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Knowledge that saves hearts

Knowledge that saves hearts

12.06.2026

Everything is ready for the Open Day at the Rivne Regional Clinical Hospital. There’s an atmosphere of a children’s celebration in the air: a nicely decorated space, a colourful wheel of fortune and prizes neatly arranged. Visitors walking through the corridors peek into the room with curiosity. A line is gradually forming.

Oksana is a bit nervous, although organising events is nothing new for her. Before becoming the hospital’s communications specialist, she worked in the creative industry, implementing a range of cultural projects. Now she leads a team of four people who organise creative, thematic and corporate events, as well as implement diverse projects and initiatives. Two nurses and a doctor are also involved in organising today’s event.

The first visitor enters the room.

The scenario is simple: everyone has their blood pressure measured on both arms and a blood test to check sugar levels. Based on the results, a consultation with a doctor is provided, who gives recommendations and, if necessary, refers the person to a specialist. Finally comes the most interesting part – the wheel of fortune. Participants spin a wheel divided into eight segments: “movement,” “sleep,” “water,” “nutrition,” “check-up,” “emotions,” “safety,” and “rest.” The arrow lands on one of them, and the participant must answer a question related to factors affecting heart health. If the answer is correct, they draw a slip with a prize. However, the secret is that everyone wins: each answer is complemented with explanations and recommendations from the host. As a result, everyone leaves not only with a pleasant gift, but also with valuable knowledge that helps protect health.

The Open Day is part of the HealthyHeart project, implemented jointly with the Jędrzej Śniadecki Voivodeship Polyclinical Hospital in Białystok. The project aims to improve access to medical services for the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. It includes the purchase of specialised equipment, the exchange of medical knowledge, and the organisation of preventive activities in hospitals in Białystok and Rivne. In particular, in Rivne, the operating unit of the Regional Center for Vascular and Endovascular Surgery will be renovated, and an angiographic interventional system will be installed.

Larysa Vereshchuk, a cardiologist and the Head of the Regional Cardiology Center, shares statistics on cardiovascular diseases: they account for 60% of all deaths in Ukraine, the highest rate in Europe. Each year, more than 400,000 people die from cardiovascular diseases. The impact of the war is also significant – constant stress and delayed treatment have considerably “rejuvenated” these conditions. Awareness and prevention remain crucial: nearly 35% of the adult population in Ukraine has high blood pressure, but only half of them are aware of it. Doctors call arterial hypertension a “silent killer.”

The key is prevention – everything that helps avoid life-threatening conditions such as strokes or heart attacks. Monitoring blood pressure, blood sugar levels, and lipid profiles, as well as regular check-ups, is extremely important. This helps reduce the number of critical situations, says Larysa.

Nevertheless, how can this information be effectively communicated to people? How can caring for health become part of everyday life? At the Rivne Regional Clinical Hospital, this is a mission not only for doctors but also for communications professionals.

Oksana Yahelyuk, Head of the Communications and Projects Unit, explains: Abroad, people undergo regular check-ups, while here they tend to see a doctor only when the situation becomes critical. That’s why my personal challenge, my mission, is to find every possible way to promote prevention – so that they come to the hospital regularly for examinations and, when needed, make timely adjustments instead of allowing conditions to progress to critical stages, some of which may be irreversible.

Oksana believes that information must work cumulatively to achieve results.

We carry out systematic work. For example, someone reads a story in our #BeHealthy section about water – and it resonates with them. They think, ’I should drink more water.’ They do it for two days, then forget. Later, they come to one of our events, and we offer everyone water – it works as a reminder again. Then they visit a doctor, and the doctor says, ‘You really need to drink water.’ And at some point, there’s a ‘click’ – and now they always carry a bottle of water with them.

But it’s not just about information. Both communications specialists and medical professionals are convinced that a hospital should be a space of trust and support – one that transforms anxiety into comfort. This is supported by various events, the organisation of patients’ leisure, thoughtful space design, and even visual details. A gloomy hospital environment can worsen a person’s condition and complicate treatment. The environment matters, and timely communication can save lives.

We have moved away from sterile white interiors and the traditional red colour in signage. Now our colour is soft blue, and our new logo features human hands forming a heart. Our Centre for Communications and Projects implements a wide range of initiatives – from medical conferences to large-scale charity cycling events known across Ukraine, says Viktor Tkach, Director of the Rivne Regional Clinical Hospital. – All of this contributes not only to rethinking the image of the hospital, but also to shaping new health attitudes.