MADERA, Calif. – Three physicians from Wigmore Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Armenia spent 10 days at Valley Children’s last month, deepening a partnership that’s transforming pediatric care across borders.
The visit was part of an ongoing collaboration launched in 2023 to strengthen Armenia’s pediatric health care system. Through shadowing opportunities and knowledge exchange, Valley Children’s physicians, nurses and staff are helping Wigmore clinicians bring best practices home.
Dr. Anahit Hovsepyan, an endoscopy and bronchoscopy specialist at Wigmore, observed multiple teams during her stay, including Valley Children’s endoscopy experts.
We don’t have expert pediatric endoscopy in Armenia, and that’s why this is a really great opportunity for me to meet great doctors and see how they’re doing procedures,” said Dr. Hovsepyan.
“The observership is not just about watching how doctors perform procedures or prescribe treatments,” she said. “It’s a wonderful opportunity to understand how the entire system works, how physicians collaborate with nurses, how teams communicate and how patient care is organized so effectively. “
“I’m truly grateful for the opportunity to learn from the whole team,” Dr. Hovsepyan added.
For Dr. Ani Petrosyan, who spent time with the emergency department at Valley Children’s, the visit was a return to familiar ground.
She first came to Valley Children’s three years ago as an emergency department physician. Today, she leads Wigmore’s emergency department – a role she credits to lessons learned at Valley Children’s.
RELATED: Armenian Physicians Taking New Skills, Perspectives Home After Valley Children’s Visit
“I learned everything from here,” Dr. Petrosyan said. “What to do in different situations, how to manage cases and how to manage work in a day.”
“What we learn here, we share with our colleagues. It’s important not only for my hospital, but for my country,” she added.
“My visit was very interesting and very motivating. Visiting the ICU in other countries is of great interest for me every time,” said Dr. Henrik Kyureghyan, who was visiting the United States for the first time and spent time with the PICU team at Valley Children’s. “There are a lot of technical, cultural and medical professional differences between our ICU and here.
The partnership continues to grow. In September, Valley Children’s and Wigmore signed the second phase of their strategic agreement, reaffirming their shared commitment to improving care for children.
To learn more about the partnership between Valley Children’s and Wigmore, click here.
