The final of the thirteenth edition of the Leaders of the Year in Healthcare Competition was held in the Royal Castle in Warsaw on January 16, 2013. During the Gala which was honored by the Chief of National Health Fund and Deputy Ministers of the National Defense and Health, Professor Henryk Skarzynski received a special award – Personality of the Year 2012.

“Professor Henryk Skarzynski is the initiator, organizer, founder and director of the, launched in 2012, World Hearing Center – the first such a facility on the international scale. Establishment of the Center is the result of years of systematic work in the country and abroad. This is a very important project for the development of science and the search of new ways to diagnose and treat impairments of the senses. It is one of the few institutions that we are proud to show in Europe and in the world “- we read in the justification of the verdict of the Jury.

– Something very important happened in Polish medicine and science in the 2012: unique institution in the world-  World Hearing Center was established -. Something like this does not arise from day to day and is not achieved each year. Achieving this would not be possible without the work of many people and financial contribution. Worth 120 million zlotys investment was accomplished in just a few months. More than one third of these were Institute’s financial contribution. Several new educational units, including many of the first on international level, such as the world’s first National Teleaudiology Network.

Within just a few months we performed the largest number of  hearing improving procedures in the world. I mention this, not just to brag. I say this to illustrate that it cannot be the participation of one man. It could be a team. Accepting this award today, I take it as an award for the team – said Prof. Henryk Skarzynski receiving the award.

World Hearing Center has a unique medical equipment, with a great educational, scientific and training facilities, which enable professionals from around the world in many areas of medicine, clinical engineering, physics, acoustics, biocybernetics, speech therapy, as well as psychology and pedagogics. This enables us to determine new trends in research in these areas.

– Establishment of the World Hearing Center is not only our achievement. It happened thanks to the atmosphere that prevails in our country as well as other external conditions. This is also thanks to those who by allocating funds, showed that 100 new and attractive jobs can emerge in the healthcare industry and instead of another bridge or road we can build something great in healthcare system. It was our duty to meet this responsibility, in order to show the success story that will promote those who are also trying to come off the best possible way – continued Prof. Skarzynski.

The ceremony ended with a speech of Slawomir Neumann, Deputy Minister of Health, who spared no words of congratulations and recognition to the winners.

– Thank you for all the successes. Sometimes our health care system fails. But really, these successes are the merit of the system. They stimulate to think, follow and indicate in what way and by what methods to develop a system (…) We would like to congratulate all of you! –said Minister Neumann.