20 Really Good People
“Dr. Mike” providing aid and relief from Ukraine to the US
Family roots in Ukraine; delivering relief, supplies, surgical expertise, and frontline truth through a lifetime of service shaped by medicine, mentorship, and unwavering humanitarian purpose.
Dr. Michael Samotowka’s story begins in upstate New York and extends across continents, operating rooms, air ambulances and conflict zones. As a boy, Samotowka was born and raised in Buffalo, where his family lived in a close-knit immigrant community with strong Ukrainian heritage and pride. The United States offered stability and possibility, yet his cultural roots remained a steady guide that helped shape his sense of service and the compassion that defines his work today.
Now a board-certified trauma surgeon, surgical critical care intensivist and assistant professor of surgery, Samotowka also served as trauma medical director and chief of the surgical intensive care unit at HCA Florida Memorial Hospital in Jacksonville. He consults for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and supports air medical teams as a staff flight surgeon. His leadership roles at the Cleveland Clinic further established a reputation grounded in clinical excellence. Behind each of these titles is the same purpose that drew him to medicine in the first place, which is helping people in their most vulnerable moments.
That purpose now carries him back into Ukraine through MedGlobal and the Ukrainian Medical Association of North America. Working in temporary surgical units and field hospitals, he treats severe trauma, infections, amputations and cascading complications of warfare. His commitment is strengthened by what he sees in the United States as well.
“People in America are, as a whole, incredibly generous. We care about our own, and we care about others. The work MedGlobal carries out around the world, not just in Ukraine, depends on that generosity,” shared Samotowka.
Samotowka understands that compassion alone cannot sustain humanitarian work.
“These initiatives are life-changing, truly game-changing programs,” he said. “But no matter how good the mission is, and no matter how strong the team or the intention behind it, without funding, the work simply cannot happen.”
Equally important to him is preparing the next generation of surgeons. Whether teaching surgical residents in the United States or equipping clinicians in Ukraine, he believes that sustainable recovery depends on shared knowledge and strong local leadership. His humanitarian missions focus on both immediate care and mentorship that will support communities long after a crisis ends.
For Samotowka, service is not occasional. It is a lifelong commitment to advancing trauma care, strengthening global health and honoring the place where his journey began, one patient and one student at a time.
