At Winter Brunch AAHPO Honors Healthcare Providers for Their Service

Next was the Service Awards Honorees Presentation, starting with the recognition of Philadelphia-based surgeon, Dr. Raffi Barsoumian, for his humanitarian work with the National Center of Burns and Dermatology in Yerevan. Barsoumian was instrumental in delivering desperately-needed treatment, medical equipment and supplies to severely burned victims of the Artsakh conflict.

After an introduction and presentation of the award by AAHPO Vice President Garbis Baydar, MD, Barsoumian shared details of his firsthand experience helping Armenians in the motherland. “It was heartbreaking to see the life-altering injuries that teenage Armenian servicemen sustained on the front lines of battle,” Barsoumian recounted. “After speaking with the surgeons at the Burn Hospital, I discovered that they didn’t have even some of the most basic tools to treat burn patients.”

Determined to rectify the situation, Barsoumian utilized AAHPO’s telehealth resources and network of healthcare providers to help source, purchase and ship skin grafting equipment and supplies to Armenia. He also travelled to Armenia on multiple occasions to provide his surgical skills to treat the soldiers who put their lives on the line to defend their country. Barsoumian emphasized that none of his efforts would have been possible without the assistance of others. “This was a collaborative endeavor that involved many people working toward a common, humanitarian cause,” he said. “I am grateful to the extraordinary efforts of the dozens of volunteers who agreed to take the equipment to Armenia. They – along with the soldiers – deserve our recognition and gratitude.”

The event’s second Service Award Honoree, Dr. Ara Kayayan, an internal medicine specialist based in Albany, NY, was recognized for his humility, patient-centric approach to medicine and devotion to helping the global Armenian community. Kayayan has repeatedly demonstrated his willingness to provide around-the-clock emergency medical response and counsel at a moment’s notice. One example of this was in 2022, when Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan was transported via helicopter to Albany Medical Center’s Level One Trauma Center after being gravely injured in an automobile accident.

Kayayan, one of the first medical professionals called to assist, reached out to AAHPO to help assemble a special advisory board of ten healthcare providers in a matter of hours. “Dr. Kayayan was our eyes and ears on the scene every day for eleven weeks, organizing a team of medical students, interns, residents and clergy to visit the Bishop and provide his medical reports and vital signs from the specialists each day to the advisory board for evaluation and recommendations,” Najarian recalled. “There is no doubt that Dr. Kayayan’s erudite advice and involvement played a major role in Bishop Mesrop’s complete recovery during the following months.”

Upon modestly accepting the award, Kayayan described the value of serving fellow Armenians and others. “Today, we are called to continue the tradition of service and duty toward our Armenian communities in the United States and Armenia,” he said. “It was a great honor to help with the management of our Primate’s health and I am sure that any one of you would do the same.”