIB) is the European Union's investment bank and is owned by the EU Member States. It is one of the largest supranational lenders in the world. The EIB finances and invests both through equity and debt solutions ...

. However, later the Center was extracted from the list of facilities for renovation due to unprovided necessary documentation, although according to Skoryi all the necessary documentation was in fact provided. In 2020, the Oncology Center's main source of funding was the Ukrainian National Healthcare Service ( uk, Національна служба здоров'я України) as well as donations from volunteers, public organizations, private companies and medical workers and facilities. In addition to other issues, on several occasions, the new management was hindered by the Healthcare Department of the Kharkiv Oblast Council ( uk, Департамент Охорони Здоров'я Харківської Обласної Державної Адміністрації). They lobbied their own managers for the Center's authority body and would not cooperate on the coordination of the facility's schedule. In November 2017, a new bill was passed by Verkhovna Rada of Ukrainian (Parliament of Ukraine), which allowed hospital administrators to manage their facilities on their own. In particular, they were allowed to personally coordinate the hospital schedule, hire or fire people, as well as to control wages, and so on. Nevertheless, these activities could still be partially overseen by regional government. Thus, while most of the other hospital directors received freedom in their facilities, the Healthcare Department still attempted to interfere with Skoryi's activity as Center's director. In connection to all of these issues, Skoryi was in open conflict with the Kharkiv Regional Council's Healthcare Department and led active discussions and negotiations with them in regard to his facility all through 2017. In his fight, he received strong support from Ukrainian politician, lawyer, and at the time National Deputy of the Healthcare Department of

Verkhovna Rada The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine ( uk, Верхо́вна Ра́да Украї́ни, translit=, Verkhovna Rada Ukrainy, translation=Supreme Council of Ukraine, Ukrainian abbreviation ''ВРУ''), often simply Verkhovna Rada or just Rada, is the ...

,

Iryna Sysoyenko Iryna Sysoyenko ( uk, Ірина Володимирівна Сисоєнко; born March 6, 1982) is a Ukrainian politician and lawyer. She is a former National Deputy of the Verkhovna Rada (Parliament of Ukraine) representing the Samopomich (S ...

and

Governor of Kharkiv Oblast The Governor of Kharkiv Oblast ( uk, Голова Харківської обласної державної адміністрації) is the head of executive branch for the Kharkiv Oblast. The office of Governor is an appointed position, wit ...

in 2016–2019,

Yuliya Svitlychna Yuliya Svitlychna ( uk, Юлія Олександрівна Світлична, born 6 June 1984, Kharkiv) is a Ukrainian politician. In a 2019 Ukrainian parliamentary election by-election on 15 March 2020 Svitlychna was elected to Ukraine's parl ...

.

Regional Oncology Center's development and achievements (2016–present)

Under Skoryi's management, the Regional Oncology Center team adopted internationally acclaimed treatment and workflow principles and medical protocols. Its patients started to receive modern and individual treatment and prescriptions. The new team started to work in partnership with international

oncology Oncology is a branch of medicine that deals with the study, treatment, diagnosis and prevention of cancer. A medical professional who practices oncology is an ''oncologist''. The name's etymological origin is the Greek word ὄγκος (''ó ...

establishments and specialists and to perform some unique and complex surgeries in Ukraine, some being a rare practice even for international facilities. They also started to receive invitations to perform surgeries abroad. In 2017, for the first time in Ukrainian history, to conceal post-surgical defects on patient's

thorax The thorax or chest is a part of the anatomy of humans, mammals, and other tetrapod animals located between the neck and the abdomen. In insects, crustaceans, and the extinct trilobites, the thorax is one of the three main divisions of the cre ...

, the Regional Center of Oncology team replaced the defect with a special metallic construction and moved a part of a back muscle (without cutting it out) and skin tissue from patient's back to his chest. Also in 2017, the Regional Center of Oncology team invented and were the first in the world to use the new methodology of the transcaval access to the

inferior vena cava The inferior vena cava is a large vein that carries the deoxygenated blood from the lower and middle body into the right atrium of the heart. It is formed by the joining of the right and the left common iliac veins, usually at the level of the ...

(a large vein that carries the

deoxygenated blood Blood is a body fluid in the circulatory system of humans and other vertebrates that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells, and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells. Blood in the c ...

from the lower and middle body into the right

atrium Atrium may refer to: Anatomy * Atrium (heart), an anatomical structure of the heart * Atrium, the genital structure next to the genital aperture in the reproductive system of gastropods * Atrium of the ventricular system of the brain * Pulmona ...

of the heart). The new methodology consisted of crossing the vein below the place affected by a

tumor A neoplasm () is a type of abnormal and excessive growth of tissue. The process that occurs to form or produce a neoplasm is called neoplasia. The growth of a neoplasm is uncoordinated with that of the normal surrounding tissue, and persists ...

, lift it up, and cut out the tumor. The methodology was invented in order to avoid

prosthetics In medicine, a prosthesis (plural: prostheses; from grc, πρόσθεσις, prósthesis, addition, application, attachment), or a prosthetic implant, is an artificial device that replaces a missing body part, which may be lost through trau ...

of the inferior vena cava during the surgical removal of tumors. In this particular surgery, the method also helped save patient's kidney and nerves, that are responsible for

pelvic The pelvis (plural pelves or pelvises) is the lower part of the trunk, between the abdomen and the thighs (sometimes also called pelvic region), together with its embedded skeleton (sometimes also called bony pelvis, or pelvic skeleton). The ...

movements. In first four months in charge of the new facility, Skoryi and his team opened several new hospital departments, including the department of hepato-pancreato-biliary surgery (which focuses on medical procedures related to

liver The liver is a major Organ (anatomy), organ only found in vertebrates which performs many essential biological functions such as detoxification of the organism, and the Protein biosynthesis, synthesis of proteins and biochemicals necessary for ...

,

pancreas The pancreas is an organ of the digestive system and endocrine system of vertebrates. In humans, it is located in the abdomen behind the stomach and functions as a gland. The pancreas is a mixed or heterocrine gland, i.e. it has both an end ...

, and

biliary tract The biliary tract, (biliary tree or biliary system) refers to the liver, gallbladder and bile ducts, and how they work together to make, store and secrete bile. Bile consists of water, electrolytes, bile acids, cholesterol, phospholipids and co ...

), department of

anesthesiology Anesthesiology, anaesthesiology, or anaesthesia is the medical specialty concerned with the total perioperative care of patients before, during and after surgery. It encompasses anesthesia, intensive care medicine, critical emergency medicine, ...

, and an

intensive care unit 220px, Intensive care unit An intensive care unit (ICU), also known as an intensive therapy unit or intensive treatment unit (ITU) or critical care unit (CCU), is a special department of a hospital or health care facility that provides intensiv ...

. They created new surgery rooms, the department of

diagnosis Diagnosis is the identification of the nature and cause of a certain phenomenon. Diagnosis is used in many different disciplines, with variations in the use of logic, analytics, and experience, to determine " cause and effect". In systems engin ...

, and reorganized administrative departments. The facility's medical equipment was also modernized. From January to May 2017, the Center enrolled 6,096 patients and the staff performed 1,041 surgeries, meanwhile the post-surgical mortality dropped almost by half. By November 2017, overall hospital mortality dropped by 40%. In summer 2017, the Center of Oncology joined an online project "Available Medicine" ( uk, Є ліки) created in partnership with Ukrainian activists, international fund "Revival", and the

United Nations Development Program The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)french: Programme des Nations unies pour le développement, PNUD is a United Nations agency tasked with helping countries eliminate poverty and achieve sustainable economic growth and human dev ...

in Ukraine. The project is a website which posts lists of medications provided by the government funding and available in Ukrainian medical care facilities for free. In 2018, 18,000 patients received treatment in the Center and 4,000 surgeries were performed. During the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

in 2020, the Regional Center of Oncology became one of the few medical facilities in Kharkiv to build new "oxygen track" (a mechanical system, that provides oxygen to patients via special equipment) to replace those being in operation for the past 10 years. The oxygen track is usually used for providing oxygen to patients, who are still partially able to breathe on their own. This step is taken prior to patient's connection to artificial lung ventilation machine. Skoryi started the project to provide necessary medical care, if needed, to his cancer patients. According to statistics, cancer patients are more likely to get infected by the

COVID-19 virus Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2) is a strain of coronavirus that causes COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019), the respiratory illness responsible for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The virus previously had a p ...

and develop a range of life-threatening complications. That same year, free COVID-19 tests were provided for the Center's patients and medical staff. It was provided within the Ukrainian Federation Against Cancer ( uk, Українська Федерація Боротьби Проти Раку) project funded by private medical clinic. Within three and a half years of the new management's work, hospital mortality has decreased by more than a factor of two. The number of surgeries, including the more complex ones and the ones never done before increased by 1.5 times. By 2020, the management started working according to international cancer

diagnostics Diagnosis is the identification of the nature and cause of a certain phenomenon. Diagnosis is used in many different disciplines, with variations in the use of logic, analytics, and experience, to determine "cause and effect". In systems engineer ...

and treatment principals. This included creation of the

interdisciplinary Interdisciplinarity or interdisciplinary studies involves the combination of multiple academic disciplines into one activity (e.g., a research project). It draws knowledge from several other fields like sociology, anthropology, psychology, ec ...

teams to research and treat oncology pathologies of liver, pancreas, stomach, colon and rectum, thoracic cavity organs, breasts, head and neck, and reproductive organs, skin and other. Such commissions usually consist of a surgeon, chemotherapist (doctor who treats cancer with anti-cancer drugs),

oncologist Oncology is a branch of medicine that deals with the study, treatment, diagnosis and prevention of cancer. A medical professional who practices oncology is an ''oncologist''. The name's etymological origin is the Greek word ὄγκος (''ó ...

,

radiation therapist A radiation therapist, therapeutic radiographer or radiotherapist is an allied health professional who works in the field of radiation oncology. Radiation therapists plan and administer radiation treatments to cancer patients in most Western cou ...

, radiation oncologist, and pathologist. The material and technical foundation of the facility increased by eight times.

Oncology Center's global reconstruction (2018–2020)

Starting in 2017, Skoryi lobbied for the global reconstruction of the two Oncology Center's old buildings as well as for construction of the new modern building. In 2017, the

Governor of Kharkiv Oblast The Governor of Kharkiv Oblast ( uk, Голова Харківської обласної державної адміністрації) is the head of executive branch for the Kharkiv Oblast. The office of Governor is an appointed position, wit ...

at the time,

Yuliya Svitlychna Yuliya Svitlychna ( uk, Юлія Олександрівна Світлична, born 6 June 1984, Kharkiv) is a Ukrainian politician. In a 2019 Ukrainian parliamentary election by-election on 15 March 2020 Svitlychna was elected to Ukraine's parl ...

discussed the issues of the Center at

Government of Ukraine The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine ( uk, Кабінет Міністрів України, translit=Kabinet Ministriv Ukrainy; shortened to CabMin), commonly referred to as the Government of Ukraine ( uk, Уряд України, ''Uriad Ukrai ...

meetings promoting its addition to the list of facilities, that would be reconstructed with the help of the

European Investment Bank The European Investment Bank (EIB) is the European Union's investment bank and is owned by the EU Member States. It is one of the largest supranational lenders in the world. The EIB finances and invests both through equity and debt solutions ...

funding. She also helped Skoryi to stock the Center with some of the necessary equipment. In 2018, the new decentralization law in Ukraine gave more power and recourses to

local governments Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of public administration within a particular sovereign state. This particular usage of the word government refers specifically to a level of administration that is both geographically-loca ...

of the country. Thanks to this and Skoryi and Svitlychna's previous partnership and actions, the construction works for the new Oncology Center building were confirmed. It was considered to be a huge step towards creating more adequate space for patients and doctors as well as the development of a whole new medical complex. That year, in addition to funds provided to local authorities, Svitlychna promised to get funding for the new hospital building from general government budgets as well. In December 2018, the construction works officially started for the new 4-story Oncology Center building. The construction works for the building were considered to be on "a very large scale," the building was planned to occupy . At the same time, in one of the old buildings of the Center two reanimation facilities and new surgery rooms were in construction, and complete restoration of patients' wards was in action. Additionally, the Oncology Center team received some new equipment. Through 2019, the foundation for the new building as well as renovations in the old buildings were concluded. However, in 2020 all construction works for the new building were frozen and the budget which was provided by the regional authorities was redirected to fund other regional matters. As of 2021, the construction works for the new building are postponed. Some call the future of the new Oncology Center building "unclear."

Political career

Kharkiv Oblast Council

After the long-term partnership with

Yuliya Svitlychna Yuliya Svitlychna ( uk, Юлія Олександрівна Світлична, born 6 June 1984, Kharkiv) is a Ukrainian politician. In a 2019 Ukrainian parliamentary election by-election on 15 March 2020 Svitlychna was elected to Ukraine's parl ...

between 2017 and 2020, Skoryi became a part of her political party Bloc Svitlychna Together!. In 2020, Skoryi entered the Kharkiv Oblast (Kharkiv Regional) election as member of the Bloc Svitlychna Together! led by Yuliya Svitlychna. He stated he "did not see another way" to promote and make the improvements happen in his Oncology Center and in Ukrainian medical industry overall. He stated one of his aims is to create adequate working conditions and options for development in the medical field for Ukrainian doctors (the majority of whom left their profession or fled the country due to intolerable working conditions). During the 2020 Ukrainian local elections, Skoryi was elected one of 120 members of the

Kharkiv Oblast Council The Kharkiv Oblast Council ( uk, Харківська обласна рада) is the regional oblast council (parliament) of the Kharkiv Oblast (province) located in eastern Ukraine. The council is composed of 120 members and is situated in the o ...

of VIII convocation as a member of the Bloc Svitlychna Together!.

Initiatives

In 2021, Skoryi proposed to expand the regional healthcare program by adding a new system of free early screening tests for people without any symptoms in order to prevent the development of the

colorectal cancer Colorectal cancer (CRC), also known as bowel cancer, colon cancer, or rectal cancer, is the development of cancer from the colon or rectum (parts of the large intestine). Signs and symptoms may include blood in the stool, a change in bowel m ...

, breast cancer, and

cervical cancer Cervical cancer is a cancer arising from the cervix. It is due to the abnormal growth of cells that have the ability to invade or spread to other parts of the body. Early on, typically no symptoms are seen. Later symptoms may include abnormal ...

to life-threatening levels. As of 2021, the statistics shows that colorectal cancer is the most common type of oncology illnesses people have in the Kharkiv Oblast: out of 10,000 new cancer cases annually 1,400 are colorectal cancer patients. According to Skoryi, a new screening system could help drastically decrease the number of people with the neglected stage of the disease by detecting it in earlier stages. Skoryi's proposition to establish the new system was declined by other regional council members. Only 16 out of 96 present council members supported the initiative. Another Skoryi idea, rejected by the regional council, was the establishment of the compact moving medical offices, a sort of "laboratory on the wheels." The idea was to provide free medical screening and timely health check-ups for people who live in small Ukrainian villages and towns, where people either can't or won't go to the hospital (which sometimes is situated in other locality) to get a check-up. Despite these setbacks, as of 2021 Skoryi works on new strategies of lobbying these and other medical novelties. He and his team work on creating video guides to promote healthy lifestyle and encourage people to get early screening tests and get regular health check-ups.

Awards and grants

National awards

* 2015: Skoryi received the Saint Luke Medal ( uk, Орден Святого Луки), a medal to leading Ukrainian physicians and surgeons.

International awards and grants

* 2013: International Surgical Society Foundation Travel Scholarship Award * 2014: Travel Grant of Japanese HepatoBiliary-Pancreatic Surgery Society

References

Literature cited

{{DEFAULTSORT:Skoryi, Denys 21st-century Ukrainian physicians 21st-century Ukrainian politicians Ukrainian surgeons Academic staff of Kharkiv National Medical University Physicians from Kharkiv Politicians from Kharkiv 1979 births Living people

Personal life and family

Education

Career

Medical and teaching career (2004–present)

CEO of the Kharkiv Regional Oncology Center (2016–present)

Appointment to the position

Funding issues and political opposition

Regional Oncology Center's development and achievements (2016–present)

Oncology Center's global reconstruction (2018–2020)

Political career

Kharkiv Oblast Council

Initiatives

Awards and grants

National awards

International awards and grants

See also

References

Literature cited