« Previous 1 2
1 2 Next »
Andrea Noravian, Executive
Associate
Andrea Noravian of the Armenian American Cultural AssociationFirst and only are two words that often come up when talking about the Armenian American Cultural Association (AACA) and the 22-year-old Executive Associate, Andrea Noravian who helps to make the AACA an awe-inspiring success. Groundbreaking does not go far enough to describe what happens at the AACA and the effect it is having on individual lives in Yerevan, Armenia. The objective of the AACA is to "promote Armenian cultural educational and scientific endeavors and to sponsor health and humanitarian assistance projects for the people of Armenia." The flagship Armenian American Wellness Center achieves these goals by promoting breast cancer awareness, testing, and treatment. The Center is so effective that over 3,000 people were saved through early detection. The AACA is one of the hardest working not-for-profit organizations out there whose résumé of accomplishments far outshines their objective statement. Read more about the Armenian American Cultural Association in this week's Non-Profit Spotlight.
Non-Profit
Armenian American Cultural Association, Inc.
Founded
February 1995
Website
www.aacainc.org
Name
Andrea Noravian
Executive Associate
Age
22
Hometown
Baltimore, Maryland
Current residence
Maryland, Washington D.C. Corridor
Education
Johns Hopkins University, Double BA in Public Health Studies and French (2006)
Work Experience
National MS Society
Susan G. Komen Foundation
Ethnicity
Armenian-American
About the non-profit
The Armenian American Cultural Association is an independent, non-partisan, 501(c)(3) registered tax exempt organization. AACA’s mission is to promote Armenian cultural educational and scientific endeavors and to sponsor health and humanitarian assistance projects for the people of Armenia. Its primary project is the Armenian American Wellness Center, a state-of-the-art medical facility in Yerevan, Armenia.
AACA oversees and funds the Wellness Center, which is dedicated to saving, prolonging, and improving the lives of women through the early and accurate detection of breast and cervical cancer. They also strive to provide primary health care services to ensure the good health and well-being of mothers and daughters in Armenia. It achieves this by maintaining the latest medical equipment and employing doctors and staff trained by us medical professionals on-site in both Armenia and the United States through exchange programs.
Most notable milestones
- Since 1997, more than 80,000 women have been screened for breast and cervical cancer, including over 300 people from neighboring countries, and over 3,000 lives have been saved through early detection
- Between 40 and 80 patients are screened every day, with the percentage of women seeking annual check-up mammograms increasing every year.
- Free services are provided to all those, almost 50%, who cannot afford the Center’s already modest subsidized fees.
- Armenians in rural areas are served by the Center’s monthly outreach missions.
- The Wellness Center provides a corruption-free workplace for its 37 staff members (including five consultants) and thousands of patients, and provides a fair and reliable income to each employee.
- The Wellness Center also serves as a teaching center in mammography for local medical students and provides a residency program for doctors specializing in radiology.
- Through the Gynecology Department’s proficiency and modern technology, thirty-two “Miracle Babies” were born between 2004 and 2006 to thirty-two couples who had struggled with infertility for four to eighteen years due to sexually transmitted infections.
- The Center is among the very few institutions in Armenia that has won the trust of the public and gained the respect of the medical community for its accountability, transparency, as well as its high quality medical services.
- The Armenian American Cultural Association has received multiple USAID grants and awards.
- The Government of Armenia, seeing the impact of the Wellness Center’s work on women’s health, donated the entire 6 story building, which is currently being renovated, expanded, and seismically reinforced.
What's the niche?
The Armenian American Wellness Center is the only modern breast and cervical cancer screening facility in the Caucasus region.
What's the biggest challenge?
Like other Armenian organizations, we have struggled with the decreased value of the US Dollar against the Armenian Dram. This forces us to raise money at an unusually rapid clip in order to keep up.
What's in store for the future?
Our plan is to develop the Wellness Center into a “mini-Mayo Clinic” for the Caucasus region, where quality diagnosis and quality treatment are provided to patients at the same location.
We are in the final stages of a multi-million dollar renovation and expansion campaign. The Center is expanding its scope to include prostate cancer. Once the new facility is complete, the Wellness Center will continue to offer high quality services and diagnosis, will provide an even wider array of family medicine services, and will become the first facility in the area to offer out-patient surgeries.
Who would you like to be contacted by?
We would love to be contacted by anyone who can help us acquire low-cost or no-cost medical supplies. Otherwise, we are happy to hear from anyone who is supportive of our mission and would like to volunteer for us.
« Previous 1 2
1 2 Next »
Guiding principle in life
“Don’t sweat the small stuff.” I believe so strongly in the bigger picture. When cancer is your daily reality, it’s hard to be petty.
Yardstick of success
Are both ends of our project current on health and education issues?
Goal yet to be achieved
Replicating our Wellness Center as a prototype for other countries in the Caucasus region.
Best practical advice
“Well-done is better than well-said.” - Benjamin Franklin
Supportive words from a family member or friend on your venture
Whenever I tell someone about AACA and the work we do, they are so supportive and enthusiastic. That collective energy can be summed up in one big “good for you!” A general positive reaction to what you’re doing with your life is always a welcomed response.
Mentor
Rita Balian, the Founder & CEO of AACA, Inc. Without her vision none of our achievements would have been realized.
What motivated you to get started?
I took my first trip to Armenia in 2001 with my mother, the head gynecologist on the Medical Advisory Board of AACA. She was so tactful in not crossing the physicians’ boundaries and imposing her own methods. At the same time, she succeeded in changing doctor-patient relationships. I felt like a firsthand witness to a new style of Armenian healthcare . Before, the system was in dire need to shift from a Soviet style of care to the patient-first attitude we often take for granted in the States.
Watching a health system in transition is fascinating and leaves many open doors for non-profits like our own to be efficient and effective. I actually chose my undergraduate institution and degree based on these experiences. The resources Hopkins has in the Public Health arena are boundless; they extend to Armenia and beyond.
Like best about what you do?
Feeling relevant to humanity through saving lives. It’s hard not to feel good about what you do!
Like least about what you do?
Feeling like there aren’t enough hours in the day.
What keeps you motivated?
Being young and optimistic. It’s so easy to get jaded in bureaucratic environments so keeping the vision fresh in newcomers like myself keeps spirits high.
At age 10, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A journalist. I had my own monthly “gazette” with subscribers I found from posting supermarket ads! I still love making a deadline.
Biggest pastime outside of work
I still love writing even if the journalism dream died awhile ago. Correspondence is very important to me. Keeping in touch with people from different phases in life from all over the world is rewarding and allows for some good self-reflection! I think people often overlook the fact that real correspondence takes time and effort.
Person most interested in meeting
Madeline Albright. She has an amazing political mind, and recognizes the critical need to understand religion, especially Islam, when crafting foreign policy. Her most recent book, “The Might and the Almighty” takes such a forceful position on these policies and would be fascinating to discuss.
Leader in business most interested in meeting
Bill and Melinda Gates. I have such deep respect for their work in philanthropy–both domestically and around the globe. It addresses both short-term needs and long-term goals with a strong financial guarantee to those on the receiving-end. My most favorite American ideal is philanthropy and they really do it best. The scope of their Foundation has been so thoroughly planned and they have really wrapped their business-minds around the longevity of their vision to ensure its success in generations to come.
Three interesting facts about yourself
1. I was a bona fide tap-dancer for 5 years.
2. I have climbed the summit of the highest mountain in Armenia, Mt. Aragats at 4095 meters.
3. I once saw the same Matisse exhibit in four different cities around the globe
Three characteristics that describe you
1. compassionate
2. loyal
3. driven
Three greatest passions
Family, Fitness, France
Favorite book
“Passage to Ararat” by Michael J. Arlen: It’s really the most meaningful read about identity – I’d recommend it to any 1st or 2nd generation American.
Favorite cause
Equity in healthcare, cure for cancer.
« Previous 1 2
1 2 Next »
Also this week
Don't forget!
Young & Professional Profile | Note2Self | News2Know
|
Top of Page
Young & Professional Profile 
Non-Profit Spotlight 
ConnectionPoint
