Connecting students to careers, professionals to communities, & communities to better health.

Who We Are

For over 20 years, High Sierra Area Health Education Center (AHEC), a designated 501c3 nonprofit and longstanding member of the National AHEC Organization, has been steadfast in addressing Nevada’s health care workforce shortages through recruiting, training, and retaining health professionals committed to increasing access to primary care in underserved urban and rural communities. High Sierra AHEC works in affiliation with the University of Nevada, Reno, School of Medicine and the Office of Statewide Initiatives to serve the following counties: Carson, Churchill, Douglas, Lyon, Storey, and Washoe.

What We Do

The purpose of High Sierra AHEC is to serve as a critical convener between academic and employer based partners to ensure workforce distribution and diversity. Through a variety of valuable partnerships, we develop and place future leaders within health care practice settings starting as early as 5th grade.  Our intention is to inspire young students to pursue a career in health care, providing them with a paved and equitable pathway to their continued success. Upon the completion of our pipeline, our students are highly trained, highly skilled, and employable assets to our partners. 

 Mission

• Develop a current and future pipeline of qualified healthcare workers for Nevada

• Enhance education and training within community based organizations and academic institutions

• Be responsive to current and emergent issues to ensure quality healthcare practices

Values

• Social responsibility through service to the community to meet the unmet needs in healthcare

• Focus on educational excellence with collaboration and synergy

• Build on experiences, through progressive, innovative and evidence based educational opportunities

• Provide innovative training services to cultivate future leaders in healthcare

Program Competencies

• Behavioral Health Integration

• Current/Emergent Public Health Issues

• DE&I / Cultural Competency

• Inter-Professional Education

• Practice Transformation 

• Public Health Response

• Social Determinants of Health