On the weekend of April 26–27, 2025, Health For Armenia held its second in-person retreat for our inaugural cohort of doctor-leaders taking part in the Healthcare Leadership Program — this time in the heart of Shirak marz. Hosted at Impact Hub Gyumri, the Spring Retreat was a celebration of progress, a space for community learning, and a chance to reflect on the transformative journeys these rural healthcare professionals have undertaken over the past six months.
As with our February retreat, we intentionally chose a rural setting to emphasize our commitment to Armenia’s underserved regions. Our time in Gyumri created the perfect atmosphere to reflect on growth, strengthen community bonds, and deepen our mission to transform healthcare from the ground up.
The retreat began with a vibrant morning session on communication and confidence-building led by Executive Director Lusine Manukyan. Through role-play and power poses, doctors reflected on how they present themselves and their ideas in front of big and small audiences.
The day’s centerpiece was a poster presentation showcase. Each doctor-leader exhibited their quality improvement projects tackling local healthcare challenges. Projects included focus on various aspects of preventative care from improving screening rates to addressing chronic illness management.
The doctor-leaders prepared academic posters setting out the problem they were trying to tackle, their improvement plans, progress to date, challenges and measurement plans. They each had the opportunity to present their projects to our guests and stakeholders.
"Preparing for the poster presentation beforehand helped me a lot. It gave me confidence in my abilities and inspired me to take new steps. I felt that I could overcome any difficulty."
Inga Akhtieva, Doctor-leader, Kotayq
We were honored to hear from the Minister of Health Anahit Avanesyan, who joined us virtually and not only delivered a heartfelt keynote speech but also provided important insights from her own personal journey. Her message was clear: Armenia’s healthcare future depends on those willing to lead from within. In the Minister's words:
"I have very big hopes for this group and I am confident that the knowledge and skills, the new approaches and most importantly the opportunity to collectively go through this journey will be a huge experience for the development and reform of our primary care system".
Minister of Health, Anahit Avanesyan
Later, the fellows engaged in a collaborative problem-solving session with Dr. Victoria Kaprielian, who has been guiding the participants in their quality improvement projects over the past six months. We concluded the day with a game-based learning competition hosted by the HENAR team—an energizing, team-building activity with a healthy dose of friendly rivalry.
Sunday’s agenda focused on building clinical knowledge and practical skills. The HENAR team facilitated immersive sessions on pediatric case management, smoking cessation, diabetes, and hypertension — alongside a live demonstration of routine physical examinations by Dr. Lusine Antonyan. This was a particularly useful and fun session with all doctors acting both as patients and examiners, with an opportunity to test different equipment and techniques presented by Dr Antonyan.
In the afternoon, Lusine Manukyan led an introductory session on data analysis and visualization, equipping doctors with tools to track and communicate their impact. The retreat closed with a reflective discussion on lessons learned, goals for the coming months, and a renewed commitment to HFA’s shared mission.
With six months into our two-year program, our doctor-leaders are now fully engaged in implementing their improvement projects and tracking measurable change in their communities. In the months ahead, they will continue weekly training sessions and prepare for their final capstone presentations in October.
At Health For Armenia, we believe meaningful reform is built through empowered individuals, grassroots leadership, and lasting partnerships. You can support our work by:
📚 Teaching a Session: Contribute your knowledge on leadership, healthcare delivery, or quality improvement.
💙 Making a Donation: Help fund Armenia’s next generation of healthcare leaders.
To learn more or get involved contact us at info@healthforarmenia.org.
