The Jinishian foundation has set up a medical centre within the Convent of St James, providing free medical care and subsidized medication for all Armenians. The centre is staffed by a doctor and a nurse, and has been instrumental in helping the community combat common illnesses. The centre is part of the Jinishian Memorial Program which has been operating in the Middle East since 1967, and is one of four such sites in the region where the program also assists Armenians in community and economic development, day care services, summer camps and social work. In some centres, where access to healthcare is difficult or unavailable, the program offers subsidized medications, burial services and financial assistance for hospital care, dental care and institutional and mental health care. The program is the brinchild of Vartan H. Jinishian, born in 1870 in Marash, Turkey. He was 95 years old when he established an endowment fund that is fuelling the program.