Alabama AHEC is in the News!

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People with the University of Alabama's College of Continuing Health Sciences will work with AHECs, or Alabama Area Health Education Centers, to extend school and training opportunities to high school students in rural areas. They'll focus on kids in high school from rural areas to consider careers in healthcare and convince them of why it's important to use those skills in places similar to their hometowns. The University already has a rural scholars program to do just that. "In our rural communities, there are driven students just like in urban areas and these driven students, once we show them what opportunities we have, what benefits we have for them, there will be nothing that can stand in their way from joining our program and leveling the playing field," Earl Johnson, Program Coordinator for West Central Alabama AHEC explained. But now, Alabama will work with AHECs from around the state to better target those kids and try and convince them their talents could have the most impact in communities with the least amount of access to doctors or other healthcare services. "They work with local civic organizations. They work with the schools. They work with the kids in the schools and their families to deliver the message that you too can become a health professional and in return help the community," according to Rick Streiffer, Dean of the College of Community Health Sciences.

There are 5 AHEC regions in the state.

CHECK OUT THE VIDEO ON WBRC!