Kaunas University of Medicine (KMU) is the largest institution of medical education and training in Lithuania. The faculty of Public Health is recognised as a WHO collaborating unit. Teaching staff of Kaunas University of Medicine consists of 600 instructors and research workers, including 74 professors and 278 associate professors. The Dept. of Family Medicine, established in 1992 within the Faculty of Public Health, main objectives are: training in family medicine for undergraduate and postgraduate students, delivery of continuing medical education courses, developing research projects in relevant primary care issues (e.g. prevention in primary care, adolescent health care issues, chronic diseases control issues, etc.). Previous experience (related to the tasks): The dept. of Family Medicine of KMU has taken part in several international projects that aimed to improve the quality of primary care services in some post soviet countries Armenia, Georgia, Uzbekistan, Ukraina). Organisation of primary care, district physicians retraining to family doctors issues, adolescent health issues, sexual and reproductive health services delivery within the primary care units, are investigated for nearly 10 years. The Department was the partner of UNDP while implementing the project of Youth Friendly Services in Lithuania. They were also involved in the EU PHARE Project Support to health care reform and primary care development in Lithuania (2000).

 

Prof. Dr. Leonas Valius, MD, PhD. is the head of department of Family Medicine at Kaunas University of Medicine, Chair of Clinic of Family Medicine at Kaunas Medical University Hospital and a family physician. Since 1994 he has been a full time lecturer in Family Medicine and Primary Care since 1994, docent since 1996, professor since 2002. Prof. Valius has participated in several national and European projects. He was a local expert of project Support of Lithuania Health Care Reform Strategy Development 1995-1996. He was a member of the EU PHARE project ECPC “Technical assistance to support primary care development in Lithuania” 1997-1998. He is a consultant for PC issues at the Lithuanian Ministry of Health and for the Committee of Health Affairs of Lithuanian Parliament. He is experienced in the organisation and administration of primary care settings in urban and rural areas. Prof. Valius can be contacted via e-mail.

Lina Jaruseviciene, MD, PhD. is an associate professor at the Department of Family Medicine of KMU. Experienced in evaluation and remodelling of sexual and reproductive health services provision within primary health care, especially in post Soviet countries.

Role in EUprimecare: KMU will actively participate in all Work Packages. KMU will have a key role in the definition of variables for Primary Care as KMU be responsible for leading the literature review of the functions of primary care models in Europe. They will also coordinate the initial pilot studies of professional opinions of the quality of primary care models and its follow-up survey.