Guest Lecture by TNMU Graduate Viktor Hunka on Modern Management in Healthcare Institutions
Ternopil National Medical University hosted a guest lecture by Viktor Hunka, Director of Zaloztsi District Hospital and one of the youngest healthcare institution leaders in the Ternopil region. He has become an example of a modern manager capable of implementing innovative approaches even in the face of limited resources.
The event was attended by master’s students enrolled in the Healthcare Management educational programme, members of the Healthcare Management research group, and TNMU students interested in healthcare management, leadership, and the development of modern healthcare organisations.
During the meeting, Viktor Hunka shared his professional journey and experience in managing a healthcare institution. At the age of 28, he became head of a hospital that required substantial organisational changes and modernisation. Thanks to his unconventional vision, creative management approach, and active use of modern communication tools, he managed to draw public attention to the hospital’s needs and attract additional resources for its development.
The students were particularly interested in his account of using social media as a tool for managing change. By publishing updates on the renovation of hospital premises, completed projects, and the institution’s needs, the young manager was able to build strong community support and engage charitable donors and benefactors in the hospital’s development. Openness to communication, the courage to make decisions, and a willingness to implement new ideas have all been important factors behind the positive changes in the hospital’s operations.
The lecture also addressed the challenges of managing healthcare organisations amid ongoing healthcare system reforms, effective leadership, team development, the recruitment of young professionals, and the establishment of a modern organisational culture. Particular attention was paid to the importance of a proactive approach to leadership: a manager should not wait for change to happen but should be the driving force behind it.
Such meetings are an important component of practice-oriented higher education, providing students with opportunities to engage directly with practising managers, learn from successful management decisions, and develop their own perspectives on leadership in the healthcare system.
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Viktor Hunka for his insightful, inspiring, and highly relevant lecture. For Ternopil National Medical University, it is especially rewarding to see its graduates grow professionally and take on roles in shaping a new generation of healthcare leaders. Viktor Hunka’s successful work demonstrates that young leadership, innovative thinking, and dedication can transform healthcare institutions, local communities, and the healthcare system as a whole.
