Prof. Viera Rusnakova, MD, PhD, MBA Prof. Martin Rusnak, MD, PhD Department of Public Health Faculty of Health Care and Social Work Trnava University Prof. Viera Rusnakova, MD, PhD, MBA Prof. Martin Rusnak, MD, PhD
Public Health in Slovakia German Social Medicine legacy and the change to public health 19th Century in Vienna - Polizei Medicine Health issues regulated by local and central government Clinical medicine and health of population in hands of physicians (city physicians were established in middle ages) Soviet military medicine introduced to deal with TB, child death, infectious diseases College of hygiene and epidemiology established in early 60th Focus on communicable diseases and community hygiene
Major polotical change in 1989 resulted in Hygienic institutions were renamed to Offices Public Health Hygiene college restructured to medical school No change in orientation of Offices Doctors lost interest in hygiene carreer - staff shortage
Need to develop capacities in public health recognized 1995 Department of Health Management established in Trnava Univ. as a consortium with School of Health Management in Bratislava and School of Economy in Banska Bystrica The project was supported from USAID and the University of Scranton and U.of Central Florida involved Dpt of Epidemiology and Hygiene established in parallel
Today Three levels of Public Health studies: Bachelor 3 years Basics of epidemiology, hygiene, preventive activities, statistics, health management, informatics, human body, medicine. BA thesis mostly literature search Magister 2 years Advanced epidemiology, work and food safety, preventative approaches, principles of science and research, management of quality, evidence based approaches, health policies. Magister thesis: a project based on an intervention Doctoral (PhD) 3 years full time, 5 years distance Each student has a tutor. Work on a project. Final thesis in a format of an extended research paper. Life-long Master of Public Health 2 years distance
Areas of research Epidemiology of communicable diseases Epi of brain trauma and quality of care for TBI victims Environmental health Quality of health services Safety at a wokplace New technologies for developing countries
Workforce 3 full professors + 1 emeritus + 3 associated 5 teachers with PhD 4 full time doctoral students
Projects Comparative effectiveness in management of TBI patients. EU funded project where TU studies effects of trauma systems on TBI outcomes Propedeutics of Epidemiology. Collaborative project on a book. Grant from the Min of Education Health of migrants and minorities. Several projects from EU Health Coauthoring a chapter in a book on Global health management
Recetly published Monothematic issue in local medical journal on public health in Slovakia Several papers in international peer reviewed journals (see Web of Science and/or Scopus) Monography on Statistics of Health
Specific software tools Statistical: R Project Learning Management: MOODLE Distance Learning: Adobe Connect Library: Endnotes
Weaknesses Students activities and involvement, as well as teachers involvement Bussiness and project approach Enthusiasm for international (local) joint activities
We are here to learn from your experiences and to offer our skills and abilities to stregthen the legacy established more then 20 years ago