Atrium Health to train Ukrainian clinicians at Charlotte hospital
Atrium Health Carolina Rehabilitation has signed an agreement with Unbroken, an organization in Ukraine that provides physical therapy and rehabilitation services to men and women wounded in the country’s war with Russia.
Carolina Rehabilitation, located in Charlotte, North Carolina, is one of the highest-rated centers in the country. According to an announcement, it is the only rehabilitation hospital in the U.S. selected by the World Health Organization (WHO) to serve on the World Rehabilitation Alliance, which works to develop safety and clinical protocols to improve disaster response worldwide.
As part of the partnership with Unbroken, Carolina Rehabilitation will host a series of in-person visits from Ukrainian clinicians starting in 2025 for hands-on education and training. The goal is to enhance Ukraine’s rehabilitation workforce and prepare them for the increasing number of critically injured patients arriving in Lviv.
Ukraine established the Unbroken National Rehabilitation Center to expand rehabilitation services in the Lviv area, which is experiencing an influx of wounded soldiers and civilians from the frontlines. The number of beds has risen from 26 to 260 in recent years. However, the complexity of patient needs means that more training is necessary to deliver the best possible rehab care.
Prior to the war, the rehabilitation sector in Ukraine was underdeveloped, with limited staffing and resources. With the founding of Unbroken, that is rapidly changing.
"Rehabilitation is founded on the essential relationship between patient and therapist,” Ihor Koshivka, head of rehabilitation at the First Lviv Territorial Medical Union, said in the announcement. “Our mission is to provide our patients with the highest standard of care by ensuring our specialists are leaders in their field. Atrium Health’s support in training our professionals is key to achieving this. We are committed to advancing our rehabilitation system to become one of the most innovative, and this memorandum is a crucial step toward that goal."
In addition to training and education, the in-person visits to Charlotte will also help researchers at Carolina Rehabilitation better understand war-related injuries and develop patient safety and clinical care strategies.
The partnership was made possible through Atrium Health’s Global Health Care program, which connects international healthcare organizations seeking to share best practices.
Chad is an award-winning writer and editor with over 15 years of experience working in media. He has a decade-long professional background in healthcare, working as a writer and in public relations.