On Ukrainian Medical Workers’ Day, I want to recognize the physicians whose dedication makes these partnerships possible.
Today is Ukrainian Medical Workers’ Day, and I want to recognize the Ukrainian doctors whose dedication makes international surgical missions possible. While these missions often highlight visiting volunteers, I’ve learned that their success depends just as much on the physicians who care for their patients every day.
One of them is Dr. Khrystyna Pohranichna, a pediatric maxillofacial surgeon at Ohmatdyt Children’s Hospital in Lviv. I’ve had the privilege of working alongside her during international cleft and craniofacial surgical missions organized through a partnership between Christian Medical Association of Ukraine, LEAP Global Missions, and Ed’s Friends Ukraine. Over the past few years, I’ve seen firsthand the commitment she brings to her patients.
Late Night Consultation
During a mission in April 2026, our team stopped overnight in Zhytomyr. Dr. Khrystyna Pohranichna drove there with two of her young patients so they could be evaluated by American cleft surgeons Dr. Patrick Kelley and Dr. Steve Henry during an additional consultation at the hotel where our team was staying. She wanted them to have access to specialists they otherwise might not have the opportunity to see. The team discussed treatment options, including the possibility of bringing one of the children to the United States for surgery.
The team is often asked to provide additional consultations during these missions and never refuses to see an extra patient. What impressed me was Dr. Pohranichna’s willingness to drive her patients to another city so they wouldn’t miss that opportunity.
A year earlier, in the spring of 2025, Dr. Pohranichna traveled to the United States for an observership, consultations with American colleagues, and participation in a LEAP Global Missions surgical mission to Belize. During that same time, LEAP brought one of her young patients from Ukraine to Texas for surgery. Dr. Pohranichna stayed with the girl and her family throughout the hospital visit, offering reassurance and support to the parents.
“When I look at these children today, I don’t see a diagnosis—I see future talented, strong, confident people who will find their place in the world,” Dr. Pohranichna said in an interview with ZAXID.NET.
Partners in Every Mission
Those words reflect what I’ve seen from many Ukrainian physicians. International teams may spend only a week or two in Ukraine, but their Ukrainian colleagues prepare patients, operate alongside them, and continue caring for those children long after the visiting teams return home. They are not simply hosts—they are equal partners whose expertise, compassion, and commitment make these international partnerships possible.
On Ukrainian Medical Workers’ Day, I’m grateful not only to Dr. Pohranichna, but to all of the Ukrainian surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, and medical professionals whose dedication makes these missions successful. Their expertise, compassion, and commitment are the foundation on which these international partnerships are built.
