Nova Ukraine was honored to be a part of the UA-MED Heal Ukraine Conference at Harvard University on November 7–8.
Two days of powerful discussions brought together more than 250 doctors, researchers, and healthcare professionals from Ukraine, the United States, and across the world, all united by one goal: to strengthen Ukraine’s healthcare system and build sustainable recovery.
Nova Ukraine at the Heal Ukraine Conference
Nova Ukraine participated in two key panels. In the first one, Kateryna Kovalenko, Nova Ukraine Vice President for Strategic Alliances, spoke about the organization’s long-term work in the medical field and its model of sustainable partnerships. She emphasized that Nova Ukraine operated as a hub that united global NGOs, donors, businesses, doctors, and social services around one purpose: saving lives and rebuilding Ukraine’s medical system.
“Partnership is at the core of everything we do. Nova Ukraine serves as a hub connecting global NGOs, donors, businesses, doctors, and social services around one purpose: to save lives and rebuild Ukraine’s medical system”, – said Kovalenko.
She presented examples of successful collaborations that combine global expertise and local implementation from MedGlobal, Medical Bridges, Dr. Andrey Zinchuk and the entire team of Doctors United for Ukraine in the United States to the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, Dr. Andrii Strokan, Patients of Ukraine, ZDOROVI Agency, Leleka Foundation, Corporation of Monsters, Marlog, and the Ukrainian Association of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Therapy.
Nova Ukraine’s partnerships allow the organization to deliver medical aid efficiently and in full coordination with the Ministry of Health’s national priorities. The organization also focuses on learning, compliance, and building scalable models that improve healthcare systems across Ukraine.
Ukraine Without Pain: A National Transformation
The second panel focused on Nova Ukraine’s flagship medical initiative – Ukraine Without Pain. Launched in 2024, it aims to build Ukraine’s first nationwide system for pain management and rehabilitation. The project addresses one of the most fast-growing challenges of wartime: chronic pain among defenders and civilians affected by trauma.
“Ukraine Without Pain is more than a medical project; it is a national transformation effort. We are creating a sustainable pain management system where none existed before, while fostering international collaboration with partners like Yale, Harvard, Northwestern, and DU4U. Together, we are building a brighter future not just for Ukraine, but for conflict zones worldwide.” – said Oksana Gologorska, Nova Ukraine Vice President for Medical Projects.
The initiative also supports education, research, equipment procurement, and the creation of new treatment protocols to ensure patients feel real improvement in their quality of life.
Oleksandr Shemetun, co-lead of Ukraine Without Pain, presented early project outcomes: “Nova Ukraine supported on-site training for the pain medicine working groups, which include all specialists involved in the treatment and rehabilitation of patients – since October 2024, we have trained 11 teams from 11 hospitals. Also, we equipped many clinics with essential tools and devices, including cryo- and radiofrequency ablation systems, ultrasound units for navigation, X-ray systems, and various other critical equipment”.
Leading Ukrainian doctors presented their work during the panel. Among them was Dr. Andrii Strokan, Head of the Pain Management Department at Feofania Hospital. He personally visited the conference and spoke about developing nationwide pain services for war trauma patients, launching national training programs, and working with the Ministry of Health to create unified standards for pain care in Ukraine.
Dr. Dmytro Dmytriiev, Head of the Center for Pain Medicine at the Bogomolets National Medical University joined online. He presented his work on integrating artificial intelligence for pain diagnosis and prognosis in patients after combat trauma, focusing on innovative treatment of phantom limb pain and personalized rehabilitation approaches.
Working through the HEAL Pillar
Through its HEAL pillar, Nova Ukraine strengthens sustainable medical capacity nationwide—supporting the full continuum of trauma care and advancing critical health services such as pain management.
Nearly half of Nova Ukraine’s total budget is dedicated to medical programs, reflecting the organization’s long-term commitment to strengthening Ukraine’s healthcare system and supporting those who save lives every day.
The discussions at Harvard underscored how global collaboration continues to shape Ukraine’s healthcare transformation.
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