By Missy Kemper and Kevin M. Sanders
March 21, 2008
The Area Health Education
Center (AHEC) at Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine
(OU-COM) will be observing National AHEC Week March 24 to March
28, 2008. National AHEC celebrates the existence and
accomplishments of the centers, which were developed by Congress
in 1971 to recruit, train and retain a health profession
workforce committed to providing and improving health care for
underserved populations. Today, 50 AHEC programs in more than
200 locations operate in almost every state and the District of
Columbia. Approximately 120 medical schools and 600 nursing and
allied health schools work collaboratively with AHECs to provide
and improve health care for underserved and underrepresented
populations.
OU-COM is one of seven medical
colleges in the Ohio Statewide AHEC program. OU-COM’s AHEC, the
Consortium for Health Education in Appalachian Ohio (CHEAO),
provides programs and services in 21 Appalachian counties.
Services provided by CHEAO include the following: education and
learning resources for health professionals and students through
a resource library located in Grosvenor Hall on the Ohio
University campus; service learning activities for medical
students; support for the exploration of health careers through
programming and premedical clinical shadowing; continuing
education programs for physicians, nurses and other health care
professionals; an American Heart Association Training Center;
and grants for Women’s Health Week activities.
“AHEC reaches
individuals and communities in this region through its diverse
programming,” says Kathy Trace, R.N., director of AHEC.
“In 2006, AHEC
provided resources for more than 160 educational events,
coordinated more than 2,500 service learning hours that reached
more than 1,650 people in rural areas; assisted with the
coordination of health career exploration for more than 40
middle school students in local schools; provided more than
$190,000 of free continuing education to physicians, nurses,
social workers, counselors and other allied health
professionals; and supported the training of more than 600
people in CPR, advanced cardiac life support and pediatric
advanced life support.”
AHEC’s mission is
accomplished because of its collaboration with academic and
community partners, says Trace.
“Over the years,
AHEC has improved the availability of health care professionals
and access to quality health care in Ohio,” says Trace.
A recent highlight of CHEAO was
the inception of the National Student Sight Saver Program (NSSSP).
Funded by the Friends of the Congressional Glaucoma Caucus
Foundation, this outreach effort is staffed by medical student
volunteers under the supervision of local optometrists and
provides free glaucoma screenings for the community. The program
not only assists in the battle against glaucoma — the silent
thief of vision — but gives OU-COM medical students
opportunities to expand their knowledge while experiencing the
joy of volunteering.
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