Exchanging ideas: Burn Center hosts surgeon from Ukraine

Roman Chornopyshchuk, MD, from Vinnytsya Regional Clinical Hospital in Ukraine, recently spent four weeks with Yale New Haven Health as part of the Scholars at Risk – Ukraine program led by Doctors United for Ukraine (see related story).

Dr. Chornopyshchuk, one of seven surgeons participating in the program, spent two weeks of the month-long program at the Bridgeport Hospital Burn Unit.

“It’s excellent,” said Dr. Chornopyshchuk. “I had the unique chance to work with my colleagues in all stages of medical care, in particular, burn care.”

Dr. Chornopyshchuk said it was fascinating to see the depth of what goes into the medical care at the Burn Center. He attended conferences about burn patient care and was impressed by Bridgeport Hospital’s burn technology, which he hopes will one day be available in Ukraine.

Dr. Chornopyshchuk wasn’t the only one who learned a lot during his visit.

“It’s been an eye-opening two weeks,” said Alisa Savetamal, MD, Burn Unit director. “I’ve learned a great deal from him, as has the rest of the burn team. In the United States, we have access to advanced products that aren’t available in many places around the world. It makes you think about how things have to be done differently when the same resources aren’t available.”

Because of those technological differences, U.S. doctors have a different approach to burn care than doctors in Ukraine, but the goal of patient recovery is the same, Dr. Savetamal said.

“Burn patients need specialized care no matter where they are,” she said. “Ukrainian doctors work under such different circumstances than we do. It’s amazing what they’re able to achieve for their patients.”