The AAHPO Dr. Raffy Hovanessian Continuing Medical Education Program (CMEP) for healthcare professionals working in Artsakh was initiated in 2011. The program’s primary objective is to enhance healthcare services in Artsakh by providing comprehensive Continuing Medical Education (CME) opportunities.
Since its establishment in 2011, the CMEP has produced over 359 Artsakh program alumni and adapted to the evolving healthcare landscape. Initially, in collaboration with the National Institute of Health, the program was among the few initiatives in the country offering Continuing Professional Development (CPD) training courses for physicians in Artsakh.
During the last decade, AAHPO has been the sole diaspora organization addressing the critical needs of CPD for physicians working in Artsakh. This program presents a genuine opportunity for Artsakh physicians to engage with advanced medical experience in the capital of Armenia.
The connection between the intellectual healthcare community of Artsakh and Armenia is critically important, as we have seen repeatedly. CME credits were accumulated over the years, and the network proved vital for most of them following the forced displacement in 2023.
Furthermore, after displacement, when they encountered challenges related to training and accreditation, they were confident that a program existed to help them address these issues; they participated in the program and navigated the shock smoothly.
After 2023, many healthcare professionals from Artsakh relocated to Armenia due to forced displacement. From 2023 to 2025, the AAHPO CME program met over 50% of the existing needs for physician accreditation, allowing them to obtain permission to work and reside in Armenia. More than 100 physicians benefited from this program.
However, the program currently needs to be reconsidered and transformed into a different format for providing CPD to physicians working in Armenia, including those displaced from Artsakh.
The displaced physicians will undergo their CME training through the CME program (four and two weeks, hands-on training in the leading clinics of Yerevan).
After displacement, the biggest challenge for HCP was the accreditation and permission to practice/find a job/. As in Armenia, the accreditation process finished in January 2022, the Armenian Government extended the deadline for Artsakh HCP until January 2025. Through the AAHPO CME program, almost 80 physicians received the necessary credits and got accredited. However, some of them / not a small number/ could not collect the necessary credits and needed to continue to participate in different CPD programs and conferences to collect the credits.
That is why it was essential to continue the program for one more year (2025) to help these HCPs collect the necessary credits and get permission to work. The latter is essential not only for their professional activity and development but also as a prerequisite for staying and working in Armenia.
During the reporting period (January – April) 2025, dozens of physicians forcibly displaced from Artsakh participated in the AAHPO CME program to collect the necessary CPD credits for mandatory accreditation and permission to practice in Armenia.
As expected, due to the proactive promotion of the AAHPO CME program and active engagement of physicians from Artsakh, many applications by displaced physicians from Artsakh have been submitted for program participation in 2025. Considering the high demand, the program has continued to provide displaced physicians with opportunities in 2025. Overall, after displacement, 93 physicians from Artsakh participated in the CME Program from October 2023 to April 2025 (22 physicians after October 2023, 56 in 2024, and 15 before May 2025.
All physicians displaced from Artsakh must collect 220 CPD by the end of December 2024 to complete accreditation and get permission for clinical practice. The AAHPO CME program, in this case, is a unique opportunity for them. The applications continue to be submitted.
Overall, 15 participants were from January to April 2025 (Annex 1). Still, considering the critical need, the CME healthcare team enrolled all applicants to give them equal opportunity to collect the necessary CPD credits. All participants represented a broad spectrum of professions.
All physicians displaced from Artsakh must collect 220 CPD by the end of December 2024 to complete accreditation and get permission for clinical practice. The AAHPO CME program, in this case, is a unique opportunity for them. The applications The CME healthcare team carefully observes all the applications to ensure the maximum catch-up of all displaced physicians who need CPD training and collects the credits for a license. In this regard, some specific modules (for instance, microbiology lab. Investigation) have been proceeding for accreditation to address the demand by physicians from Artsakh.
The Armenian-American symposium “Interdisciplinary Care of Pediatric Patients” was held in the Arabkir Medical Center – Institute of Child and Adolescent Health conference hall on April 11, 2025. The symposium Figure 8: The Armenian-American symposium “Interdisciplinary Care of Pediatric Patients” at Arabkir MC 5 focused on current issues in pediatric surgery, anesthesiology, and intensive care and is organized within the framework of the collaboration program between Stony Brook University Hospital and the Arabkir Medical Center – ICAH. The relevant specialists displaced from Artsakh also participated in this important event.continue to be submitted.
In January 2025, another meeting was organized at the National Medical Library (NML) to better understand healthcare professionals’ needs and perspectives. The former Minister of Health and the Directors of all medical centers from Artsakh participated. Around 50 healthcare providers with various specializations displaced from Artsakh gathered to discuss their plans and receive professional guidance. The meeting was part of FAR Emergency Relief for healthcare providers displaced from Artsakh, held in collaboration with AAHPO. Figure 9: Meeting with displaced HCP from Artsakh
Although most displaced HCPs have already been accredited and found jobs, many HCPs still face barriers to accreditation and job search. These meetings (proposed to be organized regularly) are a good opportunity to promote the AAHPO CME program as the best choice to address these complications.
Despite all challenges and circumstances, Artsakh physicians continued participating in one-month CME training courses in Yerevan, a critical issue regarding the obligatory required accreditation process. The AAHPO CME Program is still the best opportunity for Artsakh doctors, as NIH and YSMU could not cover the extensive need (Annex 2). Almost all CME modules are updated and accredited, and starting in 2025, participants will receive 120 CPD credits.
The activities that will be focused on the HCPs from Artsakh in the context of their CPD, occupational, and social status are presented below.
These activities are designed to holistically support the professional development, occupational integration, and social well-being of HCPs from Artsakh during these challenging times.
