Kentucky ranks among the worst states for access to quality health care, and 96 of its 120 counties are medically underserved. Educating health care providers within the state is vital to combating the shortage of health workers and is the heart of the mission of Area Health Education Centers (AHEC).
Kentucky AHEC has been awarded $4.12 million in continued funding from the federal Health Resources and Services Administration to continue that mission through August 2022.
Administered by the University of Louisville School of Medicine in collaboration with the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Kentucky AHEC has worked to improve Kentuckians’ access to health care since 1985. Kentucky AHEC is composed of eight centers that promote healthy communities and health care delivery in the state’s regional service areas by increasing the number of health care workers of all disciplines, particularly in underserved areas.
“The AHEC centers contribute to the education of health professionals at UofL and at other institutions throughout Kentucky. Having an adequate number of well-trained, dedicated health professionals is a vital component to reducing health disparities, increasing access to health care and improving the health of all Kentuckians,” said Gregory Postel, MD, interim president of the University of Louisville. “This renewed funding is assurance that these programs will continue to support health education in the Commonwealth.”
Since its inception, Kentucky AHECs have facilitated the training of medical students in primary care, in many cases, introducing the students to issues faced by patients in underserved communities. All third-year students in the UofL School of Medicine complete a four-week clinical rotation in family medicine in rural or urban underserved communities throughout the state. The Kentucky AHEC program also provides education and rotations for nursing and dental students.
“Students gain a deeper understanding of the needs of the patients by working in these communities. It encourages them to consider practicing primary care in rural or urban underserved communities,” said Kelli Bullard Dunn, MD, vice dean for community engagement and diversity at UofL, Kentucky AHEC program director and the principal investigator of this HRSA award.
To facilitate training, AHEC staff work with the Schools of Medicine, Dentistry and Nursing to identify physicians and other professionals to coordinate students’ rotations in their communities. This provides a framework for the students to complete rotations in clinics, medical offices and community hospitals across the Commonwealth.
“This is a way for health professions students to come out and serve in rural and underserved communities where they are exposed to different cultures and the practice of medicine without the innovative technologies available at the health sciences campuses. They get to see real medicine, real people,” said Brenda Fitzpatrick, director of the Northwest AHEC, based at the Family Health Center in Louisville’s Portland neighborhood.
In addition to educating health professional students, AHECs in each region develop programs that further their mission in ways best suited to their communities.
For Fitzpatrick, that is developing a true pipeline of health care professionals, from physicians and dentists to nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, nurse’s aides, bioengineers and computer technology professionals.
“While HRSA encourages AHECs to promote careers in the health professions to high school students, we take that a step further and work with middle school students,” she said. “By the time they reach eighth grade, it may be too late.”
Fitzpatrick adds that the Northwest AHEC collaborates with several medical magnet schools in Jefferson County to help students obtain certifications during high school.
“This will get them in the workforce sooner and allow them to then continue their education and move on up the chain.”
In the latest round of program funding, HRSA has instructed AHEC programs to encourage patient-centered medical homes, which coordinate patients’ care in a single office, improving overall health care delivery and reducing costs.
AHEC Scholars program
Another new directive from HRSA is the development of the AHEC Scholars program. Each center will instruct 15 to 25 health profession students from a variety of disciplines in interprofessional education, behavioral health integration, social determinants of health, cultural competency, practice transformation and current and emerging health issues. Interprofessional education fosters collaboration among physicians, nurses, social workers, allied health and other providers.
“In a time of significant federal cutbacks, we were pleased to receive funding under HRSA’s extensively revised criteria,” Bullard Dunn said.
In addition to the federal funding, Kentucky AHEC is supported by Kentucky General Assembly appropriations, UofL and UK. AHEC is part of UofL’s Signature Partnership, a university effort to enhance the quality of life and economic opportunity for residents of West Louisville.
