The Northern Arizona AHEC (NAHEC) is part of the national and Arizona state AHEC system. NAHEC is one of five regional AHECs in Arizona, with the state program office being located at the Arizona Health Sciences Center at the University of Arizona. NAHEC is unique among AHECs in that its parent organization is a community health center -- North Country HealthCare, based in Flagstaff with nine satellite clinics across northern Arizona. In 1996, NAHEC merged with the Flagstaff Community Free Clinic and became North Country Community Health Center (name change has since changed), which led to an organizational mission that embraces primary care, teaching/training, and outreach programs. Pre-established AHEC relationships with academic institutions quickly led to North Country’s reputation as a progressive teaching and training organization. NAHEC and North Country are non-profit 501(c)3 organizations governed by a Board of Directors.
Through a 20-year track record of providing health professions education and direct services, the Northern Arizona Area Health Education Center (NAHEC) serves as a critically important leader in addressing the health needs of its vast service area. The mission of NAHEC is to improve the supply and distribution of health professionals, with an emphasis on primary care, public health, community-based, interprofessional, culturally reinforcing services and education. Through partnering with community health centers, Indian Health Service hospitals, regional medical centers, healthcare organizations, high schools, community colleges, universities, workforce and economic development, and other community based organizations throughout its service region and the state as a whole, NAHEC is addresses these three overarching goals:
Helping communities grow their own health professionals.
Promoting community health.
Serving as a bridge between communities and resources.
The Northern Arizona AHEC had yet another successful year among our youth/ high school, health professions education, Continuing Education/ Continuing Medical Education, and Telehealth programs. Here are a few of our successes over the past year:
Our many high school programs, including: two Future Health Leaders (FHL) programs (one at Northern Arizona University and the other Yavapai College), Indigenous Pride Health Worker program at Hopi Health Care Center, Adventures in Medicine at Kayenta, PharmCamp at Pinon, and our Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) chapters across our service area. Collectively these programs are about health career exploration, academic enrichment, college/ university preparatory, and leadership development.
Coordinated community based clinical training experiences for over 160 health professional students.
Developed “North Country Campus” of AT Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine Arizona. North Country HealthCare/ NAHEC have joined forces with A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine Arizona to educate tomorrow’s community-minded physicians. Our new medical school is using an innovative curriculum to train primary care physicians, especially those who wish to remain in medically-underserved communities. Beginning in September 2008, North Country HealthCare/ NAHEC will host are first class of ten second year medical students at our “North Country Campus,” with additional classes beginning in subsequent years. Students will remain with us for the remainder of medical school (years 2-4), meaning once all classes of students arrive there will be 30 students in total.
With our partners in the Northern Arizona Allied Health Initiative (Department of Labor grant) the first class of Medical Assistants graduated, a Pharmacy Technician program was created, and additional allied health programs are in development. The Northern Arizona Allied Health Initiative is a collaborative effort between Yavapai College, NAHEC, and the healthcare facilities, community health organizations, secondary educational institutions, area employers, and workforce development programs throughout northern Arizona. The vision of this collaboration is to use on-site education, distance learning technology, and cooperative agreements to increase the supply and distribution of certificated, licensed and/or degreed allied health workforce in Northern Arizona.
First cohort of Visionary Interprofessional Health Sciences Training in Arizona (VIHSTA) students from Northern Arizona University and the University of Arizona completed their program at Chinle, AZ. Students worked together with several community organizations to successfully complete and distribute a chapter level emergency preparedness plan to all Chapter Houses in the Chinle Service area. The plan was based on directives incorporated from the Navajo Nation, Chinle Indian Health Service, CDC, and exemplars from other emergency preparedness plans. Through utilizing the Navajo Wellness Model our plan was culturally attuned to the Dine philosophy.
Developed affiliations with several medical residency programs
Directed and sponsored over 80 Continuing Education Programs reaching over 2,400 health professionals.
Obtained American Heart Association and American Red Cross health professional accreditation for First Aid and CPR training with many classes being held for health professional students, community members, and practicing health professionals.
Granted over $400,000 dollars of Distance Learning and Telemedicine (i.e. Telehealth) equipment to be used for distance learning programs in CME/CE, community education, and academic training; clinical telemedicine; and other uses such as administrative collaboration and informative exchange, meetings, and other special projects across our service area. NAHEC will serve as a ‘hub’ which means our NAHEC network will also be able to link to other networks, most notably the Arizona Telemedicine Program.
Partnered with the Iina Coalition, a non-profit organization at Chinle, AZ on various community and non-profit development programs.
Conceived of and created MyHealthCareer.net, which is part online discussion, part career and college/ university information, and part social network all about healthcare. This site is also a “clearing house” of scholarship, health professions, and college/ university information, personalized career plans, amongst many other things.
Completion of our “Learning Center,” which consists of NAHEC staff offices, two classrooms, faculty offices for our health professions programs, a computer lab, and state of the art Telehealth equipment.
This is but a small snapshot to our many programs and activities across our vast service area.
Health Leaders (FHL) programs (one at Northern Arizona University and the other Yavapai College), Indigenous Pride Health Worker program at Hopi Health Care Center, Adventures in Medicine at Kayenta, PharmCamp at Pinon, and our Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) chapters across our service area. Collectively these programs are about health career exploration, academic enrichment, college/ university preparatory, and leadership development.
ally-underserved communities. Beginning in September 2008, North Country HealthCare/ NAHEC will host are first class of ten second year medical students at our “North Country Campus,” with additional classes beginning in subsequent years. Students will remain with us for the remainder of medical school (years 2-4), meaning once all classes of students arrive there will be 30 students in total.