Robert Trachtenberg, ms Executive Director National AHEC organization Dr. Carol Giffin-Jeansonne

1. NAO: a national network of ahecs committed to a well-prepared health professions’ workforce to improve access to quality health care Robert Trachtenberg, ms Executive Director National AHEC organization Dr. Carol Giffin-Jeansonne Executive Director, western colorado ahec Presentation to the colorado Health insurance/Benefit exchange Marketing, education and outreach workgroup October 19, 2011 Robert Trachtenberg; NAO

2. Discussion • History and Overview • AHEC Defined • National AHEC Organization • AHEC By the Numbers • Importance of the AHECs re Health Care Workforce Pipeline • Key Programmatic Initiatives • Impact 2010 • On the Horizon • Discussion Robert Trachtenberg; NAO

3. History and Overview • AHEC Program created in 1971 recruit, train and retain a health professions workforce committed to underserved populations. • Authorizing Legislation: Section 751 of the Public Health Service Act Title VII; Reauthorized in 2010 ACA • DHHS/HRSA/BHPr/Division of Public Health & Interdisciplinary Education/AHEC Branch Robert Trachtenberg; NAO

4. History and Overview • Funding • via Federal cooperative agreements and matching state and local funds • Recipients • Schools of Medicine/ Osteopathic Medicine; Parent Institutions; Incorporated Consortia; Nursing Schools • Congressional Intent • That there be an AHEC Program in every state Robert Trachtenberg; NAO

5. National AHEC Organization • The National Area Health Education Center Organization (NAO) • The national organization (incorporated 1997 ) that supports and advances the national Area Health Education Center (AHEC) network in improving the health of individuals and communities by transforming health care through education • Membership: AHEC Programs , Community-Based AHECs & other supporting individuals and organizations • Provides resources, communications, training, conferences, technical assistance, programmatic initiatives aligned with AHEC goals, legislative updates to the membership • NAO Leadership: Board members and committee chairs comprised of AHEC Program and Center leadership Robert Trachtenberg; NAO

6. Area Health Education Centers Area Health Education Centers (AHECs) • Academic and community partnerships that provide: • Health career recruitment programs for K-12 students • Programs that increase diversity in the health care workforce • Programs that support increased access to quality health care in medically underserved areas (teaching; community outreach; collaborative partnerships) • AHECs address health care workforce issues: • By exposing students to health care career opportunities that they otherwise would not have encountered • Establishing community-based training sites for students in service-learning and clinical capacities • Providing continuing education programs for health care professionals, and evaluating the needs of underserved communities Robert Trachtenberg; NAO

7. AHEC by the Numbers 2011 • A national network unlike any other in the U.S. • 55 AHEC Programs (53 Medical School; 2 Nursing) • 253 Community-Based AHECs in underserved rural and urban areas • 48 States (Kansas/Delaware) and the District of Columbia, Guam, Palau, Yap, American Samoa, Guam, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Puerto Rico have AHEC Programs • Affiliated with over 600 colleges and universities and over 1,000 Community Health Centers Robert Trachtenberg; NAO

8. National AHEC Network • 48 States, 55 Medical Schools & 253 Community-Based Sites throughout the country • Most in rural and underserved communities • Great capacity to address vital national health issues • Workforce Pipeline • Collegiate Health Service Corps (NHSC Contract) • Technical Assistance and Evaluation (HRSA Contract) • Provider Education Initiatives • Smoking Cessation • Adult Vaccination • Community Health Worker Development • All AHECs are active advocates for improved health outcomes Robert Trachtenberg; NAO

9. AHEC Programs & Centers Distribution Robert Trachtenberg; NAO

10. Key Programmatic Initiatives • Connecting Students to Careers • Goal • Increase representation of diverse populations in the health care professions (including allied health) for students K-16 • Connecting (Pre) Professionals to Communities • Goal • Expose health professions students to training at community-based sites: HPSAs and CHCs Robert Trachtenberg; NAO

11. Key Programmatic Initiatives • Connecting Communities to Better Health • Responding to local health needs and serving as an important link between academic training programs and community-based outreach programs • AHECs and NAO actively work to advance and improve health care • AHECs actively engaged with state Health Benefits/Insurance Exchange Development • Programming • Provide innovative, collaborative, multi-disciplinary responses to community health issues including:  diabetes, obesity, asthma, and traumatic brain injury Robert Trachtenberg; NAO

12. Increasing Health Care Professionals2010 • Students Introduced to Health Careers K-16: 413,643 • Students in Enrichment Programs K-16: 25,871 • Health Professionals in CE: • Total Contact Hours: 1,243,134 • Total Participants: 476, 595 • Community Based Training Sites: 15,042 • 54% Designated Underserved Areas • 25% Rural AHEC Sites • 16% AHEC Urban Community based Sites • 5% Other Sites • Health Professions Students Trained at Community-Based Sites: 51,722 • MD/DO: 39% • Nursing: 23% • Allied Health: 15% • Other (MH; APN; Ph; PA; PH; Dental, CHW): 23% Robert Trachtenberg; NAO

13. On the Horizon • Exploring NAO’s role with HB/IE • Colorado and Nationally • To Consider • NAO developing core educational HB/IE information for consumers • NAO acting as regional offices within states • Providing a cost-effective resource and a community-based infrastructure • Navigators for HB/IE consumers • Capacity for national-based trainings Thoughts? Robert Trachtenberg; NAO

14. Questions Robert Trachtenberg, MS Executive Director National AHEC Organization (414) 908-4953 x131 rtrachtenberg@nationalahec.org Dr. Carol Giffin-Jeansonne Executive Director WCAHEC (970) 434-5474 cgiffin@wcahec.org http://nationalahec.org Robert Trachtenberg; NAO