THE AHEC SCHOLARS PROGRAM:

Community-Focused Training for Tomorrow’s Health Workforce

The U.S. healthcare system is rapidly changing. Today’s health professions students will be tomorrow’s healthcare leaders – Are you prepared for the task?

Utah AHEC is committed to supporting tomorrow’s health workforce and we want to help you prepare for your future in healthcare. That’s why we are teaming up with the National AHEC Organization and higher education institutions across the state of Utah to offer the AHEC Scholars Program.

The AHEC Scholars Program is a 2‑year program for health professions students interested in addressing underserved urban and rural health needs in a transformed health system. As an AHEC Scholar, you will:

  • Join a Cohort of Fellow Health Professions Students from across the state
  • Get AHEC Credit for Required Degree or Certificate Coursework
  • Gain Access to the Utah Primary Care Summit
  • Connect with Professional Mentors
  • Better Understand Underserved Urban and Rural Health Issues
  • Receive National Recognition for Program Completion

At the end of the 2‑year experience, you will receive a certificate upon graduation from your degree or certificate program AND a letter of recommendation from the Utah AHEC Program Director. Students who complete the AHEC Scholars Program are prepared to:

  • Partner with other health professionals to address pressing population health issues
  • Provide high quality services and care in transformed health systems
  • Meet the health needs in Utah’s underserved urban and rural populations

Applications for the 2020 AHEC Scholars Cohort will be available summer of 2020.

PROGRAM CORE TOPIC AREAS:
1. INTERPROFESSIONAL EDUCATION

Interprofessional Education (also known as interdisciplinary training) supports a coordinated, patient-centered model of health care that involves an understanding of the contributions of multiple health care professionals.

2. BEHAVIORAL HEALTH INTEGRATION

Behavioral Health Integration promotes the development of integrated primary and behavioral health services to better address the needs of individuals with mental health and substance abuse conditions.

3. SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH

Social Determinants of Health includes five key areas (determinants): economic stability, education, social and community context, health and health care, and neighborhood and built environment, and their impact on health.

4. CULTURAL COMPETENCY

Cultural Competency seeks to improve individual health and build healthy communities by training health care providers to recognize and address the unique culture, language, and health literacy of diverse consumers and communities.

5. PRACTICE TRANSFORMATION

Practice Transformation aims to fully support quality improvement and patient-centered care through goal-setting, leadership, practice facilitation, workflow changes, measuring outcomes, and adapting organizational tools and processes to support new team-based models of care delivery.

6. CURRENT AND EMERGING HEALTH ISSUES

Current and Emerging Health Issues supports an understanding of and appropriate response to the current and emerging health issues that affect specific geographic or demographic populations. These might include Zika virus, opioid abuse, low HPV vaccination rates, obesity, and air pollution.

A Member of the National AHEC Organization