Yerevan/DC Partners Open Satellite Primary Care Center in Gavar

In response to alarmingly high rates of breast cancer and other serious health concerns among citizens in Armenia's Gegharkunik Region, AIHA's Yerevan/Washington, DC partners opened a primary care clinic in the district capital of Gavar on July 6. The new facility operates as a satellite of the Armenian American Wellness Center (AAWC), offering family medicine services and gynecological care including pap smears, mammograms, and other diagnostic screening, as well as a wide variety of health promotion and disease prevention programs geared toward people of all ages.

Rita Balian addresses special guests and members of the Gavar community who attended the opening ceremony. Behind her on the podium are program participants Maryjo and John Ordway, Stepan Barseghyan, Hranush Hakobian, and Vicken Poochikian. (Photo: Courtesy of Rita Balian)

Located on the shores of Lake Sevan approximately 100 kilometers from Yerevan, the Gegharkunik Region is home to some 270,000 people—35,000 of whom reside in Gavar. Partners chose this city for their first Satellite Center because monthly demographic surveys conducted among patients who traveled to the AAWC for treatment during the past six years indicate women in this district have higher rates of breast cancer than those living in other locales. Other major health concerns for the population of Gavar include thyroid conditions, kidney disease, and cardiovascular problems, all ailments that can largely be managed through appropriate lifestyle choices and regular medical care.

Stressing the importance of making primary care and patient education services accessible to the population in this socially vulnerable region, Hranush Hakobyan, the Armenian partnership coordinator, a member of the national assembly, and co-president of the Armenian American Wellness Center, states, "It is a well-known fact that prevention is a weak link in Armenia's healthcare system. In general, people visit a physician only after they've become ill. There is no tradition of an annual check-up, so many diseases are discovered in their later stages when chances of successful treatment are diminished, and there are few if any community awareness programs that teach people the value of preventive care."

In addition to providing much-needed clinical services, an important mission for staff at the Satellite Center will be persuading people—especially those living in more rural settings—not to ignore health-related problems. "We want people to feel comfortable about visiting the doctor, but to accomplish this we must first change their mentality," Hakobyan explains, detailing some of their strategies for meeting this goal, including hosting a number of community events and distributing educational materials, as well as working with local mass media to keep the public engaged and informed.

The process of renovating the building that houses the Gavar Satellite Center—and outfitting it with modern equipment, medical supplies, and pharmaceuticals, as well as training its staff—represents a true collaboration among the local community; Armenian and American governments; donor organizations such as AIHA, Carelift International, and International Relief and Development; and members of the Armenian-American Diaspora, many of whom, in addition to helping fund this project, also volunteered their time and expertise.

"Bringing high-quality healthcare services—including modern diagnostics to detect breast and cervical cancer at the earliest possible stages and community education and outreach programs that teach people to take a more active role in their own health—has been a top priority for us from day-one," notes Rita Balian, US partnership coordinator and president, founder, and CEO of the Armenian American Cultural Association (AACA). "We travel on a regular basis to rural communities throughout Armenia to provide clinical services and encourage monthly breast self-exams. Even more importantly, we teach women that their health and the health of their families depend on them forming a partnership with their healthcare providers. This Satellite Center is a natural extension of our work."

Gegharkunik Governor Stepan Barseghyan shares his thoughts on how the new primary care clinic will benefit the local community by making early detection and patient education services easily accessible. (Photo: Courtesy of Rita Balian)

Some 250 people—including Deputy Minister of Health Tatul Hakobyan, US Ambassador to Armenia John Ordway, Gegarkunik Regional Governor Stepan Barseghyan, USAID Country Director for ArmeniaKeith Simmons, USAID Health Officer Anna Gregorian, Arpi Vartanian of the Armenian Assembly, and representatives of local and national media outlets—attended the opening ceremony. Members of the local community were eager to avail themselves of the Center's services and many made appointments to be seen during its first week of operation. Since then, more than 40 patients have come to the Center each day to seek treatment.

A number of US healthcare professionals—including cytologist Katherine Berberian, cytopathologist Camilla Cobb, primary care physician Vicken Poochikian, and obstetrician/gynecologist Emma Zargarian—assisted with the launch of the Satellite Center, providing training for the Armenian clinicians staffing the Center and, in some cases, even staying on in Gavar for several days to help with patient care.

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