OSU Area Health Education Center (AHEC) Program
The Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA) designates most of Oklahoma's counties as primary care health professional shortage areas. The Oklahoma Area Health Education Program (OK-AHEC) was established in 2017 to address these shortages. OK-AHEC strengthens the state's health care workforce by recruiting, training, and retaining health professionals committed to increasing access to primary care in underserved urban and rural communities.
Through a network of regional centers located in Enid, Lawton, McAlester, and Tahlequah, OK-AHEC prepares underrepresented minority and disadvantaged (URMD) youth for healthcare careers and promotes clinical training opportunities for students and provides continuing education programs for health professionals working in underserved communities.
The regional centers are locally managed by Community Advisory Boards and partnerships supported by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Oklahoma State University, Cameron University, Northwestern Oklahoma State University, Comanche County Memorial Hospital, Northeastern Health System, Rural Health projects, Inc., McAlester Regional Hospital, and local foundations, academic institutions, associations, and nonprofit institutions.
Program Goals
Diversity
Increase the diversity and distribution of health professions students and practitioners through targeted training and partnerships in underserved and rural communities.
Distribution
New strategic and innovative programs with statewide partners through collaborations focused on addressing health care disparities and access issues.
Practice Transformation
Expedite practice transformation in primary care urban and rural underserved community practices through strategic partnerships with local, regional, and state agencies to improve patient health outcomes.
Pipeline
- Pathful – Contact your local AHEC center for more information.
AHEC Scholars Program
Scholar Benefits
- Practical experience delivering care from an interdisciplinary team-based approach that addresses health disparities in your communities
- Participate in enhanced training experiences related to health care delivery impacting underserved communities
- Potential for current clinical coursework to qualify as AHEC Scholars credit
- AHEC Scholars curriculum can be completed at no cost and complements your existing coursework
- Train on topics of leadership, communication, and critical thinking
- Improved employability skills
- Resume review
- Resume building opportunities
- Job interview preparation
- Introduction to area health organizations
- Receive an official AHEC Scholars certificate and letter of completion
Who is Eligible to Participate?
The program is open to students in disciplines that support primary health care services delivery in both clinical and non-clinical roles.
Applicable majors include but are not limited to physicians, physician assistants, registered nurses, licensed practical nursing, nurse practitioners, nurse midwives, dentists, psychologists, pharmacists, optometrists, CHWs, public and allied health professionals, or other health professionals, as practicable.
The Scholars Program has a particular interest in students from underserved, underrepresented populations and disadvantaged backgrounds. To qualify for the Scholars program, applicants should be two years from completing their current health profession program of study.
Application Period
Our application period has closed at all four center locations
Applications will open May 2024.
The program duration is two years. Each year, scholars must complete 40 hours of community-based experiential or clinical training in rural or underserved areas and 40 hours of focused didactic education in eight Core Topic Areas (see below). Clinical/experiential learning can be concurrently counted from your current health profession program of study if it meets certain requirements. All didactic education is self-paced. Scholars must attend an orientation each year of participation and agree to a follow-up evaluation one year after exiting the program.
Core Topic Areas
- Interprofessional Education
- Behavioral Health Integration
- Social Determinants of Health
- Cultural Competency
- Practice Transformation
- Current and Emerging Health Issues
- Virtual Learning and Telehealth
- Connecting Communities and Supporting Health Professionals
Continuing Education
Continuing education opportunities for health professionals that enhance their practices environments and helps them to provide high-quality care in underserved communities
Community Outreach
OSU AHEC partners with local organizations on joint projects and activities focused on distribution, diversity, and practice transformation of health care resources throughout the state.
- Mental Health First Aid Training available to schedule through your regional AHEC Center
- Community Outreach Events
Contact Us
OSU AHEC Program Office
Oklahoma State University Oklahoma City- Rural Health Office
Nicole Neilson, MS RD/LD- AHEC Program Director
405-945-8605
OSU Center for Rural Health - Tulsa
Lauren Sparks, MS – Assistant Director
918-584-4375
Northeastern Oklahoma AHEC
Northeastern Health System- Tahlequah
Michele Horn, BSN, RN, CEN - Center Director
918-229-1476
Northwestern Oklahoma AHEC
Rural Health Projects, Inc. - Enid
Becky Zook - Center Director
580-213-3170
Southeastern Oklahoma AHEC
McAlester Regional Hospital - McAlester
Christa Williams - Center Director
918-421-6952
Southwestern Oklahoma AHEC
Comanche County Memorial Hospital- Lawton
Monica Campbell - Center Director
monica.campbell@ccmhhealth.com
580-699-7353
The Oklahoma AHEC program is jointly administered by the OSU Center for Health Sciences and the OSU Center for Rural Health. Academic Partners include the Northeastern Health System located in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, Rural Health Projects located in Enid, Oklahoma, McAlester Regional Hospital located in McAlester, Oklahoma, and Comanche County Memorial Hospital located in Lawton, Oklahoma.
Center for Rural Health
Connect with OSU Center for Rural Health
Stay up-to-date on the latest rural health news, research and information.
This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under U77HP31121 Point of Service Maintenance and Enhancement, with an annual award amount of $383,407 and a 100% non-federal match. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.