The Rector of EU Skender Topi is honored with the Telemedicine Champion Prize

The Rector of the University of Elbasan Prof. Dr.Skender Topi, received in a meeting Prof. Ronald C.Merrell, director of the International Virtual E-Hospital Foundation Board. For more than a year the University of Elbasan and Virtual E-Health Foundation, through USAID funds, are implementing the integrated telemedicine and e-health program in Albania. This program aims to strengthen and expand its research-scientific, academic and teaching capacities at the University of Elbasan, specifically at the Faculty of Technical Medical Sciences, through professional assistance sighed by Iveh Foundation.

Given the valuable experience of this collaboration, Prof. Ronald C. Merrell handed over to the Rector of the University of Elbasan Prof. Dr.Skender Topi a special award with the title of telemedicine for 2016, with the motivation, “On its contribution and personal leadership in innovation, development and implementation of the program of teleinferism, as well as support for the advancement of the Telemedicine field at the University of Elbasan and beyond ”.

For his part Prof. Dr. Skender Topi thanked Prof. Ronald C. Merrell, for his institutional contribution to the creation of the Telemedicine Center at the University of Elbasan, through the US government and the American people's funds, as well as his personal and tireless contribution to assist Albanian institutions and professionals in the field Medicine in a very wide and efficient space such as telemedicine today. Rector Skender Topi has asked Prof. Merrell, increased cooperation in the future in other projects, which will be valuable to Albanian students of Infire and Medicine, but also for professionals who are already part of the health system in Elbasan and beyond.

Then Prof. Skender Topi and Prof. Ronald C. Merrell, have held a meeting with the academic staff of the Faculty of Technical Medical Sciences and students of this faculty, where there has been talk of the latest developments in the field of telemedicine today.

Prof. Ronald C. Merrell is Professor Surgery in Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). From 1999-2003 he was director of the VCU Health System and Telemedicine Program Clinic. Also during his career, Prof. Merrell has also been the head of the Professor Group and Chairman of the Board of Surgeons at Yale University in the US.