There’s a winter storm brewing that promises to blanket the Northeast in heavy snow and dangerous amounts of ice. Preparing for the kinds of impacts we’re expecting isn’t just about stocking up on groceries and batteries. Here’s what you should (and shouldn’t) do.

Don’t just plan for power outages. Do plan for days of isolation
This storm is extreme, but even moderate winter storms can knock out electricity, especially when ice or heavy snow is involved. A battery-powered or hand-crank radio can provide weather updates if cell service and internet go down.

• Keep phones and power banks charged. Make sure flashlights, radios and extra batteries are easy to find.
• Refill prescriptions early. Make sure baby formula, diapers, pet food and medications are stocked. If anyone relies on powered medical equipment, have a backup plan in place before the storm.
• Pull out blankets, hats and warm layers now so you’re not scrambling later. Even short-lived storms can disrupt travel and services for days.

Don’t overfill your fridge. Do stock shelf-stable food and water
If the power goes out, refrigerated food won’t last long. Focus on pantry items that don’t require electricity, refrigeration or cooking.

You should aim for at least three days of food and water for everyone in your household, including pets. The Federal Emergency Management Agency recommends storing at least one gallon of water per day for each person in your household.

Your refrigerator will keep food safe for about four hours during a power outage, according to the US Department of Agriculture. A full freezer will hold a safe temperature for approximately 48 hours — but that time limit drops to 24 hours if it is half full and the door remains closed.

Disposable plates, cups and flatware can be useful to have on hand, too, if you’re without power or water.

Read more preparation tips

Are You Too Old to Shovel Snow?

On Maternal Health Awareness Day, We Salute the AAHPO Maternal Health Experts

Today is the fifth annual Maternal Health Awareness Day observed by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG ). This year, the theme is Holding Ground on Maternal Health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that more than 80% of deaths during and after pregnancy are preventable.

Maternal health is a high priority for the AAHPO Board of Directors. Four members of the BOD are obstetricians or maternal health researchers: Lucy Tovmasian, MD, Lena Merjanian, MD, Kim Hekimian, PhD and Samuel Badalian, MD, PhD.

Lucy Tovmasian, MD

Lena Merjanian, MD

Kim Hekimian, PhD

Samuel Badalian, MD, PhD

We also Salute these AAHPO OB/GYNs: Hasmik Stepanyan, MD, Marine Sahakyan, MD

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Maternal Health Q&A from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)

Q. Why is it important to eat healthy during pregnancy?
A. Eating well is one of the best things you can do during pregnancy. Healthy eating helps your fetus grow and keeps your body healthy throughout all the changes that pregnancy brings.

Q. What does it mean to eat healthy during pregnancy?
A. The popular saying is that when you’re pregnant, you should “eat for two,” but that doesn’t mean that you should eat twice your usual amount of food during pregnancy. Instead, you should aim to eat twice as healthy.

Q. How do I know if I’m eating healthy?
A. Eat fresh, whole foods if you can. Eat a variety of foods from the five food groups. Eat fewer foods that are high in saturated fat or sugar. Focus on getting the right amount of nutrients to support your fetus’s growth and your health.

Learn more about healthy eating during pregnancy

Learn more about other ways to stay healthy during pregnancy

Khoren Nalbandian, RPh

Pharmacists have always been integral to AAHPO. One of our founders was the late, great Khoren Nalbandian, RPh (photo at right), who served AAHPO and the Armenian community for decades.

On National Pharmacist Day, observed annually on January 12th, we honor the nearly 350,000 pharmacists in the United States who promote patient health by dispensing medications, advising patients, and providing health information and guidance in pharmacies, hospitals, and retail locations as well as non-patient-facing positions.

We are especially grateful for the hard work and dedication of the pharmacists who are AAHPO members. These highly skilled professionals leverage their knowledge and experience in a variety of roles and make a difference in the Armenian community every day.

Thank you, pharmacists, for your exceptional contributions and for your unwavering commitment to safeguarding patient health.

We Salute the AAHPO Pharmacists

Christine Atlas Yinlanjian, RPh
Christine Getzoyan, PharmD, RPh
Gail Varjabedian, RPh
Laura Der Marderosian Torcomian, RPh
Robert Kevorkian, RPh
Sonia Mardinian, MS, RPh
Tanya Torosian, RPh
Vatche Demirjian, PharmD

Have a Healthy New Year Celebration:
CDC Says Don’t Eat Raw Oysters

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a warning against eating raw oysters, as a multi-state Salmonella outbreak has been reported linked to the consumption of raw oysters. The highest number of illnesses were reported in New York and Pennsylvania, with illness reported in New Jersey as well. A total of 64 cases have been reported in 22 states, resulting in 20 hospitalizations.

Source: CDC

The CDC noted that eating cooked oysters is safe, as cooking destroys the bacteria. CDC offered these tips for cooks:

• Do not let raw seafood, its drippings, or its juices contaminate other foods.
• You cannot tell if an oyster has germs by looking at it.
• Hot sauce and lemon juice do not kill germs.

Cooking methods include cooking oysters in the shells until they open (discard oysters that do not open) or outside the shells, to an internal temperature of 145 deg. F.

Symptoms of Salmonella

• Most people infected with Salmonella experience diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps.
• Symptoms usually start 6 hours to 6 days after swallowing the bacteria.
• Most people recover without treatment after 4 to 7 days.
• Some people—especially children younger than 5, adults 65 and older, and people with weakened immune systems—may experience more severe illnesses that require medical treatment or hospitalization.

Read the CDC Warning

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Preventing Food Poisoning

Source: CDC

Some foods are more likely than others to contain germs that can make you sick.

To prevent food poisoning, follow the four steps to food safety: Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill. Keep hands and surfaces clean, keep risky foods separate from other foods, cook food properly, and refrigerate promptly. If a food is recalled, throw it away.

Some foods are more likely to contain harmful germs, including:

• Raw or undercooked poultry, meat, seafood, or eggs
• Raw or undercooked sprouts
• Unwashed fruits and vegetables
• Cut melon
• Unpasteurized milk, juice, cider, or soft cheese
• Raw dough or raw batter made with uncooked flour

Learn more from the CDC

As snow blanketed the tri-state region and the Northeastern U.S. this week, heart health experts have shared warnings of the physical strain shoveling can take — particularly for older adults.

A 2025 Mayo Clinic review found that just 10 minutes of heavy snow shoveling can push the heart to about 97% of its maximum rate. Exposure to cold air was also found to increase blood pressure and reduce coronary blood flow (see related article, below).

While there isn’t an official age that’s “too old” to shovel, some cardiologists recommend that individuals over 45 should exercise more caution to lower their chances of a cardiac event.

The impact of snow removal is especially concerning for those with existing cardiovascular risks and a history of heart attack or stroke, according to cardiologists.

LEARN MORE

Safety Tips from The Mayo Clinic News Network

Shoveling snow can mean taking on more than your body can handle. And ignoring signs that you need to take a break from shoveling may prove to be harmful. Here are some tips for safe snow shoveling:

• Be heart conscious.
• If you have a history of heart problems and are currently inactive, it’s best to speak with your health care provider before shoveling.
• Additionally, don’t shovel while smoking, eating or after consuming caffeine; this may place extra stress on your heart.
• Dress Warm.
• Wear several layers of clothing. You can always remove a layer if needed.
• Drink plenty of water.
• Remaining hydrated during cold-weather months is just as important as during warm-weather months.
• Warm up your arms and legs.
• Stretch your arms and legs before beginning to shovel. You are less likely to injure muscles when they are warm.
• Take it slow.
• Pace yourself and take breaks if you need to. Safety is more important than speed.
• Protect your back.
• Bend at the knees, not the back. Lift with your legs bent, stand with your feet hip-width apart for balance and keep the shovel close to your body. Also, don’t pick up too much snow at once; use a small shovel or fill up a large shovel no more than half way.
• Shovel while snow is fresh.
• Freshly fallen snow is lighter than snow that has started melting.
• Listen to your body.
• This is the most important snow shoveling tip. If something feels abnormal, or if you’re tired, it’s time to stop.
• If you are experiencing an emergency, call 911 immediately.

This Friday, November 21, please join AAHPO for a Medical Forum on Dental and Orthodontic Care for Women and Children at 7:00 PM at St. Thomas Armenian Church, Tenafly, NJ. Meet the AAHPO Experts who will provide presentations and answer your questions.

Dr. Natalie Capan has been an ABO-Board Certified Orthodontist for the last 25 years in Englewood Cliffs, NJ. She received her education at the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School and Harvard School of Dental Medicine. Dr. Capan completed Orthodontic Residency at Columbia University School of Dental Medicine. She is passionate about orthodontic treatment in children and adults with a special focus in benefits of early treatment to modify growth in order to provide more esthetic, stable and functional results at the end of orthodontic treatment. She has been a part of the St. Thomas Armenian Church community since her family moved into the area in 1976. She met her husband at St. Thomas and has raised her 3 boys – Shant, Garo and Saro in this church community. She will speak on:
“The Importance of Early Orthodontic Treatment in Children Ages 7-11.”

Dr. Gary Dadaian is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame, the Fairleigh Dickinson University School of Dentistry and the Medical/Dental Residency Program at Overlook Hospital in Summit, N.J. He was appointed as a clinical professor at the Columbia University College of Dental Medicine and is a member of the Medical Staff at Englewood Hospital. Locally he is the past president of the Cresskill Board of Health where he still maintains a private practice. His lectures have been presented to dental students and dental hospital residents here and in Europe and is a proud member of the Armenian community. Dr. Dadian will speak on:
“Medicine and Dentistry for Women for the Expecting Mother through Adulthood.”

Many thanks to AAHPO’s partner, Englewood Hospital, and our host, the St. Thomas Church Cultural Committee. Go to EVENT PAGE for more details and to reserve your spot.

Graduate students matriculating in any healthcare discipline are invited to apply for the AAHPO Najarian Family Scholarship. Established in 2019 by the Lawrence and Magda Najarian Family, the scholarship honors their parents, Mary and Vahan Najarian and Freda and Gagiuk Hovakimian, MD, PhD. The scholarship benefits students matriculating in a graduate program related to the healthcare sciences with an award of $2,500. The deadline for application is December 1, 2025 and the scholarship recipient will be announced on January 18, 2026 at the AAHPO Service Awards.

CONTACT AAHPO TO APPLY

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Meet an AAHPO Najarian Family Scholarship Winner

Christopher Markosian, PhD was awarded the 2024 AAHPO Najarian Family Scholarship. He is a matriculating medical student at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. After receiving his Bachelor of Arts in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry (highest honors, summa cum laude) from Rutgers University, Christopher served as an English instructor at Yerevan State Medical University in Armenia as part of the Fulbright US Student Program.

Following his return to the United States in 2019, he began his graduate studies in the MD-PhD program at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. Christopher recently earned his Doctor of Philosophy in Biomedical Sciences in 2024 after defending his thesis, entitled “Target Discovery in Non-Human Primates with Hereditary Colon Cancer.” His work has been featured in over 30 publications in several prestigious journals.

Persisting Pandemics was authored by Powel H. Kazanjian, MD, PhD, a professor emeritus at the University of Michigan Medical School and School of Public Health. The book explores the history of syphilis and AIDS to provide insights into the limits of biomedicine and our experience with epidemics today. The need for a public health approach to address mistrust in science, government indifference, and racial inequalities is relevant for strategies to eliminate COVID-19 today.

To learn more or to order the book

“Soul on Fire” is a movie to be released nationwide on October 10. This is based on a remarkable and true story involving a famous plastic surgeon, Dr. Vatche Aivazian, a graduate of American University of Beirut Medical School.

“Dr. Aivazian was a dear classmate of my late husband, Dr. Raffy Hovanessian,” noted Vicki Shoghag Hovanessian, who serves as Cultural Advisor to the Embassy if Republic if Armenia to the United States. The late, great Dr. Hovanessian founded the AAHPO – Dr. Raffy Hovanessian Medical Education Program.

In “Soul on Fire,” Dr. Aivazian’s name is changed to Dr. Kendrick Khachikian, and he portrays an Armenian-American plastic surgeon who is living in Lebanon

The true story happened in 2006. While working in a makeshift clinic in Lebanon, Dr. Aivazian treated John O’Leary, an American photojournalist who had been severely burned in a roadside bombing during a conflict. The burns were incredibly extensive and complex, requiring a level of skill and dedication that was rarely seen.

The burns were deeply embedded and required. multiple surgeries, complex skin grafting, and constant immaculate care to prevent infection

Dr. Aivazian and his team worked tirelessly, often operating over 24 hours at a time, to save O’Leary’s life. The situation was very difficult, with limited resources and at high risk for complications.

The title “Soul on Fire” reflects the immense emotional and physical toll the operation took on Dr. Aivazian – the intensity of his dedication and the personal sacrifice he made. It’s also a reference to the intense physical suffering of John O’Leary.

Learn more about “Soul on Fire”

AAHPO extends sincere congratulations to Dr. Ara Tekian, PhD, MHPE for his upcoming investiture as the Dr. Georges Bordage Professor of Medical Education at University of Illinois College of Medicine.

Dr. Ara Tekian

Dr. Tekian is collaborating with AAHPO Board Members John Bilezikian, MD, PhD and Samuel Badalian, MD, PhD to renew the directive of the AAHPO-Dr. Raffy Hovanessian Medical Education Program.

Dr. Tekian is an internationally recognized scholar and leader in health professions education. He organized and conducted over 300 workshops in more than 45 countries and 60 cities, as well as presented over 250 keynote addresses nationally and internationally. He has over 150 peer-reviewed publications and is the Principal Investigator of 15 research and training grants totaling over 5 million U.S. Dollars. His consultations and workshops have focused on curriculum development, assessment, program evaluation, simulations, and international medical education. His scholarship in health professions education is reflection in publications in the premiere medical education journals.

Currently, Dr. Tekian is Professor at University of Illinois College of Medicine, as well as Director of International Affairs at the Department of Medical Education (DME), and the Associate Dean for the Office of International Education. He joined DME in 1992 and is involved in both teaching courses offered in the Master of Health Professions Education (MHPE) program and advising graduate students.

Prior to joining DME, he was the founding Director of the first Medical Education Department in Saudi Arabia, at King Saud University, College of Medicine in Riyadh (1983 – 1990). He served during the 80s and 90s as a consultant to the World Health Organization (WHO) Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office (EMRO) for projects in the Division of Development of Human Resources for Health. He also served as consultant to the Ministries of Health and Education in most of the Eastern Mediterranean countries. Dr. Tekian established several medical education departments/ units in the Eastern Mediterranean countries.