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AIHA Partners at Elmhurst Hospital Center Receive President’s Volunteer Service Award
March 23, 2007

 


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts: 
Schecter, Kate
Program Officer
AIHA/Washington, DC
Tel. 202.789.1136
kschecter@aiha.com


 
Hospital, Volunteers Involved in the USAID-funded Orenburg/New York Partnership Honored for Improving HIV/AIDS Care in Russia


WASHINGTON, DC, March 23, 2007—The American International Health Alliance (AIHA) is pleased to announce that 27 members of its Orenburg/New York City partnership have received the President’s Volunteer Service Award in recognition of their exemplary service and dedication to improving the quality and scope of HIV/AIDS-related treatment, care, and support in the Russian Federation.

USAID Assistant Administrator Douglas Menarchik presented the individual awards—as well as an institutional award for the hospital—during a ceremony held in conjunction with Elmhurst Hospital Center’s 50th anniversary celebration on March 15 in New York City. AIHA Executive Director James P. Smith was also on hand to award certificates of appreciation to more than 20 other healthcare professionals who have contributed significantly to the success of the partnership.

Calling the partnership an “outstanding example of the long history of collaborative health efforts with Russia that is highlighted in this year’s celebration of the 200th anniversary of US-Russia relations,” Menarchik presented gold awards to Judith Brenner, Joseph Masci,         Jacqueline Stith, and Elmhurst Hospital Center in recognition of more than 500 volunteer service hours. Vasanthi Arumagum, Neil Landreville, and Marilyn Fabbri received silver awards, which are given to people who volunteer between 250-499 hours. Bronze awards recognizing those who volunteered between 175-249 hours were given to Alexa Contraras, Judith Casey, Carol Cardenas-Tinoco, Alan Blalock, Amar Ashraf, George Alonso, Juan Carolos Tobon, Maurice Policar, Andrea Odwin-Clarke, Susan Novales, Arline McDonald, Ranjana Kutwal-Sharma, Sylvia Jaegar, Kathleen Higgins, Karina Gritsenko, Zoraya Gil, Pamela Gibbons, Judith Garcia, Elizabeth Franquie, Phillip Rabito, and Carlos Salama.

Established in July 2004, the Orenburg/New York City partnership is one of four AIHA twinning alliances supported by USAID’s HIV/AIDS Treatment, Care, and Support Initiative in Russia. The partnership links the Orenburg Oblast AIDS Center with Elmhurst Hospital Center and other nearby organizations involved in the provision of HIV/AIDS care, including Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, the New York City Department of Health’s HIV Surveillance Unit and AIDS Institute, and the AIDS Center of Queens County.

According to Menarchik, the Orenburg/New York City partnership and other similar health programs play an important role in USAID’s assistance strategy for Europe and Eurasia, particularly in Russia where better health is critical to the nation’s economic, political, and social security. “Russia has one of the fastest growing HIV epidemics in the world and USAID is proud of the work that has been done together with Elmhurst and its affiliates to improve the lives of so many in [that country],” he said. “Foreign assistance through this kind of specialized technical assistance and sharing can be a strong formula for peace and stability around the world.”



Created in 1992 by a consortium of major healthcare provider associations andprofessionalmedical education organizations, AIHA establishes and manages programs and twinning partnerships between health-related institutions in the United States and their counterparts in Africa, Asia, Eurasia, and the Caribbean. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), funded by the American people, provides economic and humanitarian assistance in more than 100 countries to provide a better future for all.

See related Elmhurst article

 

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