A little later, the National Public Health Center (NVSC), which manages the institution, announced this.
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The new head will start work on Monday. Until now, the laboratory was temporarily headed by Toma Petrulionienė, head of the Chemical Research Department.
According to R. Tamošauskas, the most important thing for the laboratory is professional employees and public trust.
“My goal is to strengthen the laboratory’s role in the public health system. We will strive for laboratory tests to be carried out in accordance with the highest quality standards, for advanced technologies to be implemented, and for the organization to remain a reliable partner for public health care institutions and residents,” he said in the statement.
R. Tamošauskas completed his Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration at Kaunas University of Technology and his Master’s degree in International Trade at Vilnius University.
The future head of the laboratory has worked in both the private and public sectors, has many years of managerial experience in strategic management, organizational development, and change implementation. He was responsible for organizational development, process improvement, quality assurance, performance management, and team building, according to the statement.
NVSPL had no permanent head since October 2021, when the then Minister of Health, Arūnas Dulkys, dismissed Danas Bakša from these duties, having established a gross violation of work duties.
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Initially, a director was not sought for the institution due to intentions to transfer the institution to NVSC, which was done in 2023. The Center for Communicable Diseases and AIDS had already been merged with the center earlier.
Politicians stated that they made this decision due to the poor performance of the institutions, hoping that the merger would improve the network’s operations.
The competition for these positions was announced for the first time in August 2024, but a head could not be elected because the candidates did not collect the required number of points.
It was announced again in April this year.
According to Vaidotas Gruodis, director of NVSC, the laboratory is one of the most important institutions in the Lithuanian public health system, therefore high requirements for leadership and organizational management are set for its head.
“We were looking for a leader capable not only of ensuring the smooth operation of the organization but also of rallying the team, strengthening quality management, effectively managing organizational resources, and implementing changes that would allow NVSPL to continue successfully performing its assigned functions. Richard Tamošauskas’ accumulated leadership experience, strategic approach, and the strategic goals of NVSPL presented during the competition met these expectations,” V. Gruodys said in the statement.
NVSPL functions include laboratory tests, measurements, and calculations aimed at assessing risks to human health related to products, environmental factors, and infectious diseases.
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