Catskill-Hudson Area Health Education Center

CATSKILL-HUDSON AREA HEALTH EDUCATION CENTER, INC. MISSION IS TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO QUALITY, PRIMARY HEALTHCARE IN MEDICALLY UNDERSERVED AREAS THROUGH EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES DESIGNED TO RECRUIT, TRAIN, AND RETRAIN COMMUNITY-BASED HEALTHCARE PERSONNEL WHERE THEY ARE MOST NEEDED.

CATSKILL HUDSON AREA HEALTH EDUCATION CENTER IMPROVES THE DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE HEALTHCARE WORKFORCE IN SERVING DISADVANTAGED POPULATIONS AND SUPPORTS PRACTICE/CARE TRANSFORMATION EFFORTS, WORKING WITH 120 PARTNER ENTITIES - HEALTH CENTERS, HOSPITAL-BASED NETWORKS, PUBLIC AND PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES AND PROFESSIONS TRAINING PROGRAMS, WORKFORCE AGENCIES, AND COUNTLESS COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, HIGH SCHOOLS AND PUBLIC HEALTH COALITIONS. CATSKILL HUDSON AHEC IS A 501(C)3 NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION ACTIVE IN 11 COUNTIES (AND BEYOND) - COLUMBIA, DELAWARE, DUTCHESS, GREENE, ORANGE, OTSEGO, PUTNAM, ROCKLAND, SCHOHARIE, SULLIVAN, AND ULSTER. WE ALSO DEVELOP OPPORTUNITIES AND ARRANGE PLACEMENTS FOR FUTURE HEALTH PROFESSIONALS TO RECEIVE THEIR EXPERIENTIAL TRAINING, ESPECIALLY IN COMMUNITY HEALTH SETTINGS. WORKING WITH OUR FEDERAL FUNDING PARTNERS AT THE U.S. HEALTH RESOURCES AND SERVICES ADMINISTRATION, WE ARE LAUNCHING A NEW PROGRAM, CALLED "AHEC SCHOLAR", TO GATHER HEALTH PROFESSIONS STUDENTS INTO MICRO-CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS THAT WILL IMPROVE HOW STUDENTS WILL EVENTUALLY COORDINATE AMONGST THEIR PEERS TO MEET THE NEEDS OF PATIENTS WITH COMPLEX CONDITIONS. THIS ADDS ON TO AN EXISTING, NINE-SITE, HEALTH PROFESSIONS STUDENT RURAL SUMMER IMMERSION PROGRAM BY WHICH MEDICAL SCHOOL AND "PHYSICIAN EXTENDER" STUDENTS LEARN FIRSTHAND FROM EXPERIENCED RURAL HEALTH PROVIDERS ABOUT HEALTH WORKFORCE AND POPULATION HEALTH NEEDS IN RURRAL SECTIONS OF DUTCHESS COUNTY AND WESTERN CONNECTICUT, IN HOPES SOME MAY LATER OPT TO BEGIN PRACTICING WITHIN THAT GEOGRAPHICAL AREA. AMONG OTHER KEY PURPOSES, CATSKILL HUDSON AHEC WORKS IN TANDEM WITH PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENTS, REGIONAL PLANNING COALITIONS, AND HEALTH SYSTEM REDESIGN OFFICIALS AT THE STATE AND LOCAL LEVEL, TO PROPOTE IMPORTANT OUTCOMES VIA HEALTH-PROFESSIONAL TRAINING AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS THAT TOUCH ON CULTURAL COMPETENCY, CHRONIC DISEASE MANAGEMENT, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROMOTION, EMERGING HEALTH ISSUES, USAGES OF NEWER HEALTH TECHNOLOGIES, ENGAGMENT OF COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS WITH LARGER HEALTH SYSTEMS, AND WAYS TO ADDRESS DIFFICULT SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH, TO NAME A FEW SUCH TOPICS.

EXTRACURRICULAR YOUTH PROGRAMS CALLED SCRUBS CLUBS, MEDICAL MINDBENDERS, BILLIE'S MEDICAL ADVENTURES AND HEALTH CAREER KIDS LEAD TO REDUCTIONS IN UNEMPLOYMENT AND RAISE VOCATIONAL HOPES. OVER 40,000 YOUNG PEOPLE, AGES 10 -17, HAVE RECEIVED EXPOSURE TO HEALTH CAREERS THROUGH SUCH PIPELINE PROGRAMS. PILOT EVALUATION DATA HAVE SHOWED IMPROVEMENTS IN GRADUATION RATES AND LIKELIHOOD OF ENTRY INTO HEALTH CAREERS BY PARTICIPANTS. OUR EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES ARE DESIGNED TO TRAIN HEALTHCARE PERSONNEL IN EMERGING FIELDS. A NURSE EDUCATION PROGRAM, KNOWN BEST FOR ITS REGIONWIDE NURSING SUMMITS, MOBILIZES EDUCATORS AND NURSE LEADERS TO REVIEW PRACTICE INNOVATIONS, SUCH AS HOW TO IDENTIFY UNDIAGNOSED MENTAL ILLNESSES, AND COMBAT OPIOID OVERUSE. WE OFFER INCREASINGLY POPULAR AND WIDELY-REGARDED HEALTH PROFESSIONS SEMINARS ON LGBT POPULATION HEALTH IMPROVEMENT EFFORTS, AND SPONSOR CONFERENCES OF EQUALLY OUTSTANDING QUALITY ON LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT FOR EMS LEADERS AT A TIME WHEN MANY EMS ORGANIZATIONS ARE STRUGGLING FINANCIALLY. THESE KINDS OF PROGRAMS HAVE SERVED MORE THAN 8,000 PARTICIPANTS.