[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 123 (Thursday, September 20, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1672]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                HONORING DR. HRAYR ``HAGOP'' HOVAGUIMIAN

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. GEORGE RADANOVICH

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 20, 2001

  Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Dr. Hrayr 
``Hagop'' Hovaguimian for his contributions to the improvement of 
health care in Armenia. He started the Nork Marash Medical Center, 
which provides cardiac surgery, free of cost, in Armenia.
  Decades of under-the-table, behind-closed-door payments have plagued 
the health care system in Armenia. Armenian citizens tell stories of 
bribing nurses, doctors and other health care staff just to get the 
medical attention they require. Dr. Hovaguimian, a Syrian-born 
specialist in complex pediatric surgery, made his first trip to Armenia 
in 1991 to see the corrupt medical practices first-hand. Since then he 
has been actively committed to providing affordable cardiac surgery in 
Armenia and abolishing corrupt medical practices prevalent in that 
country.
  Dr. Hovaguimian left behind a lucrative career in Portland, Oregon to 
establish Nork Marash Medical Center in Yerevan, Armenia. With the help 
of a pediatric cardiologist from Spokane, Washington, Dr. Hrair 
Garabedian, Hagop is running Armenia's first medical facility that is 
free of the corruptive influences that are crippling the country's 
health care system. In June of 1994, the first pediatric heart surgery 
was performed at the hospital. In 1996, the first adult surgery was 
performed. Nork Marash Medical Center operates at standards equivalent 
to those of United States hospitals. These standards also include 
noncorrupt business practices indicated by a zero-tolerance policy 
against gratuities. Led by the efforts of Dr. Hovaguimian, the Nork 
Marash Medical Center has brought a breath of fresh air to a health 
care system marked by bribes, kickbacks and payoffs.
  Nork Marash has struggled to achieve financial self-sufficiency 
without government subsidies. Many surgeries on pediatric patients who 
cannot afford the cost of cardiac surgery are performed at no charge. 
Dr. Hovaguimian has a guiding principle: no patient is denied care 
because of inability to pay. Although the hospital has faced several 
financial obstacles, they have been able to achieve financial self-
sufficiency.
  Mr. Speaker, I honor Dr. Hovaguimian for his efforts to bring high 
standards and professionalism to the health care system in Armenia. I 
urge my colleagues to join me in wishing Dr. Hrayr ``Hagop'' 
Hovaguimian many more years of continued success.

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