TIRANA, JULY 15, 2010    The International Virtual e-Hospital Foundation (http://www.iveh.org/), the implementer of USAID’s new telemedicine project, held its first training course today with a group of Albanian health specialists from central and regional health institutions.  The course is the first of a series of trainings for Albanian doctors and health professionals on telemedicine and e-health. 

This program will build Albania's first National Telemedicine Center and five Regional Telemedicine Centers to deliver quality health services using ICT that will deliver quality health services using ICT to exchange diagnostic and treatment information among national and regional health providers, support research and development, and provide continuing education for Albania's healthcare professionals. This new program is part of an existing telemedicine network being built in the Balkans based on the successful model of the Kosovo Telemedicine Program established in 2002.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will construct or rehabilitate spaces for five Regional Telemedicine Centers in Durrës, Korcë, Kukës, Shkodër, and Vlorë. The network will also be linked with the Trauma Center at Military Hospital in Tirana.

The telemedicine program will utilize special curriculum developed by the IVeH in collaboration with the Arizona Telemedicine Program and the University of Arizona’s Department of Surgery. Doctors, nurses and students will be able to use the centers for information on a wide variety of clinical practices, technical and medical practices. 

About IVeH:
The International Virtual e-Hospital Foundation (IVeH) http://www.iveh.org/, is a non-profit organization with its home office in Anchorage, Alaska. IVeH was created to help rebuild the medical systems in developing countries by introducing and implementing telemedicine, e-health, and virtual educational programs through the concept of the IVeH Network.