From 1 September 2026, Kazimieras Simonavičius University (KSU) will launch two new study programmes: the Bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Services Management and the Master’s degree in Healthcare System Governance. These study programmes will initially be taught in Lithuanian. To discuss why Lithuania today needs new competencies in healthcare management, we speak with Helga Marija Kauzonė, Vice-Rector for Research at KSU, who has over 20 years of leadership experience in the healthcare system.
How do you assess the need for these new study programmes in Lithuania?
The need for such programmes in Lithuania today is both clear and substantial. The healthcare sector is undergoing rapid change: the number of private healthcare and rehabilitation providers is growing, telemedicine is expanding, and patient expectations regarding service quality and transparency are increasing. All of this means that the system requires not only highly qualified medical professionals, but also professional managers.
At present, many management decisions in healthcare institutions are still made by clinicians themselves, even though a modern healthcare system requires strategic thinking, financial and data analysis skills, service planning capabilities and crisis management competence. As a result, there is a clear shortage of professional healthcare management specialists, particularly in the public sector.
Do other universities in Lithuania offer similar healthcare management programmes? What distinguishes KSU in this context?
At many universities, healthcare management is taught only in fragments, usually as part of public health or public administration programmes. KSU has chosen a different path: here, healthcare management is a core and consistently developed field of study, spanning from bachelor’s to master’s level.
The Bachelor’s programme focuses on the day-to-day management of healthcare services and processes, including patient flows, quality assurance, pricing and cost calculation. The Master’s programme is designed for those who wish to see the system as a whole — to understand health policy, financing mechanisms, innovation implementation and system governance at both national and international levels.
A key distinguishing feature is the strong practical orientation of the programmes. Students will work with real-life cases, simulations and project-based assignments, and will be taught not only by academics but also by practitioners with hands-on experience in the healthcare system.
In summary, KSU stands out by offering not fragmented knowledge, but a coherent healthcare management education model grounded in practice, real-world challenges and international experience, and aligned with the needs of today’s and tomorrow’s healthcare systems.
How is the healthcare sector itself changing, and what is the role of a professional healthcare manager today?
The global COVID-19 pandemic and the changing geopolitical situation have clearly demonstrated that the healthcare system is not only a medical one, but also a complex organisational structure that must function smoothly even under extreme conditions. Clinicians should not be overburdened with managerial responsibilities. A professional healthcare manager enables doctors and nurses to focus on patient care, while ensuring that the organisation operates efficiently, sustainably and is prepared for crisis scenarios.
The role of a healthcare manager goes beyond administering processes. It involves bridging medicine, economics, technology and people; understanding how health insurance systems function, how service pricing is formed, how patient flows are planned, and how organisations must operate during crises, pandemics or security threats.
This is precisely the role and set of competencies that KSU’s programmes aim to develop — preparing specialists who can not only respond to change, but also actively strengthen the resilience, security and functionality of the healthcare system in challenging circumstances.
Which competencies are currently most lacking among healthcare leaders?
Practice shows that many leadership positions in healthcare institutions are held by highly qualified medical professionals who do not always have sufficient knowledge or skills in strategic planning, financial management, data analysis or change management. Moreover, there is often a lack of deeper understanding of how the healthcare system functions “from the inside”: how financing mechanisms, regulation, service organisation, human resources and technology interact, and how international contexts, EU policies and global health trends influence decision-making.
Leadership and communication skills are also essential — the ability to unite teams, work under pressure and see the broader system-wide picture. KSU’s study programmes are specifically designed to address these gaps.
What career opportunities can graduates expect?
Career opportunities for graduates of these programmes are very broad. Graduates can work in healthcare, rehabilitation, nursing or private clinics; in the public sector; in ministries; or in healthcare policy and project management roles.
Internationally, opportunities exist in international organisations, as well as in health technology, pharmaceutical, digital health and telemedicine companies.
Importantly, graduates are not confined to a single career path. The acquired knowledge allows for flexible combinations of management, analytics, policy development and innovation, and also enables graduates to establish their own businesses in the healthcare sector. Master’s graduates, in particular, will be qualified for strategic and leadership positions and may also continue their academic careers through doctoral studies in Lithuania or abroad.
How much practical experience is included in the studies?
The practical dimension is one of the most important components of these programmes. Students will continuously work with real cases, simulations and project-based assignments. The final thesis at both bachelor’s and master’s level is a practical project aimed at solving a real organisational or system-level problem.
Our goal is for graduates to be ready for real work and real problem-solving from their very first day.
Are the programmes focused solely on healthcare, or are the competencies transferable to other sectors?
Although the programmes focus on the healthcare sector, the competencies acquired are far broader and easily transferable to other fields. Healthcare is one of the most complex and highly regulated systems, which means that management skills developed within it naturally become universal and highly valuable across many organisations.
Students develop skills in strategic planning, data analysis, financial and human resource management, process modelling, evidence-based decision-making, change leadership and crisis management. These competencies are relevant not only in healthcare institutions, but also in public administration, social services, education, pharmaceuticals, biomedicine, health technologies, innovation and project management.
Particular emphasis is placed on developing systems thinking and interdisciplinary collaboration. Graduates learn to view organisations holistically, understand the interconnections between different processes and address complex problems — capabilities that are highly valued in any modern organisation.
