Area Health Education Centers accepting applications
By American staff
Between 2002 and 2012, health care will represent 10 of the top 20 fastest-growing professions in the state, according to a study conducted by the Missouri Department of Economic Development. But hospitals, community health clinics, nursing homes and other medical facilities have found that the demand for well-trained and qualified health care professionals outpaces the supply of available applicants.
To address this critical need, a nationwide system of area health education centers and program offices have been established with funds from federal and state agencies. Known across the country as Area Health Education Centers (AHEC), the centers work in partnership with local communities, schools, universities and healthcare providers to improve access to healthcare, especially in undeserved urban and rural areas.
Locally, East Central Missouri Area Health Education Centers (ECMO AHEC), located at 3115 South Grand, services the City of St. Louis, St. Louis County, St. Charles County, Jefferson County and Franklin County. ECMO AHEC works closely with the AHEC Program Office, located at Saint Louis University School of Medicine, to deliver career and academic enhancement programs to high school and college students and continuing medical education programs to health care professionals.
Last school year, over 114 students participated in an ECMO AHEC-sponsored program.
ECMO AHEC recently held its 4th Annual Recommitment and Awards Ceremony at Saint Louis University’s Saint Francis Xavier College Church. Declaring it AHEC Day, Mayor Francis G. Slay honored 20 high-school students throughout the area who participated in the program. All of the students were awarded more than $96,000 in scholarships and grants from institutions of higher education.
These graduates entered the pipeline of talented students who one day will be working in the community as family doctors, nurses, dentists, hygienists, therapists and social workers.
“We understand the mayor’s goal of workforce development,” said ECMO AHEC Executive Director Alfreda Brown. “By working with high school students we certainly support that initiative to train and provide healthcare professionals for the St. Louis area.”
The Annual Recommitment and Awards Ceremony also served as the inauguration of the Barbara Bowman Award. Bowman served as the second executive director for ECMO AHEC from 2003 to 2007. She is now the vice president of development for the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, Inc. The award was given to seven students who exceeded their Individual Career Plan requirements for 2006-2007.
AHEC Career Enhancement Scholars and ACES-Plus programs are now accepting applications. The career enhancement program is open to freshmen, sophomores and juniors with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, and ACES is open to college students. All applicants should have a career goal in one of the following areas: family care, internal medicine, pediatrics, nursing, dentistry or dental hygiene.
Selected students will receive tutoring in math and science, mentoring by medical students, shadowing experiences in community health centers, training in HIPPA and CPR, as well as ACT preparation.
For additional information, call 314-772-9979 or email bthomas@ecmoahec.org.
