Monday, February 18, 2008
USI is home of new Southwest Indiana-Area Health Education Center
 The newly formed Southwest Indiana-Area Health Education Center (SWI-AHEC) housed in the Health Professions Center at the University of Southern Indiana will serve a 10-county area that includes Daviess, Dubois, Gibson, Knox, Perry, Pike, Posey, Spencer, Vanderburgh, and Warrick counties. SWI-AHEC’s goals focus on the assurance of an adequate and diverse healthcare workforce, development of future generations of healthcare professionals, and accessibility of professional continuing education for the underserved populations of the 10-county region. Area Health Education Centers (AHECs) play an important role in providing communities with health care professionals prepared to meet their needs. There are more than 200 AHEC centers in 47 states. AHECs perform four basic functions: • Assist in the training of health professionals. Health professionals who train in underserved communities are much more likely to serve those populations when their training is completed. • Provide continuing education, especially for providers to the underserved. Continuing education programs improve the quality of care and enhance professional satisfaction, both of which contribute to provider retention. • Recruit minority students into the health professions careers. Minority health professionals are substantially more likely to serve vulnerable populations then their majority counterparts. • Respond to emerging health issues by distributing information necessary for practitioners and facilities to address critical health issues and threats in a timely way. Jennifer Craig is program development specialist for SWI-AHEC. Craig holds a Bachelor of Science degree in health services from USI and is completing a Master of Public Health degree from East Tennessee State University. She was formerly employed by Deaconess Hospital in Evansville and also practiced dental hygiene in Indianapolis. A region-wide information and planning meeting is scheduled for April 2, 2008, at Oakland City University in Gibson County. The meeting will allow business, community, and healthcare leaders from around the region the opportunity to provide input about the issues and needs within their communities and gain insight into what AHECs can do for them. For more information about the Southwest Indiana-Area Health Education Center, contact Craig at 812/461-5446 or jlcraig3@usi.edu or go to health.usi.edu/swiahec. |
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