EIH Contributes to Ministry of Health’s Quality Reform Initiative
YEREVAN, Armenia — The American University of Armenia Gerald and Patricia Turpanjian College of Health Sciences (TCHS) is supporting the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Armenia in the implementation of the national healthcare quality improvement initiative.
Guided by the Quality of Care Strategy 2022-2026, in recent years, the Ministry of Health has launched the development of quality-of-care tools and the implementation of quality improvement projects across the country. This initiative comes at a critical time for Armenia, as it is moving toward nationwide Universal Health Coverage in 2026.
In light of recent structural reforms — which transferred regional medical centers to the Ministry of Health and mandated designated quality-of-care personnel at all healthcare facilities in Armenia — TCHS has been assisting in training regional staff in healthcare quality management teams and providing entrepreneurship training to their CEOs. This collaboration has become possible through extensive research, education, and field experience in quality of care and entrepreneurship within the TCHS’ “Entrepreneurs in Health” program.
The current “Basics of Quality Improvement Management” and “Entrepreneurship Skills in Healthcare” trainings bring together a diverse group of professionals from all regions of Armenia and run through February and March 2026, respectively. In Armenia, formal pre-service training in quality of care is currently absent, underscoring the critical importance of this initiative. The program will award 54 Continuing Professional Development (CPD) credits to the participants of the course on quality, a particularly important component given the mandatory CPD requirements in this field for appointment as quality-of-care personnel.
“I have already started implementing the quality assurance and improvement tools learned during the training in my facility. We now look at various aspects of quality and care through quite different eyes,” said doctor Ashot Hovhannisyan, Quality Assurance designated person at Martuni Maternity Hospital. Another participant, doctor Nelli Qamalyan from Ijevan Medical Center, noted that the training has significantly increased her confidence in performing her professional responsibilities and has helped her understand her role as a quality-of-care specialist much more clearly.
The “Entrepreneurship Skills in Healthcare” will provide 45 CPD credits to the participants.
Armenia’s first Deputy Minister of Health, Dr. Lena Nanushyan, and the TCHS Dean, Dr. Varduhi Petrosyan, also joined the training and welcomed the participants. Dr. Nanushyan emphasized the importance of strengthening the entrepreneurial and managerial competencies of rural healthcare facility managers, highlighting the need for them to be well-versed in modern strategies that enhance hospital efficiency and enable effective adaptation to a rapidly changing environment. She also expressed gratitude to TCHS for supporting the Ministry of Health during the important health system reform.
The aim of EIH is to improve access to quality health services in rural communities of Armenia through the introduction of advanced technologies and innovative approaches supporting healthcare professionals to develop private health practices.
The AUA Gerald and Patricia Turpanjian College of Health Sciences works actively to improve population health and health services in Armenia and the region through interdisciplinary education and development of health professionals to be leaders in public health, nursing, health services research and evaluation, and health care delivery and management.