2023 Outstanding Preceptor Award
Southwest Indiana AHEC presented the 2023 Outstanding Preceptor Award to Dr. Thomas Stratton of ECHO Community Healthcare in Evansville, Indiana.
As a physician at the only Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in Evansville, Dr. Stratton ensures that students not only have a great clinical experience, but that they understand the complexities many patients endure in their lives, including language, economic and social barriers to healthcare.
Dr. Stratton has been precepting Indiana University medical students during their third-year family medicine clerkships for many years, and he typically precepts two to three students each academic year.
In addition to precepting, Dr. Stratton is very engaged in local community initiatives addressing mental health, and he is passionate about reducing implicit bias and educating students on the issue. He presented during a regional preceptor professional development workshop in 2019, and he provided a family physician’s perspective on working with LatinX communities during a National AHEC Organization Diversity Community lunch and learn in October 2022.
"Recognizing the value of supporting, mentoring and educating future healthcare professionals, particularly with underserved populations, is critical to the mission of the Indiana AHEC Network," said Jane Friona, Executive Director of Southwest Indiana AHEC. "We are pleased to recognize Dr. Stratton for his outstanding efforts in educating students on the importance of providing care to diverse patient populations."
2023 Partnership Matters Award
Ashli Smiley, Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) Coordinator for the Indiana Department of Health, is the recipient of the Southwest Indiana Area Health Education Center (AHEC) 2023 Partnership Matters Award.
She has worked as a SANE in the emergency department of an Indianapolis level one trauma center, as well as a rural county hospital. She now uses her experience statewide for the benefit of training and mentoring forensic nurses and improving survivor services.
“When we think about all of our partners, Ashli stands out as a true advocate and ally of the Indiana SANE Training Project,” said Jane Friona, Executive Director of Southwest Indiana AHEC. “She has been an amazing resource for Southwest Indiana AHEC and this project, and I am certain that we would not have accomplished all we have, particularly in rural and underserved communities, without her steadfast support and advice.”
For the past four years, Southwest Indiana AHEC, hosted at the University of Southern Indiana in the College of Nursing and Health Professions, has been expanding care for victims of sexual abuse and assault through the Indiana SANE Training Project, which is funded with a HRSA Advanced Nursing Education – Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner grant.
Learn more about the Indiana SANE Training Project.
Our Goals:
Recruitment:
To increase the representation of individuals from under-represented minority, disadvantaged and rural backgrounds willing and able to pursue a health profession career.
Training:
To utilize hands-on experiences to improve practicing health profession students' skills and competencies necessary to enhance the quality of health care and provide transformative team-based care delivery within rural and underserved areas and populations.
To utilize a comprehensive community-based education approach to improve the skills and competencies of health professions students' necessary to enhance the quality of health care and provide transformative team-based care delivery within rural and underserved areas and populations.
Retention in Underserved Communities:
To improve practicing health professionals' skills and competencies necessary to enhance health care quality and provide transformative team-based health care delivery to rural and underserved areas and populations.
We are Southwest Indiana AHEC!
Southwest Indiana Area Health Education Center is one of nine regional centers of the Indiana AHEC network. We ignite an interest in health careers and train future professionals. We partner with the best. Come join us!
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This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number U77HP23068 Area Health Education Centers Point of Service Maintenance and Enhancement for a total of $1,298,250. 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.