Area Health Education Centers (AHECs)

Background:

The Florida AHEC network is an extensive statewide system for health professional education and support founded upon ten regional Area Health Education Centers. Each of these non-profit organizations has strong ties to local public and community health facilities and is governed by a board of directors made up of local health care consumers, educators and providers. In meeting the needs of its constituent communities, each AHEC is supported by an AHEC Program at one of the state’s medical schools. The organizational structure enables the AHECs to draw upon the resources of the academic health centers in addressing local health care issues. Untied through a federation called the Florida AHEC Network, the ten regional AHECs and the four AHEC Programs work in partnership with the Florida Department of Health and other agencies toward a common goal of addressing the primary-care needs of Florida’s medically underserved populations.

Some of the major AHEC initiatives are:

• Promoting osteoporosis prevention practices with adults and children,
• Training future health care providers in the issues of tobacco use,
• Working with communities to address the issue of environmental tobacco smoke,
• Assisting providers in the provision of culturally sensitive health care,
• Supporting providers in the clinical and informational use of the Internet,
• Expanding the state’s network of childbirth educators, and
• Developing better tool to assess community need.

AHEC contacts for complimentary Osteoporosis education programs are listed below.  Please contact the AHEC in your area or the Florida Department of Health, Osteoporosis Program Manager.

AHEC Contact Information: