1. 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

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. Workforce 3 full professors + 1 emeritus + 3 associated
5 teachers with PhD
4 full time doctoral students

8. 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

9. 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

10. Specific software tools
Statistical: R Project
Learning Management: MOODLE
Distance Learning: Adobe Connect
Library: Endnotes

11. Weaknesses
Students activities and involvement, as well as teachers involvement
Bussiness and project approach
Enthusiasm for international (local) joint activities

12. 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