The director of the organization

 

    Viacheslav Sukhanov was born March 24, 1960 in the city of Moscow. He has two degrees. In 2004 he finished his postgraduate studies at the Moscow State University of Service (now the Russian State University of Tourism and Service, RSUTS) and defended the first dissertation in Russia in the area of social rehabilitation of ostomy patients on 'Social rehabilitation of ostomy patients in Russia: the social aspect'. In 2004 he was awarded an academic degree of a candidate in sociology. 

 

From 2005 Sukhanov has received  an appointment as an associate professor at the department for medical-psychological rehabilitation at the RSUTS. In October 2010 Suchanov entered the institution of doctoral candidacy of the RSUTS. From January 2012 he has held a position as a chief researcher of the laboratory for medical social rehabilitation at the Moscow State University of Medicine and Dentistry (MSUMD). Sukhanov has more than 70  published works including three monographs: 'Social rehabilitation of ostomy patients' (Nauka Press, 2006), 'Rehabilitation aid for people with limited abilities' (Nauka Press, 2007), 'From exclusion to inclusion through innovative rehabilitation' (Dashkov & K Press, 2010). He also published 20 articles in magazines included on the list of periodically cited publications approved by the Higher Attestation Committee of the Russian Federation (VAK), articles in other popular science publications, inclusive of foreign textbooks, brochures, etc.  Sukhanov holds three patents for invention.

In 2015 Viacheslav Sukhanov defended his doctoral thesis: "The sociological model of innovative management of social rehabilitation of ostomy disabled" at the Institute of Social and Political Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences. In March 2016 he was awarded the degree of Doctor of Social Sciences.

 

In 1993 Sukhanov gathered an active group of ostomy patients and in March of the same year he founded the Regional Public Organisation of Invalid Ostomy Patients "ASTOM", which presidency he has been holding up to now. The aim and objective of the ROOISB "ASTOM" is the medical social rehabilitation of  patients with an intestinal and/or ureteral stoma and their integration into society. In the ROOISB “ASTOM” the following authorities were founded:  the authorities for psychological aid, social and home adaptation, information and advisory centre, cultural activities service, sanatorium-resort treatment authority. The activity of these authorities let thousands of stoma invalids integrate into society annually.  

 

Suchanov wrote or initiated writing of many articles about ostomy patients in newspapers, he talked on the radio and appeared on television so that the society be aware of such people and of their problems. Sukhanov issued 4 specialized manuals for ostomates on how to live with a stoma, and 2 specialized manuals for invalids rehabilitation specialists. He took part in writing the manual “Home care for patients”, and also in preparing the unique publication on nutrition for people with a stoma titled “Tasty ideas for the ostomy patients”. Suchanov is the chief editor of the social magazine “ASTOM. Guide to active life”.

 

Through direct involvement of V. Sukhanov and with approval by Moscow Department of Health Care the first stoma office in the Moscow City Clinical Hospital №24 (GKB № 24) was founded, with the state providing the Moscow patients with world-level stoma care facilities. Thanks to the efforts of V.Sukhanov this stoma office started functioning on the basis of humanitarian aid. Besides that, V. Sukhanov provided the administrative support for the functioning of this office. In 1995 V. Sukhanov, along with the group of active ostomy patients and with support of the Moscow Chief coloproctologist and Chief doctor of GKB № 24 V. Alexandrov, secured that Moscow Government devoted the first budgetary funds to the purchase of stoma care facilities. V. Sukhanov, together with the doctors of GKB №24, contributed to the elaboration of the decrees issued by the Moscow Department of Health Care and aimed at free permanent support of all the Moscow ostomy patients. As a result, from 1995 up to the present thousands of ostomy patients in Moscow has been freely supplied with the essential stoma care facilities.

V. Sukhanov works tirelessly to provide free support of stoma care facilities for all the ostomists in Russia. The decree №282 clause 22, issued by Ministry of Public Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation (MHSD RF), is particularly worth mentioning for, thanks to the efforts of V.Suchanov, it has expanded for the first time by law the list of  freely supplied rehabilitation equipment for ostomy and nonstoma (with other bladder/bowel problems) invalids in all the Russian regions. It has also defined the acceptable standards for supply and the useful life. Hereafter this contributed to the following legislative acts of the MHSD RF on the expanded list of supplied stoma care facilities and other associated materials. Among those legislative acts are amendments to the decree of the MHSD RF №321, and next №823, №1666;  № 214; № 215; № 1200; methodological recommendations on rehabilitation arrangements and supply of stoma invalids with rehabilitation equipment - concerning the Main Federal Bureau of Medical and Social Assessment, legal documents of the Social Insurance Fund of the RF.     

   At present V. Sukhanov actively counsels Social Insurance Fund and the Federal Bureau of Medical and Social Assessment on both the system of financing and free supply of ostomy patients and other nonstoma patients in Russia with different bladder/bowel dysfunctions with stoma care facilities, and on their rehabilitation. 

 

 

On November 4, 2005, at the invitation of the Russian President V. Putin, V.Sukhanov participated in the state reception on National Unity Day, which was held in The Kremlin, where he also met the Russian minister of health.

 

  In 2004 V. Sukhanov initiated the foundation of the Coordination Council of regional public organizations of stoma invalids and was elected by a unanimous vote as its chairman. The basic objective of the Coordination Council was to unite the existing regional organizations of stoma invalids in order to lend  administrative and instructional as well as consulting support on advancing the social movement of ostomy patients in the Russian regions and foundation of new organisations. The Coordination Council is also responsible for consultations and support by rehabilitation problems, provision with rehabilitation equipment, coordination with the leading medical institutions and cooperation with the all level authorities.

  V. Sukhanov also became a member of the Coordination Council on organisation of the  ostomy rehabilitation centre, which was founded on the basis of the Association of the Russian coloproctologists. 

 

    V. Sukhanov makes a major contribution to the realisation of the main ideas of the International Ostomy Association, to the exchange of experience and development of contacts between ostomy organisations in Russia and other countries. He also renders consulting and methodic assistance to the Ukrainian regional organisations. 

    Since 1993, under the direction of V. Sukhanov, the major all-Russian conferences have been held every three years in Moscow in observance of the World Ostomy Day, with patients, rehabilitation specialists, health care and social protection  representatives, government  and mass media representatives participating and resonating with the Russian society. ASTOM joined the International Ostomy Associations at the 10th World Congress of Ostomy Associations in Amsterdam in April 2000 and received a recognition gift at the nomination "Coloplast Award". 

 

 

 

V. Sukhanov's activity has been repeatedly recognised with gratitude and letters of recommendation by the Department of Social Protection of Moscow City Population, the Charity Council of Moscow City, the Moscow Government Public Relations Committee.

 

 V. Sukhanov is a member of the Public Expert Council under Social Security Fund of the Russian Federation, a co-chairman of the Public Consulting Council on cooperation of social protection authorities with public and non-commercial organisations  within the Department of Social Protection of Moscow City Population, a member of the Public Council under the Moscow Government Public Relations Committee, a member of the board of directors of Moscow City Regional Public Charity Fund on support to vulnerable social groups, a member of the Council of public organisations for the protection of patients' rights under the MHSD RF.