AHEC Scholars

This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number U77HP03052, Model State Supported Area Health Education Centers.
Program Description:

AHEC Scholars is national program grant funded through HRSA (the Health Resource & Services Administration). The program is intended for health profession students who are serious about pursuing careers with rural and/or underserved communities after graduation. This innovative program will enroll 75 – 125 students annually from multiple universities and programs in Oregon. Throughout the program, AHEC Scholars students will be instructed in concepts of Interprofessional Education (IPE), patient safety, social determinates of health, behavioral health integration, cultural competency, and practice transformation in a series of in-person and/or web-based didactic sessions designed to enhance their understanding of rural and underserved health care. Additionally, AHEC Scholars students will have the opportunity to complete community-based experiential training at rural and/or urban underserved sites across the state.

Prerequisites:
Students must be enrolled in a health professions training program and be in good academic standing. Students must complete an AHEC Scholars application indicating their interest in and experience with rural and underserved populations and communities. Students who are accepted into the program will be notified by the Oregon AHEC Program Office.

Term/Year:
AHEC Scholars is a 2 year program and students must commit to being in the program for 2 years. Entry point into program is dependent upon each student’s school/program and he exit point will be graduation/completion of your degree. A Kick-Off event for each new cohort will be held in September to mark the start of each new year of AHEC Scholars.

Program Requirements:

1.Students must be enrolled for a minimum of 2 years.
2.Each student must complete a minimum of 40 hours of team-based clinical/experiential training per year in a rural and/or underserved setting.
3.Each student must complete a minimum of 40 hours per year of didactics in the HRSA defined 6 core topic areas:

i.IPE
ii.Behavioral health integration
iii.Social determinants of health
iv.Cultural competency
v.Practice transformation
vi.Current and emerging health issues

4.Didactic training should supplement existing health profession training program curriculum.
5.Students must complete a program evaluation – including a 1-year follow up.

A recent AHEC Scholars conference call was held in March 2018 and brought together AHEC's across the United States. Powerpoint slides from Oregon, Arizona and New Jersey were presented on their programs, along with a reporting overview (see below).

AHEC Scholars Webinar Slides

AHEC Scholars Webinar Slides (119 KB)