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Prof. Dr. Krasimir Ivanov, DSc, was conferred the title Honorary Citizen of Varna for his indisputable and long-term efforts, and the outstanding results achieved in the development of healthcare and medical education in the Sea Capital. The Mayor Mr. Ivan Portnih and the Chair of the City Council Mr. Todor Balabanov presented the high honour to Prof. Dr. Krasimir Ivanov at a grand ceremony at the Summer Theatre on 15th August - the Day of Varna.
Upon receiving the distinction, Prof. Ivanov said, "It is a great privilege and honour for me to be selected as an Honorary Citizen of Varna. This inspires me to work with even greater ambition for the prosperity of Varna healthcare and the medical education in the city of Varna. I would like to express my gratitude to my family and all colleagues and friends from Medical University - Varna and University Hospital "St. Marina", whose efforts made it possible the Hospital to become the most state-of-the-art Hospital in Bulgaria, and Medical University - Varna to be the most dynamically developing and the most prosperous Medical University in our country. Thanks to you all, this is a great honour for me!"
The Mayor of Varna Mr. Ivan Portnih addressed the audience on the festive evening with the words, "Varna must continue to develop itself through causes that unite us. "Varna - a City of Knowledge" is such a cause, which has united the academic community of the six universities, research institutions, public figures, intellectuals and the business."
Prof. Dr. Krasimir Ivanov is a medical doctor and a scientist with established international reputation. He has been the Rector of Medical University - Varna for two terms of office from 2012 to 2020, Executive Director of the largest hospital in Eastern Bulgaria, University Hospital "St. Marina" in the period 2001 - 2010, a national consultant in Surgery, a lecturer in the field of Abdominal Surgery, a practising surgeon-oncologist with more than 25 years of work experience, an expert in health management, and the Chair of the Association of University Hospitals in Bulgaria. He is an honorary member of a number of international medical societies, among which the German and Romanian Societies of Surgery. Prof. Ivanov has contributed tremendously to the enhancement of the reputation of the Bulgarian medicine, healthcare and education, and to the prestige of Varna in Europe and worldwide.
Prof. Ivanov is a holder of the Order of St. Cyril and Methodius - Pendant for his contribution to the medical science and education in the Republic of Bulgaria, Honorary Golden Sign "For Merits to Varna", two times holder of the Varna Award, Honorary Citizen of Sliven, Shumen Award for Person of the Year. He has received awards from the Bulgarian Society of Surgery, the Honorary Sign "Bulgarian Doctor", a Golden Badge for Outstanding Merit in the development of Minimally Invasive Surgery, Manager of the Year and plenty of others.
As a Rector of Varna Medical University he has managed to increase the number of international students in English language training by more than 300 percent , and the public procurement - by 50 percent. He has established Affiliates of the University in the cities of Sliven, Veliko Tarnovo and Shumen. He has opened the first in our country University Dental Centre, the first in Eastern Bulgaria Centre for Translational Medicine and Cell Therapy, centres for e-learning and distance learning, for career development in the professions of Health Assistant and Health Care Provider, University Centre for Oriental Medicine, etc. He laid the foundations of the first University Television in our country.
Prof. Dr. Krasimir Ivanov has expanded the international profile and contacts of the University, and today the academic institution is a leader in numerous research projects, including Horizon 2020 of the European Commission and participates in 82 international partnerships in cooperation with institutions from five continents.
Establishing the position of University Hospital "St. Marina"-Varna as a leader in the city of Varna, in the district and in the country, as well as a centre of university medical education is an exceptional merit of Prof. Krassimir Ivanov in his capacity as the Executive Director of the Hospital. Under the management of Prof. Ivanov, the largest hospital in Northeastern Bulgaria has achieved outstanding results, which are of great importance to the development of medicine, healthcare and science in the region. The number of operating rooms has been increased, new sectors of Vascular Surgery, Urology and Pediatric Surgery have been opened. An intranet-based laboratory information system for improving internal communication has been launched. Thanks to the beneficial cooperation with Swiss hospitals, a complete overhaul of the Women's Ward of the Second Psychiatric Clinic has been carried out. DCC "St. Marina" was established, which has become one of the best outpatient units in the region. Centre for AIDS Prevention and Treatment, a Cardiac Surgery Clinic and an Invasive Cardiology Clinic were established, and a second Centre for Angiographic and Invasive Diagnostics and a One-Day Surgery Clinic began to operate. Two major projects related to the improvement of energy efficiency have been completed, a project for modernization of diagnostic imaging through the purchase of equipment for nuclear magnetic tomography has been implemented, and in 2009, a 128-slice computed tomography scanner and the first in Bulgaria Positron Emission Tomography–Computed Tomography scanner (PET/CT) were purchased with funds provided by the Ministry of Health, Bulgaria. This equipment has enhanced the level of diagnostics of a number of socially significant diseases.
Prof. Ivanov was conferred the academic title Doctor Honoris Causa of N. Y. Vaptsarov Naval Academy for establishing the Military Doctor Programme of study, a joint initiative of the Naval Academy, Medical University - Varna and the Military Medical Academy.
