AAMS’ 18th Annual HYBRID CME & CDE Las Vegas Getaway CME/CDE Speakers

Topic: Updates in High-Risk Pregnancy
Presented By: Paola Aghajanian, MD

Dr. Paola Aghajanian is a high-risk subspecialist who is board certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology and Maternal Fetal Medicine. She is the former Director of Labor and Delivery and the Maternal Fetal Care Unit at Cedars-Sinai's Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. She served as an elected member of the Cedars-Sinai Medical Executive Committee from 2018-2019. She is the author of several peer reviewed publications and four book chapters about problems in pregnancy and in 2018 was promoted to Associate Professor of Obstetics and Gynecology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. After earning her bachelor's degree in molecular and cell biology, Phi Beta Kappa, from the University of California at Berkeley, Dr. Aghajanian earned her medical degree from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine. She completed her obstetrics and gynecology residency at the University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center, followed by a fellowship in maternal-fetal medicine at the Los Angeles County - University of Southern California Medical Center. Dr. Aghajanian's research interests include autoimmune disease in pregnancy, multiple gestation and fetal therapy. She recently served on the Patient Safety Committe of the Society of Maternal Fetal Medicine. She is also the recipient of awards for teaching and for her educational videos on women's health presented in American Sign Language. In addition to being a fellow of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Dr. Aghajanian is a member of the Pacific Coast OB/GYN Society and the Armenian American Medical Society.

 Dr. Paola Aghajanian, presenter for this educational event, has no relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose

Topic: Pediatric COVID Vaccination
Presented By: Evelyn Baghdasraian Barkhoudarian, MD, FAAP

Dr. Evelyn Baghdasraian is currently the Chief of Service of Pediatrics for the Woodland Hills Western Ventura Service Area of Kaiser Permanente, Southern California Permanente Medical Group. She was also recently selected to be the incoming Medical Staff President for her service area. She is a Physician Wellness Champion and Women in Medicine lead for the WH/WV service area and serves as the Regional Lead for Pediatric Physician Education for Southern California Kaiser Permanente. She completed her undergraduate studies at USC, medical school at Loma Linda School of Medicine, and completed her pediatric residency at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. She is the immediate past national co-lead of the Kaiser Permanente Armenian Connection, a past board member of AAMS, and currently serves on the board of the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry. Dr. Baghdasraian strives to continue serving her patients and the community at large whenever possible.

Dr. Evelyn Baghdasraian Barkhoudarian, presenter for this educational event, has no relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose

Topic: Percutaneous Treatment of Valvula Heart Disease - Latest Updates
Presented By: Harry Balian, MD, FACC, FASCAI

Dr. Harry Balian received his Medical Degree from Chicago Medical School in 1997. He completed his Internal Medicine Residency at the University of California, Irvine where he also served as Chief Resident. Completed his Cardiology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine where he served as Chief Fellow. Dr. Balian completed his Interventional Cardiology and Vascular training at the George Washington University in Washington DC. Dr. Balian specializes in the treatment of heart disease, coronary artery percutaneous interventions and pacemaker insertions. He also performs peripheral vascular interventions including carotid stents, endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm stents, renal stents and lower extremity angioplasties. Dr. Balian is board certified in Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Diseases, Nuclear Cardiology, Interventional Cardiology and Vascular Medicine. Dr Balian is the Chairman of department of cardiology since 2015 and the Director of Structural Heart Program at Glendale Adventist, he started the TAVR (percutaneous aortic valve replacement) program since 2016. Dr. Balian is and has been a member of the Executive Committee of AAMS Since 2006. He is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology, the Society of Coronary angioplasty and Interventions and the American Heart Association. He has been the Medical Director of the Cardiac Cath Lab at Glendale Adventist Heart & Vascular Institute since 2006 and past Medical Director of the Peripheral Vascular Lab at St Vincent Hospital. He is an Associate Clinical Professor at Western University School of Medicine.

Dr. Harry Balian, presenter for this educational event, has no relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose

Topic: Eosinophilic Esophagitis, Allergies, and New Therapeutics
Presented By: Sherwin Hariri, MD, FAAAAI, FACAAI

Dr. Sherwin Hariri, MD, FAAAAI, FACAAI is a board-certified allergist & immunologist in Beverly Hills, CA. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he received his BS with a major in physiological sciences and a minor in Armenian Studies. He received his Doctorate of Medicine from Saint Louis University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri. Dr. Hariri completed his internal medicine residency at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, CA, after which he completed his specialty training in allergy & immunology at the UCLA West-LA VA fellowship program with pediatric rotations at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. He is a clinical instructor of medicine at the David Geffen school of Medicine at UCLA, where he teaches allergists & immunologists in-training. Dr. Hariri is also an attending physician at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where he sees and treats patients with complex allergic and immunologic diseases. Resident physicians from Cedars-Sinai rotate through his clinic, where he teaches them about his specialty. Dr. Hariri has published in several medical journals. He is a fellow of the American Academy of allergy, asthma, and immunology, as well as a fellow of the American College of allergy, asthma, and immunology. Dr. Hariri also serves as an advisory board member for Lupus LA., where he gives lectures on allergic and immunologic diseases, as it pertains to patients with autoimmune diseases. He is also on the specialty panel for the Center of the Undiagnosed Patient at Cedars-Sinai. Dr. Hariri is the Medical Director at Beverly Hills Allergy, where he treats both adult and pediatric patients with allergic rhinosinusitis, asthma, eczema, food allergies, immunodeficiencies, and various other skin conditions and allergic diseases. Appointed to the list of Super Docs featured in Los Angeles Magazine.

Dr. Sherwin Hariri, planner and presenter for this educational event, has no relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose

Topic: Implicit Bias, Empathy and the Practitioner
Presented By: Alex Jawharjian, PharmD, MPH, MBA, FACHE

Dr. Alex Jawharjian is the chief operating officer at California Rehabilitation Institute overseeing operational leadership and hospital management. Since joining Cal Rehab in 2015, he has helped build a successful culture of patient advocacy and employee satisfaction.

Prior to joining Cal Rehab, Alex held administrative roles at tertiary and long-term acute care hospitals including Ventura County Medical Center and Barlow Respiratory Hospital. He is a member of the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education, the recognized accrediting agency for occupational therapy education and the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Alex earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from UCLA, a Master of Public Health from the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health and a Doctor of Pharmacy from USC. Most recently, Alex was awarded a Master of Business Administration from California State University, Los Angeles. He is currently an adjunct professor for the USC School of Pharmacy.

Dr. Alex Jawharjian, presenter for this educational event, has no relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose

Topic: Youth Suicide: What Primary Care Physicians Need to Know
Presented By: Edward Kaftarian, MD

Dr. Edward Kaftarian is an internationally recognized expert and pioneer in Telepsychiatry and Founder & CEO of Orbit Health Telepsychiatry. He currently serves on the Telepsychiatry Committee for the American Psychiatric Association. He is the former Vice Chair of Mental Health for the American Telemedicine Association. He has published several articles and book chapters on virtual health, including as co-author of the seminal paper, Best Practices in Videoconferencing-Based Telemental Health. Throughout this career, Dr. Kaftarian has served in a multitude of executive positions for the California prison system, including Chief Psychiatrist, Senior Psychiatrist, Medical Director, and Director of Pharmacy. For several years, Dr. Kaftarian served as Statewide Chief of Telepsychiatry for the California prison system. Under his leadership, the program transformed into the largest and most comprehensive correctional telepsychiatry program in the world. Dr. Kaftarian completed his psychiatry training at the world-renowned Johns Hopkins University. He is Board Certified in Psychiatry, Forensic Psychiatry, and Addiction Medicine.

Dr. Edward Kaftarian, presenter for this educational event is the Owner and CEO of Orbit Health Telepsychiatry.

Topic: An Update on Men's Health
Presented By: Armen Kassabian, MD

Dr. Kassabian specializes in urology. He received his medical degree from the University of Southern California, School of Medicine and completed his urologic residency at the prestigious Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York. Dr. Kassabian has published in peer reviewed journals and has presented at meetings both locally and nationally. Dr. Kassabian's clinical areas of expertise include minimally invasive prostate therapy, male and female urinary incontinence, infertility, kidney stones, erectile dysfunction, male sexual dysfunction, benign prostate enlargement and cancers of the prostate, bladder, kidney, penis, and testicles. His sub-specialty experience includes extensive research on the molecular genetics of male infertility and in caring for the complex issues involved in the difficult to treat infertile couple with significant male factor issues. Dr. Kassabian's state of the art practice focuses on minimally invasive techniques, procedures, and laparoscopic surgery in a caring and compassionate environment. Dr. Kassabian is a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society, American Urologic Association, the Western Section American Urologic Association, the American Association of Clinical Urologists, and the Endourological Society. Dr. Kassabian is certified by the American Board of Urology. As a urologist, Dr. Kassabian is dedicated to providing the finest quality care for his patients in a supportive and friendly environment. He respects the diverse needs of his patients and makes every effort to ensure they are addressed.

Dr. Armen Kassabian, presenter for this educational event, has no relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose

Topic: Management of Coronary Artery Disease; Interventional and Surgical
Presented By: Sarkis Kiramijyan, MD, FACC, FSCAI

Sarkis Kiramijyan, MD, FACC, FSCAI is an Interventional, Structural, and Endovascular Cardiologist currently practicing within the Adventist Health Physicians Network, Southern California Region, including at Adventist Health White Memorial and Adventist Health Glendale. He is national board certified in Interventional Cardiology, Cardiovascular Disease, Internal Medicine, and Echocardiography. Dr. Kiramijyan grew up in Hollywood and Glendale, volunteered extensively and worked at Glendale Adventist Medical Center throughout his high school and college years. He completed his undergraduate studies with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and a Minor degree in Armenian Studies at UCLA. Thereafter, he completed medical school at the George Washington University School of Medicine in Washington, DC. Subsequently, he completed his internal medicine internship and residency, and cardiology fellowship at the Los Angeles County Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, where he also served as Chief Cardiology Fellow and was the recipient of the prestigious 'Distinguished Teaching Fellow of the Year' award. In 2014, he returned to Washington, DC with his wife and completed his two-year interventional and endovascular cardiology fellowship under the supervision and mentorship of world-renowned interventional cardiologists and academicians at the Georgetown University / Washington Hospital Center program, where he also served as Chief Interventional Cardiology Fellow. Subsequently, he moved with his wife and daughter to New Haven, CT and completed a formal Structural and Valvular Heart Disease Advanced Interventional Fellowship also under the supervision and mentorship of world-renowned experts at the Yale University School of Medicine. Thereafter, Dr. Kiramijyan returned home to Los Angeles in 2017 with his wife and two children, and took a position as the Founder and Director of the Structural Heart Disease Program at Adventist Health White Memorial in Los Angeles, CA, and since then has been serving both the Los Angeles and Glendale communities within the Adventist Health System. Dr. Kiramijyan has an extensive background in original research in clinical cardiovascular disease, and has published in numerous scientific journals. In addition, he has presented at numerous national and international cardiovascular scientific conferences, including continued participation as an annual expert faculty panelist and moderator at the high risk complex coronary and structural and valvular heart disease sessions. He continues to write, publish and lecture within the realm of interventional cardiology. His specific clinical expertise includes high risk complex coronary interventions, structural and valvular heart disease interventions, and peripheral endovascular interventions. In his free time, Dr. Kiramijyan enjoys spending time with his family and conducting humanitarian work.

Dr. Sarkis Kiramijyan, presenter for this educational event, has no relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose

Topic: Robotic Assisted Dental Implant Placement for the Single Tooth and Full Arch Treatment
Presented By: Ara Mirzaians, DMD

A native of Southern California, Dr. Mirzaians is pleased to be serving the Southern California community. He is a board-certified surgeon with extensive surgical training in oral, facial and implant surgery, which included time at LAC+USC Medical Center, Keck Medical Center, Ostrow School of Dentistry and Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles.

Before he commenced his oral surgery training at USC, Dr. Mirzaians attended the University of California – Irvine, where he received his undergraduate education in Biological Sciences. He then pursued his dental education in Arizona, at Midwestern University College of Dental Medicine, graduating in the top 10% of his class with his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree. His post-graduate training included both an internship in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at USC, as well as a four-year residency in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at LA County-USC Medical Center.

Dr. Mirzaians maintains membership in several professional associations and societies, such as the California Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, the California Dental Association, and the American Dental Association. He also participates in continuing education programs throughout the year to stay abreast of the latest advances in the specialty including robotic implant surgery. He now practices full scope oral and maxillofacial in Westlake Village, Simi Valley, and Glendale.

Topic: Cancer Prevention in Primary Care: Updates on Cervical, Breast and Colon Cancer Screening
Presented By: Arthur Ohannessian, MD

Dr. Arthur Ohannessian obtained his medical degree in 2008 from the UCSD School of Medicine. He completed his specialty training in Family Medicine at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine in 2011. He is currently the Associate Medical Director for Family and Women's services for the San Fernando Valley Health Center Group, where he supervises multiple Los Angeles County Department Health Services Ambulatory Health Centers in the San Fernando Valley. He is also an Associate Professor in the UCLA Department of Family Medicine and is full-time clinician and educator who serves adult, pediatric, and prenatal patients. He is active member of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) and has served in multiple leadership roles at the local, state, and national level. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the California Academy of Family Physicians and is a past President of the Los Angeles Academy of Family Physicians. His academic interests include providing primary care services to underserved communities and developing legislative policy that address the health needs of all Californians.

Dr. Arthur Ohannessian, planner and presenter for this educational event, has no relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose

Topic: Environmental Influence on Autoimmunity
Presented By: Lilit Pilossyan, MD

Dr. Lilit Pilossyan is a board-certified rheumatologist providing care for her patients at her private practice in Van Nuys, California. She is also dual board-certified in internal medicine, completing her internal medicine residency at Kaiser Permanente in Fontana, California. Dr. Pilossyan then served her rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine, where she completed her Rheumatology Fellowship. She specializes in caring for rheumatological conditions, including autoimmune diseases, arthritis, and osteoporosis. Dr. Pilossyan holds USSONAR certification, signifying her advanced diagnostic and clinical training in musculoskeletal ultrasound, enabling her to accurately diagnose and treat different kinds of arthritis and joint pain. Dr. Pilossyan also has a true passion for serving the Armenian community—greatly underserved in the treatment and diagnosis of arthritis and autoimmune diseases.

Dr. Lilit Pilossyan, presenter for this educational event, has no relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose

Topic: Lymphoma & Leukemia Review
Presented By: Sarmen Sarkissian, MD

Dr. Sarmen Sarkissian is board-certified in internal medicine and hematology and oncology. He completed his bachelor’s degree in chemistry at UCLA and earned his medical degree at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine. He then completed his internship through a categorical internal medicine program and served his residency at Los Angeles County + USC Medical Center. It was there that he developed an interest in oncology and hematology and subsequently completed his fellowship training at the University of California, Irvine Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Sarkissian is a practicing hematologist and oncologist, serving the cities of Ventura, Simi Valley, and Long Beach. He is also affiliated with City of Hope as an associate professor.

Dr. Sarmen Sarkissian, planner and presenter for this educational event, is on the speakers’ bureau for Lilly.

Topic: Type 2 Inflammation in Asthma, Chronic Rhinosinusitis with Nasal Polyposis & Atopic Dermatitis (NON-CME)
Presented By: Raffi Tachdjian, MD, FAAAAI, FACAAI

Dr. Raffi Tachdjian is an Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics in the Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. Dr. Tachdjian received his medical degree from Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia, followed by an internship and residency in Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School’s Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and a fellowship in Allergy, Immunology, and Rheumatology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.

With over 35 peer-reviewed publications and over 40 NIH and other funded clinical trials, he specializes in allergy, immunology, and rare disease, including severe asthma, hereditary angioedema, and eosinophilic diseases. He is a past president of the Armenian American Medical Society and helps lead the mentorship and scholarship programs.