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High
Sierra AHEC
5250 Neil Road, Suite 302
Reno, NV 89502
PHONE
(775) 827-2432
FAX
(775) 827-0190 |
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AHEC
Purpose
The Area Health Education Centers program
was developed by Congress in 1971 for
the purpose of recruiting, training
and retaining a health professions workforce
that is committed to improving the health
of underserved populations. The Area
Health Education Centers apply national
health initiatives to meet the healthcare
needs of the nation’s most vulnerable
communities. Today, more than 200 Centers
operate collaboratively with medical,
nursing, and allied health schools to
improve the health status of underserved
populations throughout the United States. |
History
of the Nevada AHEC System
The Nevada AHEC program was established
in 1985 and received its first federal
appropriation as a program in 1986.
Throughout the core operating period
of 1986 through 1995, the program envisioned
three Centers designed to work in a
coordinated effort to address the needs
of the distinct service areas of the
state.
The first Center, the Northeastern Nevada
AHEC in Elko, became operational in
1987 and originally served Churchill,
Elko, Eureka, Humboldt, Lander, Lyon,
Mineral, Pershing, Storey, and White
Pine Counties. The Northeastern AHEC
has focused on distance education and
developed a sophisticated and extensive
network of telecommunications sites.
In fact, there are now 43 telecommunication
sites throughout the state that provide
critical health education and administrative
coordination for isolated health care
practitioners.
The Area Health Education Center of Southern Nevada became operational in 1989 and serves Clark, Esmeralda, Lincoln, and Nye Counties. AHEC of Southern Nevada, the largest of the three Centers, is based in Las Vegas. Activities include continuing education for healthcare professionals; enrichment and health career awareness programs as well academic areas for at-risk students; family and life skills training; and outreach for women who need screening and treatment for breast and cervical cancer. |
High
Sierra Area Health Education Center
The High Sierra Area Health Education
Center was established in Reno to reach
the medically underserved areas of rural
and urban northwestern Nevada. Incorporated
in late 2002, the Center’s vision
is to facilitate the improvement of
the healthcare service delivery systems
in Carson, Churchill, Douglas, Lyon, Storey, and
Washoe Counties. While the focus is
on the healthcare and public health
needs of northwestern Nevada, the Center
works closely with the Area Health Education
Center of Southern Nevada, the Northeastern
Nevada Area Health Education Center,
and other partners to improve the health
and well-being of all Nevadans. |
| What the HECK is an AHEC? |
Examples of recent and successful programming include:
- Implementing and participating in K-12 student programs designed to "prime the pipeline" of Nevada's future healthcare workforce, exposing them to the many health care career opportunities through innovative programming and hands-on experiences.
- Providing hundreds of continuing education credits to health care professionals through statewide trainings
- Partnering with Northwestern CT AHEC to implement the Youth Health Service Corps, a program designed to recruit diverse high school students into a career in health care. Students participate during a semester to implement a community health service learning project, filling a large community need for volunteer service while acquiring real life learning experiences under the guidance of professional role models and mentors. Each student is certified in CPR/First AID and presented a certificate of completion, a valuable recognition when furthering their education. This program has increased school attendance, improved students GPA and has increased community involvement.
- Coordinated the Nevada Statewide Evacuation, Mass Care and Sheltering Initiative and the National Incident Management System and the Hospital Incident Command System for hospital and health care personnel.
- Annual support and coordination in several local events to raise community awareness on the local impact of HIV/AIDS, raising advocacy and improving sexual behavior through education, risk reduction and outreach services.
- Launched the first annual community volunteer effort in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., "Art as a form of Expression for the Memory Impaired", an event aimed at promoting patient and caregiver relationships, communication, companionship and expression through art.
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