Area Health Education Centers
Area Health Education Centers (AHECs) are a network of institutions across the United States designed to enhance health professional education, particularly in underserved areas. They aim to recruit, train, and retain health care providers to improve health care access, diversity, and quality in both rural and urban settings.
Mission
The mission of AHECs is to increase the supply, distribution, diversity, and quality of health care professionals, especially in primary care, by fostering community-academic partnerships, supporting educational programs, and promoting health careers among underrepresented groups.
Parent organization
AHECs are not a single parent organization but operate under various state programs, often with oversight from state health departments, universities, or medical schools. They are supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Legislation
The AHEC program was established by Congress in 1971 to address health workforce shortages in underserved areas, authorized under the Public Health Service Act[1].
Number of employees
The number of employees varies widely depending on the scale and structure of each state's AHEC program, with each center employing staff for administration, education, and community outreach.
Organization structure
- Central Program Office manages overall coordination and policy at the state level
- Regional AHEC Centers focus on local community needs and partnerships
List of programs
- AHEC Scholars Program provides interdisciplinary training for health professions students
- Health Career Pipeline Programs to introduce K-12 students to health careers
- Continuing Education for practicing health professionals
- Community Health Education and Outreach initiatives
Last total enacted budget
Budgets vary by state, but federal funding for the national AHEC program in recent years has been around $40 million annually[2].
Leader
There is generally a Director for each AHEC center, with overall leadership at the state level often termed State AHEC Director or similar.
Services provided
AHECs provide a range of services including community-based health education, career development for potential health professionals, continuing education for current practitioners, and support for health promotion and disease prevention initiatives. They also facilitate clinical rotations for students in underserved areas.
Regulations overseen
While AHECs don't directly oversee regulations, they must comply with federal and state regulations regarding education, health services, and grant management. They also influence health workforce policy through their educational and outreach programs.
Headquarters address
There is no single headquarters since AHECs are spread across states; each state has its own central office location.
Website
There's no unified national website, but each state's AHEC program has its own site. For example, California's AHEC is at https://cal-ahec.org/.
Wikipedia article
wikipedia:Area Health Education Centers