HFA's Healthcare Leadership Program (HLP) facilitates the achievement of better health outcomes and a better care experience for patients through the delivery of 4 curricular pillars in the training of healthcare leaders, as set out below. Graduated Doctor-leaders will enter a network of alumni, who will continue to learn with and from each other. Graduates of the HLP program will be prepared to care for the evolving primary care needs of patients in rural Armenia as transformational providers and community champions who possess the following key skills:
The HFA model for training and developing healthcare leaders is based on the following key pillars:
leadership, community engagement, quality improvement and research training, and medical knowledge and skills (the latter is delivered through our strategic partner, the HENAR Foundation).
The Program begins with an intensive training phase—the Healthcare Academy—which sets the foundation for these four pillars. Throughout the Program, participants continue to receive integrated instruction in all areas, culminating in the implementation and presentation of a project related to quality fimprovement at the end of the first year and a project related to community health at the end of the second year.
Health For Armenia understands that a strong rural physician must also be a servant leader, committed to elevating the well-being of their community by placing others’ needs first. A Doctor-leader serves at multiple levels:leading clinical teams, spearheading community engagement projects, advocating for better health outcomes, and shaping healthcare strategy.Through servant leadership, Doctor-leaders prioritize listening to, empowering, and involving community members to co-create solutions. Armenia needs Doctor-leaders with both hands-on clinical experience and an understanding of healthcare systems to manage clinics, partner effectively with non-governmental organizations, and contribute to governmental healthcare strategies at regional and national levels.
Engaging local communities as primary stakeholders is essential to achieving meaningful health outcomes. Our Doctor-leaders work closely with residents to understand their health beliefs, cultural practices, and unique needs. By fostering trust and collaboration, they co-design health initiatives that resonate with local values and goals, ensuring that changes are sustainable and community-led. Doctor-leaders also serve as advocates and educators, building partnerships with local leaders and organizations to create a shared vision for improved health in their regions.
To be agents of healthcare improvement, Doctor-leaders must be skilled in quality improvement and research methodologies. The Program trains participants in assessing healthcare practices, identifying areas for improvement, and implementing small-scale changes that can be scaled up. Doctor-leaders gain practical skills in data collection, analysis, and reporting to inform evidence-based decisions and measure the impact of their initiatives. This emphasis on quality and research prepares them to drive larger-scale healthcare reforms and optimize patient care systems within their communities.
The medical knowledge and skills pillar will start during the Healthcare Academy and is delivered by our strategic partners at the HENAR Foundation. This training includes skills related to taking a medical history, physical examination, and patient-doctor communication skills, alongside foundational principles of clinical practice, data literacy, use of literature and evidence-based medicine. Doctor-leaders also study the social determinants of health, mental health considerations, and effective management of both acute and chronic conditions, whether related to chronic disease (e.g. asthma, diabetes, cardiac disease) or trauma (e.g. from falls, motor vehicle accidents, war). The teaching utilizes multiple modalities, implementing many of the tools familiar to medical providers in Europe and the United States. Educational methods include, but are not limited to:
● Didactic and interactive teaching sessions conducted by local and international specialists
● Case presentations
● Conferences
● Topic presentations by Doctor-leaders
● Preceptorship and mentorship by local and international specialists
Each Doctor-leader researches, designs, runs, implements, and reports on two projects throughout the Program. The quality improvement project, which is implemented during the first year, revolves around improving patient outcomes within the clinic. The community health project, which is implemented during the second year, allows each Doctor-leader to work with the community onimproving a certain health issue that is endemic to that community. Doctor-leaders need to use their skills and knowledge to bring together stakeholders in the community and work with them to identify areas of concern, identify one focus area, and work together to improve the community’s health. Each Doctor-leader has a mentor who helps guide them through the process.
HFA Board Member
Minister of Health of the Republic of Armenia
CEO, Teach For Armenia