About AHEC
The Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) Program was created by Congress in 1971 as a strategy to address the shortage of primary care physicians and other health care professionals. Through a combination of federal, state and local funding, medical schools were encouraged to establish regional AHEC centers which foster collaboration between the academic health centers and community organizations. The medical schools were also encouraged to increase the number of students and residents trained in underserved and rural community-based settings.
Each AHEC center is overseen by a local governing or advisory board composed of health professionals, educators, business leaders and variety of consumer groups. Today, there are 45 AHEC programs in 43 states that are designed to bridge the gaps that exist between primary health care and the population.
Focusing on health professional shortage areas, AHEC programs:
- develop and support community based education for medical, dental, nursing, pharmacy, allied health and other students;
- meet continuing education needs for a broad array of health professionals;
- recruit under-represented and disadvantaged persons into health careers;
- conduct health promotion and disease prevention activities that respond to defined community needs, with emphasis on underserved areas and populations with serious unmet health care needs;
- assist communities in recruiting and retaining health providers; and,
- provide information dissemination, educational support and technical assistance to reduce professional isolation, increase retention and enhance the practice environment.
The National AHEC Mission:
To enhance access to quality health care, particulary primary and preventive care, by improving the supply and distribution of health care professionals through community/academic educational partnerships.
State
AHECs.......Promoting the CommonHealth across the Commonwealth
The State of Kentucky is served by 8 regional AHEC Centers and two Central AHEC offices located at the University of Kentucky Medical Center, Lexington, and the University of Louisville Health Sciences Center, Louisville. The regional offices are:
- Purchase AHEC, Murray, KY
- West AHEC, Madisonville, KY
- South Central AHEC, Bowling Green, KY
- North West AHEC, Louisville, KY
- Southern AHEC, Mt. Vernon, KY
- North Central AHEC, Park Hills, KY
- Northeast AHEC, Morehead, KY
- Southeast AHEC, Hazard, KY
The Kentucky AHEC system actually began in 1974 with the Area Health Education Systems (AHES). State funds supported clinical training in rural areas for health professions students at the Universities of Kentucky and Louisville. It became apparent that additional strategies were needed to address the mal-distribution and shortage of health professionals in the Commonwealth.
In 1985, the University of Kentucky Medical Center and the University of Louisville Health Sciences Center collaborated on a joint proposal to the US Department of Health and Human Services. With the awarding of the first federal grant, the Kentucky AHEC program was initiated. Today, the Kentucky AHEC program is supported by both state and federal funds, and is recognized as one of the premier AHEC programs in the nation.
The Kentucky AHEC program connects the academic health centers in Lexington and Louisville with medically underserved communities across the Commonwealth. The regional AHEC centers help bridge the gap between the Universities and the communities. The regional Centers:
- Coordinate student clinical training in rural and underserved areas
- Provide health career awareness and recruitment programs, especially for individuals from underserved areas or under represented populations
- Provide community health education programs
- Provide support for practicing health professionals through continuing education and information services
The mission of the Kentucky AHECs is to promote healthy communities through innovative partnerships. This is accomplished by providing:
- Educational support services to health professions students and health care providers
- Community health education
- Programs that encourage health professions as a career choice
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