WHAT’S AN AHEC? An Area Health Education Center (AHEC) Program is a cooperative venture between a medical school and community centers in remote locations. The parent agency for the Nebraska Panhandle Area Health Education Center (NP-AHEC) is the Rural Health Education Network (RHEN). The centers may be rural or urban but must be geographically removed from the actual medical center and all of its campuses.

FUNDING SOURCE: The University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) was awarded its first AHEC funding September 1, 2001. The program is based in the Chancellor’s Unit under the umbrella of the Rural Health Education Network (RHEN). Dr. Michael Sitorius is Project Director and Roxanna Jokela is Deputy Director. Center Directors include Gretchen Forsell, Northern Nebraska AHEC, Dr. Sarah Cunningham, Central Nebraska AHEC, Gary Hastings, Nebraska Panhandle AHEC, Robyn Henderson, Southeast Nebraska AHEC and Cindy Mitchell, Omaha Urban AHEC. Each center is governed by a local Board and many AHEC centers are 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations.

ACTIVITIES: AHEC supports many activities that were developed through RHEN. The collaborative goals of AHEC along with RHEN are:
• Create a heightened awareness of the health professions among Nebraska K-12 and non-traditional students with emphasis on minority students.
• Develop a model of interdisciplinary health care delivery to the medically underserved through students learning in an ambulatory care setting.
• Plan and implement information technology system applications to support all Nebraska AHEC program objectives.
• Support collaboration between communities in development of health profession continuing education.
• Development of a health education outreach program to meet the needs of partner communities.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF Nebraska AHECS (September, 2001 – August, 2006)
• Invested more than $400,000 to assist with the Statewide Telehealth Network
• Provided more than $100,000 in small community grants for early health career awareness and recruitment programs
• Co-sponsored twelve regional bio-terrorism education symposia
• Awarded $1,000,000 to improve communications between LEP Latino patients and healthcare providers from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
• Awarded $1,000,000 for a five year contract from the National Health Service Corps to provide community experiences for health profession students during their rotations
• Develop and conducted over 500 classroom presentations, career camps, and career fairs over the past four years in collaboration with local partners serving 13,057 students K-12

THE FUTURE: Continuation funding of existing centers through Federal and State Grants. Continuation of support for community based health career education through the many avenues stated above.

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