History
In 2006, Gerald Turpanjian, long-time benefactor and international philanthropist, donated $5 million to the American University of Armenia (AUA) for encouraging economic development in rural areas. As a result, the Turpanjian Rural Development Program (TRDP) was established, aiming to provide education and entrepreneurship opportunities to people living in rural areas of the Republic of Armenia, Artsakh, and Javakhk to encourage rural development, create jobs, and improve communities. With the support of TRDP, 1260 TRDP applicants have completed the training courses, 393 businesses have been established, and 640 jobs have been created so far.
Specific interest among TRDP applicants toward establishing private medical practices became a basis for the launch of a new program called Entrepreneurs in Health (EIH), aiming to increase access to quality health services in rural communities and regional small towns of the Republic of Armenia, Artsakh, and Javakhk, through establishment and/or expansion of private medical practices.
EIH Objectives
1) To equip those healthcare providers willing to establish private practices in rural regions (EIH project beneficiaries) with the necessary knowledge and skills through trainings on entrepreneurship and healthcare quality assurance.
2) To assist project beneficiaries in applying for loans with low interest rates from the local banks to finance the establishment of their practices.
3) To provide continuous support to the EIH beneficiaries throughout the process of establishment and operation of the private practices, through professional consultancy, monitoring, and evaluation.
Main Program Components
- Provision of free-of-charge training courses
- “Entrepreneurship skills” course (result – Business Plan preparation)
- “Basics of healthcare quality management” course (result – Quality Assurance Plan preparation)
- Opportunity to receive low interest (6%) loan
- Continuous professional support
- Collaboration with diasporan professionals
- Monitoring and evaluation of established private practices
- Additional support to applicants from border communities
Our team
EIH Executive Committee
Haroutune Armenian, MD, DrPH
President Emeritus, American University of Armenia
Chair, Turpanjian Rural Development Program
Chair, Entrepreneurs in Health Program
Varduhi Petrosyan, MS, PhD
Dean, Turpanjian School of Public Health
Director, Onanian Center for Health Services Research and Development
Vahe Kazandjian MPH, PhD
Adjunct Professor
The Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
Quality of Healthcare Consultant
Dr. Shant Shekherdimian MD
Pediatric surgeon, Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center
Zorair Kirakosyan, MA
TRDP Director of Field Operations
Murad Kirakosyan, MD
Quality of healthcare specialist
EIH Program Staff
Astghik Atanyan, MD, MPH
EIH Program Coordinator
Address: 40 Baghramian Avenue, Yerevan 0019, Armenia
Office: 436W AUA PAB
Phone: +374 55 050 164, +374 60 612 591 (office)
Email: [email protected], [email protected]
Hratchia Lylozian, MD, MPH
EIH Field Operations Manager
Address: 40 Baghramian Avenue, Yerevan 0019, Armenia
Office: 436W AUA PAB
Phone: +374 55 050 293 +374 60 612 570
Email: [email protected], [email protected]