HISTORY
1971 The Area Health Education Center (AHEC) national initiative begins to improve the accessibility and quality of primary health care. The program encourages universities and educators to look beyond their institutions to create partnerships that meet community health needs, work toward the goal of decentralizing health professions training, and link communities with academic health centers to promote cooperative solutions to local health problems.
1990 Wisconsin’s AHEC program begins with a small state grant. Four regional centers are created to support programming across the state. The University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health provides space and hosts administrative and program staff for the AHEC Statewide Program Office on the UW-Madison campus.
1991 Federal funding begins to increase and support Wisconsin’s AHEC program.
2003 Wisconsin’s four AHEC centers are reconfigured to improve program delivery. Milwaukee AHEC assumed responsibility for additional southern counties. Eastern AHEC moved north and became Northeast AHEC. Southwest AHEC added a few northwestern counties. Northern AHEC continued to serve a 33 county region in the northern half of the state.
HISTORY
1971: The Area Health Education Center (AHEC) national initiative begins to improve the accessibility and quality of primary health care. The program encourages universities and educators to look beyond their institutions to create partnerships that meet community health needs, work toward the goal of decentralizing health professions training, and link communities with academic health centers to promote cooperative solutions to local health problems.
1990: Wisconsin’s AHEC program begins with a small state grant. Four regional centers are created to support programming across the state. The University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health provides space and hosts administrative and program staff for the AHEC Statewide Program Office on the UW-Madison campus.
1991: Federal funding begins to increase and support Wisconsin’s AHEC program.
2010: Scenic Rivers AHEC became an independent 501©3 organization employing one full time staff, the Executive Director, and serving ten counties: Buffalo, Crawford, Grant, Jackson, Juneau, La Crosse, Monroe, Richland, Trempealeau, and Vernon.
2011: A part time Marketing and Outreach Specialist was hired. A HealthCorps member joined Scenic Rivers AHEC to support health professions career programming. Strategic planning by the Scenic Rivers AHEC Board of Directors maintains a focus on recruiting students into health care careers from under-served communities in addition to working with students enrolled in health professions programs to provide educational opportunities with and in underserved communities.
2012: Scenic Rivers AHEC receives Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction’s “Standing Up for Rural Schools, Communities and Libraries Award” for the Wisconsin HealthCorps partnership as well as the “Business Friend of Education Award” for three years of work with the Whitehall School District’s Health Careers Academy. The National AHEC Center “Excellence Award for Health Professions Programs” was also received this year in recognition of the graduate Public Health programs immersion experience provided in Fall 2011.
2013: After 3 years of service by 4 HealthCorps members, Scenic Rivers AHEC closes out terms of service with HealthCorps and a new Executive Director is hired.
2014: The positions of Education and Outreach Coordinator and Program Associate are added to the staffing lineup. The positions supports all health professions career programming along with new initiatives aimed at developing the future healthcare workforce.
2015: Scenic Rivers AHEC is awarded an HPV Education grant through The National AHEC Organization and Centers for Disease Control. This project brings on new staff and a focus on professional development centered around HPV Vaccine education and cancer prevention.
2003: Wisconsin’s four AHEC centers are reconfigured to improve program delivery. Milwaukee AHEC assumed responsibility for additional southern counties. Eastern AHEC moved north and became Northeast AHEC. Southwest AHEC added a few northwestern counties. Northern AHEC continued to serve a 33 county region in the northern half of the state.
2006-2007: A comprehensive assessment of programs, partnerships, and direction culminated in another reconfiguration. The Northern region divided into three centers and the Southwest region into two centers. A total of seven regional centers were established.