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Dr. Weinberg emailed the content in a zip file around 9/7/2016 - 467 KB -

This is a great example of a trip report (wish they were all this well written and formatted!). Put this in as it reflects a lot of the various aspects of the work we had been involved with in Kazakhstan our team, their team and leadership.

This was a paper I thought we needed to write to help both those immigrants to the US from affected regions and the physicians who might see them. The article was well received and often a trigger when media would search the medical literature when radiation events occur.

An executive summary of the last year of the AIHA supported activities that were supported as a part of the payback (Project Sapphire) for dismantling nuclear weapons in Kurchatov. An extremely meaningful set of mutually agreed upon objectives by both sides served as a solid base to establish a multidimensional effort.

Notes by Armin that look at issues and opportunity for us with this AIHA partnership in Kazakhstan. The core of course with our internal BCM, TMH, TCH, TMC benefits. Obviously with possible links to our work in Chernobyl and even the AMC business as well.

This is a personal statement written by Albina Orazgaliyeva (now Rippy). She was the daughter of our colleague (Marina) in Semipalatinsk who we helped come to the US to study. She eventually graduated from UH, married, and built a very successful business that they sold called Yoga One. The statement however is a powerful reminder of the reach of the partnership that went well beyond our funded mandate to that of friendship. Her family built a very successful private pharmacy and production business at a time when almost none existed after the breakup of the Soviet Union left countries like Kazakhstan with minimal capacity to meet the needs of their people. In an email of 3-29-2019 Albina wrote.. I wrote this essay for my law school applications. I was accepted to every law school I applied pretty much because of this essay even though my LSAT score was not so great. My life took me in a different direction and I never went to law school, thank GOD:)

text includes key names from Russia Institute of Medial Radiology, and from Hadassah that surfaced as we held the Bryansk symposium

This may be my (Armin) initial trip notes/report from Bryansk and Kiev

Selected material about the healthcare system/status in Russia circa 1997. It looks like a series of pieces from a healthcare publication. Clearly this was a part of our trying to assess the opportunity to further our work with Dennis Sokol of the American Medical Centers that Ambassador Strauss connected us with as well as the post-Chernobyl opportunities for our colleagues in the Former USSR.

Jerry Cuttler was involved with the Canadian Nuclear listserv that Armin Weinberg subscribed to as a way to see what was being discussed by some in the industry. His work provides balance as it focuses on the positive effects of radiation in health and medicine to reduce fear.

a note providing an update on the proposal to DOE and upcoming visit by Admiral Zumwalt and social events including Mayor Lanier and refers to my(Armin) planned trip to Russia and Ukraine.

Note to have TJ Dunlap (consultant to Armin's group at BCM) to prepare for upcoming visit by Governor Jakianov. Some good initial planning for events with TMH, Mayor, and Santa Fe Gold ... but more followed this including a meeting with Governor Bush and more. A very important step in this partnership for sure.

A more complete planning note regarding Governor Jakianov's visit to Texas. I found this in my zip file mydocs as JAKIANV1.doc then saved it as "jakianv1b.doc" in the since it has more detail.

Some background and history about Kazakhstan including USSR period to provide early context for us as we entered the AIHA partnership.

Kazakhstan Counsular Information Sheet Feb 16, 1994 that was used to help orient us to where we were being asked to travel and partner with.

A collection of news clips I used to track what might be relevant to our work in Kazakhstan. Of note is a story about Newmont Corp's interest in developing gold resources in the region. They eventually were contacted and help support several public health education initiatives in the Semey region.

This document is a report by F. Curtiss Swezy, DrPH and Shanta Swezy about nursing reform in Kazakhstan being stimulated and supported by two AIHA partnerships.

This is a letter that accompanied a gift (tube with document inside that was printed by the original Gutenberg printing press) from John Post to Armin. John was a ret. Col. in medical logistics (at the US Dept of State) that helped distribute excess medical and hospital supplies to our AIHA partners in Kazakhstan, Azerbiajan and actually helped with shipment to Gaza as well. Since he lived in DC I invited him to a couple of the non-radiation related Intercultural Cancer Council Biennial Symposia that our Center at BCM coordinated. The page is now at the HRC for viewing.

A letter to Bolat K. Nurgaliyev the Kazakhstan Ambassador to the US regarding an upcoming meeting we helped orchestrate that included AFRRI. Also an interesting reference to Mr. James Giffin regarding the committee for reorganization of the health care system in the Republic of Kazakhstan that I was asked to comment on. Turns out Giffin was later arrested and charged related to bribes in a scandal known as Kazahkgate https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kazakhgate.

A letter of recommendation for Marnie Rose's application to medical school. Marnie matriculated to UTHouston started a Pediatric Residency but passed away due to a glioblastoma. Her family started http://www.drmarnierose.org/ a foundation that continues today. This letter provides a nice summary of her past interest and work related to Chernobyl.

This is a version of a paper on Chernobyl written by Marnie Rose a Russian Studies student who went to Bellaire High School, then UT (I think phase2) that Armin helped get her to study and visit Ukraine. Marnie unfortunately died of a glioblastoma when a Pediatric Resident at UT Houston. A fun run Run for the Rose is held in Houston each year in her memory. http://www.drmarnierose.org/

example of one news story ... "Belarus plagued by lingering Chernobyl radiation, UPn 8/29/93 11:00 PM Belarus plagued by lingering Chernobyl radiation, infectious illnesses UPI NewsFeature (800) Adv. Mon. Aug. 30 or thereafter By VALENTINA STAROVA MOSCOW (UPI) -- The government of the former Soviet republic of Belarus recently issued chilling statistics that confirmed the worst fears of its readers about the legacy of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear accident. The figures showed that thyroid cancer -- a rare but deadly illness often linked to radiation exposure -- is on the rise in Belarus, with almost as many new cases recorded in the first six months of this year as in all of 1992. "

news coverage that could inform our work in Chernobyl and USA... eg, "CLINTON WEIGHS NEXT STEP ON RADIATION TESTSRTw 1/1/94 9:42 AM HILTON HEAD, SC, Jan 1 (Reuter) - President Clinton said Saturday he supports Energy Secretary Hazel O'Leary's release of documents disclosing secret Cold War radiation tests on people and said the next step is to decide what to do with the information. "

News clippings related to Chernobyl and other radiation events

I think this is a prelim to the non-proliferation.doc for the conference. I include this only since it is draft material and the date is 2 months prior to the other one.

These are talking notes for my presentation at a nuclear non-proliferation conference. Interesting to see recommendations including this one, "I suggest Minister Shkolnik create a joint committee with representatives from government, academicia, public survivors and ethicists to continue the pursuit of this question."

Early on and still today what and how to deal with nuclear waste of various types remains unsettled. Yet we continue to rely on nuclear sources for medical, societal, energy and military applications.

Obit for Bishop Hearn in Sept 9, 2020 Houston Chronicle, He was instrumental in asking Armin to help engage in the work supported by AIHA to compliment his Methodist interest in Kazakhstan. Without him the project would not have begun nor ended . Because of him TMH provided multiple years of support that complimented the AIHA funding and allow Armin to bring many other resources to their effort. A truly warm, respectful and supportive leader.

A World Bank Policy Research Report that helped inform my leadership of our international projects in the former Soviet Union.

This is the agenda for the March visit with Dr. Penchas who was the Director General of Hadassah from Israel. Includes schedule for Radio KTRH and various TMC and Hadassah and THMRF meetings

This is correspondence regarding the registration of the name of the Website we created called RADEFX. Apparently we had some other entity using a similar name or trying to. Anyway Paul Cooper who was managing our IT worked with the BCM attorney to deal with it. This document is a scan of some documentation I have more that I will leave in an envelope and hopefully bring to the Archive post COVID-19.

Description of photos in Folder BCMCDRC photos from Sakhalin partnership sponsored by Library of Congress. Contents of folder: Photos from trip to Sakhalin Russia in March 2000 to help establish new AIHA partnership in
Korsakov Russia region with Sara Rozin , Armin Weinberg and Stephen Scott. April 2000

explains contents of folder: These are photos of Sara Rozin and Stephen Sco on our stop in South Korea on the trip to Sakhalin Russia… April 2000

contents of photo folder from Sakhalin Russia trip

This is a README for the folder of photos taken on a trip to Sakhalin with Sara Rozin and Steve Scott and Armin Weinberg. Had to fly to South Korea to get to Sakhalin via Japan since no direct air from Japan was permitted since they never signed a peace treaty at the end of WWII.

Describes the contents associated with development of the bilingual cancer registry software for the folks in Kazakhstan.

a little overview of the project supported by a donation by the Santa Fe Pacific Gold company that was trying to develop a business initiative in the region

Describes content in the Folder United Nations. A major effort to asses the needs in Kazakhstan as a result of the impact of the nuclear testing and development program that went on for many years especially in Kurchatov.

Information about the link to the folder by Kelli that has additional good information about the UN project include the Reference Document and report

A place I (Armin) put information and keys like color code to distinguish those files and folders to indicate for example those uploaded into the project spreadsheet

This contains information and links to some material about Herb Behrstock who was the UN representative to our project in Kazakhstan and the special UN mission that I participated in.

Describes the files in this folder that summarize my disappointment in the TX agencies failure to include radiation/nuclear threats to the environmental assessment they were conducting.

Content and screen shots of development of cancer registrty

This appears to be the master database of the folks invited to our International Conference hosted by TMH, BCM, THMRF etc. in 1993? It is a treasure trove of those we initially invited from both Israel, Japan, former USSR (Russia, Ukraine, etc.) and of course USA! It has phone and institutional affiliations, flights, etc.

This is a communication from me (Armin) to Boris Gusev a leader of the Kazakhstan research on the effects of the nuclear testing program. Boris is Kazakh and had much data kept for themselves as opposed to the data Russia collected and took to Moscow after the breakup of the Soviet Union. This letter was an attempt to bring them into the efforts of those working on Chernobyl. While they didn't really do that it does show the status of the ICHER and who were the key players at the time.

The text of my presentation at the WHO meeting in St Petersburg Russia held at the former KGB Sanatorium to address the problems of those involved in the cleanup after the accident at Chernobyl. My wife Karen came with me on this trip. From here we went on to Moscow, Bryansk and Kiev (with a stop in Germany) where we were joined by Drs Tom Wheeler and Rhida Arem who gave a series of lectures on fine needle biopsy techniques of the thyroid with our collaborators in each location.

This was a note sent to the Secretary of Health and Human Services seeing if he would like to offer a point of contact to our efforts noting that Dr Claude Lenfant (then NIH's Director of the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute) who had agreed to assist.

Letter describing our closing down the Texas Hadassah Medical Research Foundation

These appear to show the initial key organizers and board members. Merilee Weiner as Executive Director, etc. Discussing early vision and plans not limited to Chernobyl but is was one of the items.

A list of things that Armin created in preparation for the visit by the President of Kazakhstan to Texas, Houston and the Medical Center. Very insightful with names and activities.

Includes great material & notes eg, "ADW and CL returned to Semipalatinsk with BT’s car and driver. Unfortunately while returning they hit a patch of ice and ended up in a snowy ditch. Fortunately this occurred near one of the few villages along the way and a passing truck was able to pull them out. The good reflexes and driving skills of the driver kept them from overturning. ML and MR hired a car and driver from Kuchartov and returned later after completing the hospital survey" I (ADW) gave the drive $100 for pulling us out it was below zero too. Took some time but I got USAID to reimburse after much discussion!

This Executive Summary report gives a synopsis of our FIRST trip from February 12-21, to the city of Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan that established the AIHA, TMH, BCM partnership. Great first impressions and orientation to what follows. A lot of prep went into this including getting letters from key Texas players including one from Governor George W. Bush, Texas to Governor Galimzhan B. Jakianov.

This looks like draft Press Release piece of the announced the affiliation with The Methodist Hospital Health Care Network. Talks about initial plans to organize a conference, list of additional member of the effort, including a Tx Congressman Martin Frost as honorary member, and a report from an Israeli scientist from Hadassah Zeev Weshler on the issue facing them with immigrants to Israel from the contaminated areas.

Board meeting that refers to DOE proposal, Visit to Russia, Israel and Ukraine

a illustration mapping contamination of plutonium in the chernobyl region in January 1990 four years after the accident

Armin's impressions of first visit to former USSR Russia, Ukraine and Israel by our group at that time referred to as International Consortium for Research and Treatment of Radiation... sent to Admiral Zumwalt (who also traveled to Moscow and Bryansk but not to Ukraine where Armin went with Boris Yoffe, also Larry Laufman and Phil McCarthy went from Russia to Israel with our Hadassah colleagues.)

Story about a play depicting a couple that have lived on the contaminated land around the site of the nuclear plant.

A zip file of various literature searches & some resources related to our work related to exposure after the Chernobyl accident and as we began looking at helping in Semey Kazakhstan----a collection of literature reviews on various topics we were interested in... eg. establishing a registry of those exposed for longterm follow-up, what we knew about certain areas like genetics and some resources like "A Guide to Environmental Resources" on the Internet by Carol Briggs-Erickson and Toni Murphy which could be found on the Internet and was written to be used by researchers, environmentalists, teachers and any person who is interested in knowing and doing something about the health of our planet.

This an early note to Dennis Sokol who Armin met with at the request of Ambassador Robert Strauss during his first trip to Russia (the meeting with the ambassador was facilitated also by Billy Goldberg). Dennis was a US entrepreneur who was establishing Western style clinics in the former USSR and the ambassador thought we could help especially based on his knowledge of the BCM/TMH affiliation with the Admiral Bristol Hospital that became the American Hospital of Istanbul.

Photos from Armin Weinberg's trip to Russia and Ukraine.

Blue Russia Ukraine Travel Album page-1a: The front door of the Clinic Corp building. Blue Russia Ukraine Travel Album page-1b: Picture of building with Lenin and USSR plaque on the side.

Blue Russia Ukraine Travel Album page-2a: Picture of a building with trees Blue Russia Ukraine Travel Album page-2b: Delegation met with Russian Minister of Health, Andrey Vorobyov, during first visit to Russia.

Blue Russia Ukraine Travel Album page-3a: Hotel room with a bed and chair and television. Blue Russia Ukraine Travel Album page-3b: A group of people standing near a desk and dining table.

Blue Russia Ukraine Travel Album page-4a: Two men in glasses posing together. Blue Russia Ukraine Travel Album page-4b: Man in a suit and tie posing for a picture

Blue Russia Ukraine Travel Album page-5a: Picture of park with basketball hoop and trees. Blue Russia Ukraine Travel Album page-5b: Picture of trucks driving down a road

Blue Russia Ukraine Travel Album page-6a: A monument featuring an old truck Blue Russia Ukraine Travel Album page-6b: Monument with a man and a truck that reads "For Warriors"

Blue Russia Ukraine Travel Album page-7a: Village with small houses and trees Blue Russia Ukraine Travel Album page-7b: A red house with people in winter jackets standing in front. A lot of trees around the house.

Blue Russia Ukraine Travel Album page-8a: Entrance to the Crystal Museum with people standing in front. Blue Russia Ukraine Travel Album page-8b: People standing outside near some industrial buildings

Blue Russia Ukraine Travel Album page-9a: Group of people standing outside. Blue Russia Ukraine Travel Album page-9b: A man in a hat reading a newspaper with a pipe

Blue Russia Ukraine Travel Album page-10a: Soviet sign with words "Labor" Blue Russia Ukraine Travel Album page-10b: People walking down the road

Blue Russia Ukraine Travel Album page-11a: Group of men standing near a car and trees Blue Russia Ukraine Travel Album page-11b: A tractor pulling a cart in front of a building

Blue Russia Ukraine Travel Album page-12a: Armin Weinberg standing in front of statue of Lenin Blue Russia Ukraine Travel Album page-12b: People standing in front of a coach bus

Blue Russia Ukraine Travel Album page-13a: A man sitting behind a desk with the Israel flag Blue Russia Ukraine Travel Album page-13b: A group of people standing inside

Blue Russia Ukraine Travel Album page-14a: People sitting inside in front of an Israeli flag Blue Russia Ukraine Travel Album page-14b: Orthodox Christian church

Blue Russia Ukraine Travel Album page-15a: Armin Weinberg and another man standing on the sidewalk in the winter. Blue Russia Ukraine Travel Album page-15b: A man standing in front of a log house.

Blue Russia Ukraine Travel Album page-16a: A group of men including Armin Weinberg standing in front a log house. Blue Russia Ukraine Travel Album page-16b: A group of men including Armin Weinberg standing in front a log house.

Blue Russia Ukraine Travel Album page-17a: Armin Weinberg and other men standing inside Blue Russia Ukraine Travel Album page-17b: Two men standing in front of a stone wall

Blue Russia Ukraine Travel Album page-18a: Armin Weinberg and another man standing in front of a brick building. Blue Russia Ukraine Travel Album page-18b: A man holding a pigs foot in front of a meat market

Blue Russia Ukraine Travel Album page-19a: Armin Weinberg holding a pigs foot in front of a meat market Blue Russia Ukraine Travel Album page-19b: A man holding an apple in a market

Blue Russia Ukraine Travel Album page-20a: A man standing between an office building and a church Blue Russia Ukraine Travel Album page-20b: A white church

Blue Russia Ukraine Travel Album page-21a: Armin Weinberg and another standing in front of a square and buildings Blue Russia Ukraine Travel Album page-21b: Three men sitting around a table

Blue Russia Ukraine Travel Album page-22a: Two men sitting in front of a group of people in an auditorium Blue Russia Ukraine Travel Album page-22b: People sitting around a table eating. Two men are taking shots. A women has a white dog on her lap.

Blue Russia Ukraine Travel Album page-23a: A city tram on the road in front of a building Blue Russia Ukraine Travel Album page-23b: Two men standing on the street in front of a white building

Blue Russia Ukraine Travel Album page-24a: A view of the street with a statue of Lenin and a man walking up stairs Blue Russia Ukraine Travel Album page-24b: A group of people posing in front of a fountain.