WHAT IS IT?
The Rural Alabama Area Health Education Center (AHEC) was created in 1998 to recruit and retain healthcare professionals in rural, west central Alabama. To fulfill its mission, the Rural Alabama AHEC will engage in:
- collaborative programming to create community rotations for medical residents, medical students, and health professions students;
- interdisciplinary team education;
- continuing education for providers; and
- learning resource workshops and information dissemination activities to K-12 students.
The Rural Alabama AHEC will maintain collaborative relationships and affiliation agreements with preceptors, community-based training sites, educational institutions, academic disciplines, organizations, rural community hospitals, rural health clinics and other appropriate entities as indicated by the Board of Directors.
WHAT DOES IT DO?
The Rural Alabama AHEC has jointly developed Learning Resource Centers in three community hospitals as educational sites for students of all disciplines. These sites have Internet connection and presentation capabilities. Phase 2 of this project will provide training seminars in the use of such equipment.
RAHEC is compiling a Health Occupations Career Manual to provide resource material on health occupations available. The target audience will be junior high and high school students, counselors of these students, and parents.
The Rural Alabama AHEC will build collaborative relationships to work toward mutual goals. RAHEC will work with communities and other organizations such as the Alabama Family Practice Rural Health Board, RWJF Southern Rural Access Program, and Tuskegee AHEC and develop affiliation agreements with academic departments as appropriate.
