Ulana Nadia Suprun ( uk, Уляна Надія Супрун, Ulyana Nadiya Suprun;

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...

Jurkiw (Юрків, ''Yurkiv''); born 30 January 1963) is a

Ukrainian-American Ukrainian Americans ( uk, Українські американці, Ukrayins'ki amerykantsi) are Americans who are of Ukrainian ancestry. According to U.S. census estimates, in 2021 there were 1,017,586 Americans of Ukrainian descent represen ...

physician A physician (American English), medical practitioner (Commonwealth English), medical doctor, or simply doctor, is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through th ...

activist Activism (or Advocacy) consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in social, political, economic or environmental reform with the desire to make changes in society toward a perceived greater good. Forms of activism range fro ...

, and

philanthropist Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private good, focusing on material ...

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 Ukrainian World Congress ( uk, Світовий Конґрес Українців or ''СКУ'') is a non-profit organization, nonpartisan association, international coordination assembly of all Ukrainian public organizations in diaspora. It repre ...

. 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 The Ukrainian Catholic University ( ua, Український Католицький Університет, ''Ukrains'kyy Katolyts'kyy Universytet'') is a Catholic university in Lviv, Ukraine, affiliated with the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. ...

and became an advisor to the Committee on Health of the

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 ...

in 2015. On 22 July 2016, she was nominated First Deputy Minister of Healthcare by

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is ...

Volodymyr Groysman Volodymyr Borysovych Groysman, sometimes transliterated as Volodymyr Borysovych Hroisman ( uk, Володи́мир Бори́сович Гро́йсман; born 20 January 1978), is a Ukrainian politician who was the Prime Minister of Ukrai ...

; the nomination was supported by

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

Petro Poroshenko Petro Oleksiyovych Poroshenko ( uk, Петро́ Олексі́йович Пороше́нко, ; born 26 September 1965) is a Ukrainian businessman and politician who served as the fifth president of Ukraine from 2014 to 2019. Poroshenko se ...

and confirmed by the

Cabinet of Ministers A cabinet is a body of high-ranking state officials, typically consisting of the executive branch's top leaders. Members of a cabinet are usually called cabinet ministers or secretaries. The function of a cabinet varies: in some countrie ...

. 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 Ukrainian nationality law details the conditions by which a person holds nationality of Ukraine. The primary law governing these requirements is the law "On Citizenship of Ukraine", which came into force on 1 March 2001. Any person born to a U ...

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.

Early life and education

Suprun was born on 30 January 1963 in

Detroit, Michigan Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at ...

to parents George Harry and Zenovia Jurkiw, of

Ukrainian Ukrainian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Ukraine * Something relating to Ukrainians, an East Slavic people from Eastern Europe * Something relating to demographics of Ukraine in terms of demography and population of Ukraine * So ...

descent. She has a sister named Lydia. Suprun attended Immaculate Conception Ukrainian Catholic School in

Warren, Michigan Warren is a city in Macomb County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The 2020 Census places the city's population at 139,387, making Warren the largest city in Macomb County, the third largest city in Michigan, and Metro Detroit's largest suburb. ...

. In her youth, Suprun was a member of

Plast The Plast National Scout Organization of Ukraine ( uk, Пласт Національна Скаутська Організація України, ''Plast Natsionalna Skautska Orhanizatsiia Ukrayiny''), commonly called Ukrainian Plast or simply P ...

. After finishing high school, Suprun enrolled in

Wayne State University Wayne State University (WSU) is a public research university in Detroit, Michigan. It is Michigan's third-largest university. Founded in 1868, Wayne State consists of 13 schools and colleges offering approximately 350 programs to nearly 25,000 ...

in Detroit. She graduated with a bachelors of science degree in

biology Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditary ...

in 1985. Following her graduation from university, Suprun attended

Michigan State University College of Human Medicine The Michigan State University College of Human Medicine (MSUCHM) is an academic division of Michigan State University (MSU), and grants the Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree. CHM was founded in 1964 as the first community-integrated medical schoo ...

East Lansing, Michigan East Lansing is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. Most of the city lies within Ingham County with a smaller portion extending north into Clinton County. At the 2020 Census the population was 47,741. Located directly east of the state capital ...

, where she graduated with her

Doctor of Medicine Doctor of Medicine (abbreviated M.D., from the Latin ''Medicinae Doctor'') is a medical degree, the meaning of which varies between different jurisdictions. In the United States, and some other countries, the M.D. denotes a professional degree. ...

degree in 1989. Afterwards, Suprun completed her intermediate

residency Residency may refer to: * Domicile (law), the act of establishing or maintaining a residence in a given place ** Permanent residency, indefinite residence within a country despite not having citizenship * Residency (medicine), a stage of postgrad ...

with the

Oakwood Health System The Oakwood Health System was a group of 4 hospitals and dozens of medical clinics across the Metro Detroit Area. In 2014, Oakwood Health System merged with Beaumont Health System and Botsford Hospital to form Beaumont Health. History In 1989, ...

in Detroit, and later worked as a diagnostic radiology resident at

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS or Mount Sinai), formerly the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, is a private medical school in New York City. It is the academic teaching arm of the Mount Sinai Health System, which manages e ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. From 1994 to 1995, Suprun undertook postgraduate research in

mammography Mammography (also called mastography) is the process of using low-energy X-rays (usually around 30 kVp) to examine the human breast for diagnosis and screening. The goal of mammography is the early detection of breast cancer, typically through ...

and tomographic radiology at

Henry Ford Hospital Henry Ford Hospital (HFH) is an 877-bed tertiary care hospital, education and research complex at the western edge of the New Center area in Detroit, Michigan. The flagship facility for the Henry Ford Health System, it was one of the first hos ...

in Detroit. She is board certified in radiology.

Career

In 1995, Suprun began working at a women's

medical imaging Medical imaging is the technique and process of imaging the interior of a body for clinical analysis and medical intervention, as well as visual representation of the function of some organs or tissues (physiology). Medical imaging seeks to re ...

center in

. She left this position in 1999, after being named acting Director of Women's Imaging at

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...

. In 2000, she returned to the New York medical imaging center when she became deputy chief physician-radiologist. Suprun later became deputy

medical director A medical director is a physician who provides guidance and leadership on the use of medicine in a healthcare organization. These include the emergency medical services, hospital departments, blood banks, clinical teaching services and others. A m ...

and partner at the medical center. She left the position in 2009. While in the United States, Suprun was active in a number of medical and

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 The Ukrainian Congress Committee of America ( uk, Український Конґресовий Комітет Америки) or UCCA ( uk, УККА) is a non-partisan non-profit national umbrella organization uniting over 20 national Ukrainian A ...

(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. In 2013, Suprun and her husband left the United States and moved to Ukraine. They became active in the

2014 Ukrainian revolution The Revolution of Dignity ( uk, Революція гідності, translit=Revoliutsiia hidnosti) also known as the Maidan Revolution or the Ukrainian Revolution,

, and Suprun performed medical procedures for those injured during

Euromaidan Euromaidan (; uk, Євромайдан, translit=Yevromaidan, lit=Euro Square, ), or the Maidan Uprising, was a wave of demonstrations and civil unrest in Ukraine, which began on 21 November 2013 with large protests in Maidan Nezalezhno ...

. This led to her being named Director of Humanitarian Initiatives for the

. Suprun later founded Patriot Defence, a nongovernmental organization (NGO) that provides tactical medical training and distributes

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two N ...

first aid kit A first aid kit or medical kit is a collection of supplies and equipment used to give immediate medical treatment, primarily to treat injuries and other mild or moderate medical conditions. There is a wide variation in the contents of first aid ...

s to Ukrainian servicemen. Following her work during Euromaidan, Suprun became the founder and was appointed director of the School of Rehabilitation Medicine at

Lviv Lviv ( uk, Львів) is the largest city in Western Ukraine, western Ukraine, and the List of cities in Ukraine, seventh-largest in Ukraine, with a population of . It serves as the administrative centre of Lviv Oblast and Lviv Raion, and is o ...

Minister of Healthcare

On 12 July 2016,

announced his support for a proposal by

to appoint Suprun as First Deputy Minister of Healthcare. She had previously been serving as an advisor to the Committee on Health of the

since 2015. After serving for a week, Suprun was elevated to the position of acting Minister of Healthcare. She was succeeded as Deputy Minister by Pavlo Kovtonyuk, Oleksandr Linchevsky, and Oksana Syvak. 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 A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government i ...

. 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. 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 Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a class of diseases that involve the heart or blood vessels. CVD includes coronary artery diseases (CAD) such as angina and myocardial infarction (commonly known as a heart attack). Other CVDs include stroke, hea ...

type 2 diabetes Type 2 diabetes, formerly known as adult-onset diabetes, is a form of diabetes mellitus that is characterized by high blood sugar, insulin resistance, and relative lack of insulin. Common symptoms include increased thirst, frequent urinatio ...

, and

bronchial asthma Asthma is a long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wheezing, coug ...

for free or with a small surcharge. 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. On 8 June 2017, the

adopted the Draft-Law #6327, which would introduce a new model of financing the healthcare system in Ukraine. On 19 October, the Verkhovna Rada passed the law on its second reading. It went into effect on 30 January 2018. After being conferred

, 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. 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. Critics opposed to the medical reforms began referring to Suprun derogatorily, employing the moniker Dr. Death ( uk, лікар-смерть). It continues to reappear in several websites. the position on 29 August 2019, after

Zoriana Skaletska Zoriana Stepanivna Skaletska ( ua, Зоряна Степанівна Скалецька, (); born 9 August 1980) is a Ukrainian lawyer, activist and politician and former Minister of Healthcare of Ukraine. Biography Skaletska graduated from ...

was appointed Minister of Healthcare in the

Honcharuk Government The Honcharuk government was formed on 29 August 2019, and was led by Oleksiy Honcharuk. It was the fourth Ukrainian cabinet formed since the 2014 Ukrainian revolution, following the 2019 Ukrainian parliamentary election. History Appointment of ...

Personal life

On 11 July 2016,

was conferred upon Suprun and her husband by

. Poroshenko stated that her "efforts saved thousands of lives", and that the decree awarding citizenship were deemed "in the state's best interests".

References

External links

Patriot Defence website

Personal website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Suprun, Ulana 1963 births 20th-century American physicians 21st-century American physicians 21st-century Ukrainian physicians American emigrants to Ukraine American health activists American people of Ukrainian descent American radiologists Women radiologists American women philanthropists American women physicians Healthcare ministers of Ukraine Living people Michigan State University College of Human Medicine alumni Naturalized citizens of Ukraine Philanthropists from Michigan Physicians from Detroit Academic staff of Ukrainian Catholic University Ukrainian women philanthropists Ukrainian radiologists Ukrainian women physicians Wayne State University alumni Women government ministers of Ukraine 20th-century American women American women academics 21st-century American women