President’s Message: Garni Barkhoudarian, MD, FAANS

The mission of the AAMS is to promote healthcare excellence and cultivate professional development through service and education to its members and their communities in the Diaspora and the homeland. This year, as in years past, we have worked hard to reach these goals.

Our current active projects in Armenia include:

  • The Juvenile Diabetes Camp
  • The Cryogenic/Oxygen Generator
  • Scholarships

Our current active local projects include:

  • CME/CDE programs
  • Professional development
  • Community education
  • Membership drives
  • Glendale Health Festival
  • Scholarship program
  • Mentorship program

The AAMS pivoted significantly to scholarships over the past year. This will continue to be our focus — the future and education in the Diaspora and Armenia are important parts of our mission. This year, the AAMS will strengthen the foundation of the program. We hope it will prop up Armenia and get us through these tough times.

This year we will also maintain and improve current projects, increase educational projects locally and in our homeland, and continue to work with public health partners to combat medical misinformation and hesitancy.

We have started the process of grant applications to help further fund our local, diasporan, and Armenian activities.  This should give the AAMS better financial footing, diversifying its funding sources, which is especially relevant in the current economic situation.

The crisis in Artsakh continues through 2023.  The AAMS remains active in its continuing role to support Armenians in their homeland.  Our upcoming Gala and Telethon will aim to raise funds to purchase critical medications and nutritional supplements to be delivered to Artsakh in collaboration with AMIC member organizations.

It has been a pleasure to work with my fellow board members to bring these important initiatives to fruition. I look forward to continuing this journey with them to create another prosperous year. I want to convey my appreciation for all their hard work and the hard work of our membership, not just this year but in the years past. Their dedication to our mission is central to the success of AAMS.