The University of Kansas Medical Center reached out 6,400 miles to the Republic of Armenia, establishing an avenue for cultural, educational and scientific cooperation with the Yerevan State Medical University. Two years in the making, this agreement was finalized on January 11, 2010. This arrangement represents a change for KU Medical Center and the University of Kansas Center for Telemedicine & Telehealth who have predominantly served the needs of Kansans.
After declaring its independence from the former Soviet Union in 1991, Armenia has faced the monumental tasks of developing its own economy, organizing a new political system, creating an effective social support system and establishing a strong position in the international community. Although the Armenian government has recently increased efforts to improve the nation's primary health care system, financial support is limited and gaps in institutional capacity persist.
The Kansas National Guard began its partnership with Armenia in 2003. The Kansas-Armenia partnership initially provided assistance to the Armenian Ministry of Defense by training non-commissioned officers, increasing their peace-keeping capacity and establishing mobile hospitals for emergency response. The partnership had expanded by 2008 to include civilian partners, such as law enforcement, education, medicine and agriculture. In summer 2008, the Kansas National Guard brought representatives from the University of Kansas, Kansas State University, Manhattan Area Technical College and Washburn University to help Armenia develop new healthcare, agricultural, postsecondary education and training initiatives.
KU Medical Center faculty visited Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, in 2008 and 2009 to lay the foundation for long-term cooperation between the medical center and the Yerevan State Medical University, the only medical school in Armenia. This initiative will:
Telemedicine will be vital to establish and maintain this long-distance initiative. "Telemedicine is the key," says Anthony Wellever, MA, a research assistant professor in the department of family medicine at the University of Kansas School of Medicine, who is coordinating all KU Medical Center–YSMU activity. "With the videoconference capabilities of the Center for Telemedicine & Telehealth here at KU, staying connected with YSMU faculty in Armenia is as manageable as connecting KU physicians with patients in rural Kansas."
The faculty visits have revealed many similarities between Kansas and Armenia: each is predominantly rural and possesses a single medical school. "Both countries face similar obstacles in areas such as access to care and rural health," says David Cook, PhD, associate vice chancellor for outreach at KU Medical Center. Along with Mr. Wellever, he has been at the forefront of the KU Medical Center–YSMU program development. "The degree of the challenge is different, but much is the same."
The National Guard State Partnership Program is a dynamic initiative, which the Kansas National Guard predicts will expand to include additional countries. KU Medical Center and KU Center for Telemedicine & Telehealth could find their outreach programs called upon to serve many more nations in our global community.
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The University of Kansas Medical Center