The reason why two renowned doctors from the Czech Republic have flown to the United States and visited Meridian Monday was to build relationships in hopes of gaining new partners for a rising program of health care management.

    RNDr. Dagmar Glückaufová and Dr. Oldfiich ·ubrt met with local medical community representatives and officials with the MSU School of Business in order to test the waters and expand the program. Glückaufová said since the fall of the Iron Curtain in Eastern Europe, the challenges of providing affordable and comprehensive health care has been paramount among medical professionals there.

    “We have been trying to address the issues of health care management,” Glückaufová said. “We had the training but we didn’t have the management skills required to fully care for the patients.”

    Glückaufová met a kindred spirit in ·ubrt who has a Master of Business Administration in International Management, Thunderbird, Garvin School of International Management, Central and Eastern Europe Program. In 2001, ·ubrt completed the Healthcare Management executive training program, McGill Management, Centre of International Management Studies in Montreal, Canada. A former surgeon, ·ubrt agreed with Glückaufová in trying to bridge the gap between health care and the management of patients.

    “We are trying to get the healthcare to all the people,” ·ubrt said.

    Dr. Sharon Oswald is the dean of College of Business for MSU. She said these first talks with Glückaufová and ·ubrt is a starting point.

    “I’ve had an affiliation with them and the academy,” Oswald said. “This is a chance for the two of them to meet with a wide range of people and to tell them what the academy is all about.”

    The Academy of Healthcare Management has a working partnership with Auburn University. The MBA program has already graduated scores of medical professionals in America and across Europe.