In 2014, guided by new goals and a desire to provide patients with the highest quality medical care in the homeland, the Ana Rukavina Foundation launched the first Public Tender Call for the professional training of a physician at Georgetown University in Washington. Dr. Vibor Milunović, Hematology Resident at Merkur Clinical Hospital, was selected and spent a year at Georgetown University. The amount of HRK 572,457.68 needed for this professional training was provided by the Ana Rukavina Foundation.
In 2016, a second Public Tender was announced, and after applications received, Dr. Ana Zelić Kerep, a Hematology Resident from the University Hospital Centre Zagreb, was selected, who, apart from the GPA and published publications, stood out with her desire to learn and approach future challenges. Dr. Ana Zelić Kerep, a Hematology Resident employed at University Hospital Centre Zagreb, is the second candidate to have acquired invaluable knowledge in Washington with a professional training worth HRK 456,053.89 to help patients in her home country.
In 2017, the third Public Tender was announced in April and after receiving the applications, Dr. Nevenka Cigrovski, a Pediatrics Specialist from the University Hospital Centre Zagreb, was selected and spent 3 months at Wilhelmina children’s hospital, Utrecht, The Netherlands and 3 months at The Great North Children’s Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom. Dr. Cigrovski was trained in stem cell transplantation in children with metabolic disease and immunodeficiency. For the professional training of Dr. Cigrovski, the Ana Rukavina Foundation provided HRK 136,613.48.
In November 2017, in order to continue with the new direction of professional training of young doctors in the Republic of Croatia, the Ana Rukavina Foundation decided to support a young doctor, Zinaida Perić, MD, Ph.D., for whom we funded two months of professional training in the amount of HRK 33.009,30 in the field of allogeneic stem cell transplantation at the Saint-Antoine Hospital in Paris, is now applying this new skills at University Hospital Centre Zagreb.
In 2018, the fourth Public Tender for the 12 months of Professional Training of one hematology resident or other related specialization was announced in collaboration with Georgetown University in Washington D.C., USA. Dr. Barbara Dreta, a hematology resident employed at University Hospital Centre Zagreb, has been selected and will have the opportunity to gain invaluable knowledge and experience at Georgetown University to assist patients in the Republic of Croatia. Dr. Dreta’s professional training is worth HRK 401,165.22.
In 2019, the fifth Public Tender for the 12 months of Professional Training of a hematology specialist at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NHI), in Bethesda, Maryland, USA, was launched, worth HRK 355,090.39. Dr. Alen Ostojić, a hematology specialist employed at University Hospital Centre Zagreb, has been selected for the training and will focus on participating in the new trans-NIH program for myeloid leukemia research.
To date, Ana Rukavina Foundation has provided HRK 1,953,389.96 for professional training in the field of hematology and other related specializations.
Our wish and goals are to make Ana Rukavina Foundation a Croatian Alfred Nobel!