The modern world is characterized by absolute uncertainty caused by epidemics, climate change, as well as geopolitical conflicts, creating new challenges for the health care system. The internal process of reforming the health care system in Ukraine, military operations, the consequences of the pandemic and the upcoming global economic crisis require the heads of healthcare institutions to take effective measures to adapt the enterprises under their care to work in conditions of turbulence and uncertainty. In the conditions of the VUCA world and increasing competition, an important place in the management of public health protection is occupied by the development of the adaptive potential of the enterprise. 

Adaptive transformations in micro-level business entities in the health care sector are also accompanied by the modernization of the entire health care system and objective structural transformations of the country’s economic system.

The purpose of the work is to study the economic category "adaptive potential of health care institutions" and determine the directions of development of the adaptive potential of health care institutions in conditions of uncertainty.

The insufficient development of theoretical and practical aspects of the economic context of adaptation and adaptation potential has led to the need for specification and additional understanding of these economic categories. The object of the study is the process of determining the essence and developing the adaptive potential of a health care institution (HPO) under conditions of uncertainty.

Despite the fact that modern science uses various approaches to understanding adaptation and the adaptive potential of an enterprise, the study of this issue in economic science began relatively recently.The theory of adaptation, in the form in which it is used in modern economic science, was developed within the framework of the general theory of systems, where it generalizes the experience of natural and social sciences in studying the problems of adaptability of complex self-organizing systems to the changing conditions of the operating environment.

In the economic literature there are quite a large number of definitions of the concept “adaptation”.Initially, the concept of adaptation was formed in physiology, where it is defined as a set of reactions that ensure the body’s adaptation to changes in internal and external conditions. In socio-economic research understand adaptation as the ability of a system to detect purposeful adaptive behavior in complex environments and the process of adaptation itself. Adaptation in cybernetics is the accumulation and use of information to achieve an optimal, in some sense, state or behavior of the system under initial uncertainty in changing external conditions.

When defining adaptation, it should be taken into account that it is understood both as a process and as a result: adaptation is used to refer to the process in which a system adapts to factors of the external or internal environment; adaptation is used to denote the relative equilibrium that is established between the system and the environment; adaptation is understood as the result of the adaptive process of the system.

The author's research involves terminological ordering and identification of the essence of the category “adaptation potential” to eliminate and reduce the uncertainty and confusion that invariably arises when using the term in scientific circulation. The adaptive potential of a health care institution (HPO), according to the author, should be understood as the latter’s ability to respond in a timely and effective manner to changes in the external and internal environment, due to the sum of the reactions of all component segments of the potential, aimed at realizing the goals, objectives and mission, in the interests of stakeholders in the best possible way.

The component segments of an enterprise's potential include: production, scientific and technical, logistics, innovation, personnel, financial, investment, information potential and other functional resource-generating areas of the enterprise's potential (Kyzyma О., 2021).

In order to assess the "adaptive potential of the Health Care Institution", we need to set the base level (equilibrium point) of each segment of the enterprise's potential under ideal conditions. Conduct a study to determine the key factors of the negative impact of global and local instability on each segment of the enterprise potential of the Health Care Institution and their conditional weight. In the future, investigate the change (reaction) of the equilibrium point under the influence of the above-mentioned factors, each segment of the company's potential and build an economic model to determine potential risk zones and opportunity zones.

This approach creates a framework for effective management of instability and maximizing opportunities for the development of the enterprise's adaptive potential. By defining a baseline for each potential segment under ideal conditions and examining the impact of global and local volatility, we create a framework for risk and opportunity exploration. Analysis of factors that have a negative impact and their conditional weight allow us to focus on the main challenges. The response of each segment to these factors helps predict possible changes and respond to them. The application of the economic model allows you to determine practical ways of managing risks and using opportunities. The results of such an analysis will serve as a basis for strategic planning of the health care institution, which must be flexible in responding to changes.

The adaptation potential of the enterprise is a dynamic complex of qualities, resources and strategies that ensures constant development and improvement of needs (The Encyclopedia Americana, 1963).

Thus, from our point of view, in order to increase the adaptive potential of health care institutions and assess the adaptive capabilities of organizations, it is necessary to form a management strategy that provides:

- definition of the organization's goals system and strategic vision;

- formation of the mission of the organization;

- developing a management strategy and increasing the adaptive potential of health care institutions in conditions of global instability;

- management of strategy implementation and implementation of the results evaluation system;

- monitoring and adjustment of results.

The development of methodological approaches to assessing the adaptive potential of a health care institution is a complex and interesting process that has undeniable practical value.