New Horizons Open in Healthcare Through Armenia–U.S. Cooperation

YEREVAN — On September 2, an important milestone was reached for pediatric care in Armenia at the Wigmore Women’s and Children’s Hospital: the signing of the second-phase memorandum of cooperation between Wigmore and the leading U.S. children’s hospital, Valley Children’s Healthcare.

The partnership aims to advance pediatric healthcare in Armenia through physician training and professional exchange, the development of nursing education, and the introduction of international quality standards.

The collaboration between Wigmore and Valley Children’s officially began in November 2023 with the signing of an international memorandum. Since then, the hospitals have carried out eight professional exchange visits, including two delegations from Valley Children’s to Armenia.

Building on the success of the first phase, the institutions are now launching the second phase of cooperation, focusing on deepening and expanding priority areas of development.

Speaking with journalists, Wigmore Group’s founding director, Zaven Koloyan, recalled that when they set out to build a children’s hospital, the goal was to create a one-of-a-kind center that met international standards — a vision they successfully realized with great pride.

“Our mission remains unchanged: to make reliable and safe healthcare a reality for every child in Armenia. With this mindset, we are beginning the second phase of our cooperation, further developing and broadening key areas,” Koloyan said. He added that the long-term and essential goal of the hospital is to continually advance and maintain the “Wigmore quality” of medicine, a mission greatly supported by U.S. partners.

Michael Hanson, Chairman of the Valley Children’s Healthcare Commission, emphasized that the importance of such collaboration lies in both institutions’ dedication to children: “There is nothing more valuable than the health of our little ones. Today’s ceremony highlighted impressive progress already achieved and very ambitious goals that sincerely inspired me. At Valley Children’s, we constantly strive for continuous quality improvement, and the work being done at Wigmore is truly remarkable. It is an honor for us to be part of this initiative and support efforts that are vitally important for the country. This is not just cooperation for us — it is a moral obligation.”

Jose Elgoriaga, Chairman of Valley Children’s Hospital Management Committee, added that their team has the opportunity to share knowledge, physician expertise, and management culture. “Our aim is to contribute to the development of healthcare and ensure the right direction,” he stressed.

For his part, Bedros Yeghiayan, Chairman of Wigmore Group’s Management Committee, underlined the importance of the educational component of the partnership: “Through this framework, we can provide continuous training for our doctors, administrative teams, and especially our nursing staff.”

Since the start of the collaboration, five professional groups from Armenia have traveled to Valley Children’s for training, while the third professional delegation from the U.S. hospital is currently in Armenia.