Clinicians from Bogomolets National Medical University (NMU) in Kyiv recently completed a two-week radiation oncology training at the Allegheny Health Network (AHN) Cancer Institute in Pittsburgh. The training was made possible through a BBF grant to West Penn Allegheny Health System, Inc., which covered travel, accommodation, meals, medical insurance, and related expenses for three Ukrainian professionals to complete a two-week radiation oncology program at the Allegheny Health Network (AHN) Cancer Institute in Pittsburgh. The program prepared the team to operate advanced equipment being installed in Kyiv.

This initiative built on BBF’s partnership with AHN Cancer Institute, Radiating Hope, and Elekta to establish a cancer treatment center at NMU. In 2023, BBF shipped a linear accelerator (LINAC) to Ukraine, donated by Radiating Hope, to provide state-of-the-art cancer treatment for patients who have had limited access to care during the war. The LINAC delivers highly targeted radiation therapy that conforms to the shape of a tumor while minimizing damage to surrounding tissue.

Staff from AHN Cancer Institute and Elekta will continue working with Ukrainian clinicians to ensure effective use of the equipment through both in-person and online training.

Photo left to right: Mariia Sosnivska, Medical Physicist; Dr. Alexander Kirichenko and AHN clinical team members; BBF President Ozzy Samad; Oksana Zemskov, Radiation Oncologist; and Volodymyr Vaschyshyn, Medical Physicist. The group gathered at the conclusion of the radiation oncology training.