MAHEC 30 Years Booklet
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Celebrating 3 0 Years 1988 - 2018 CELEBRATING 1988 - 2018 0YEARS For thirty years, Missouri AHEC has worked to enhance access to quality healthcare, parcularly primary and prevenve care, by growing and supporng Missouri’s healthcare workforce. Area Health Educaon Centers were developed by Congress in 1971 to recruit, train and retain a health professions workforce commied to underserved populaons. Now more than ever, it is important to idenfy our future providers that will serve a populaon in need of healthcare in both rural and urban underserved areas of Missouri. AHEC connects the resources of academic training schools to local communies to enhance training and healthcare access. By their very structure, AHECs are able to respond in a flexible and creave manner in adapng naonal health iniaves to the parcular needs of the naon’s most vulnerable communies. Today, 46 AHEC programs with more than 261 centers operate in almost every state and the District of Columbia. Approximately 120 medical schools and 600 nursing and allied health schools work collaboravely with AHECs to improve health for underserved and under‐represented populaons. By training health professions students in local communies, AHECs idenfy, movate, recruit, train, and retain a healthcare workforce commied to underserved populaons. CONTENTS LEADERSHIP 3 ADVOCACY 5 MAHEC TIMELINE 7 HEALTH CAREER PROGRAMS 9 CLINICAL TRAINING 11 COMMUNITY EDUCATION 13 AHEC SCHOLARS 14 PROGRAM OFFICES 15 REGIONAL CENTERS 21 Disclaimer: This project is/was supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number U77HP3042 entitled “MAHEC 2017-2022: A Statewide Network for Interprofessional Healthcare Workforce Development and Practice Transformation in Rural and Underserved Missouri” for $1,468,072 with 50% financed using non-federal sources. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author(s) 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. C AHEC Leadership As MAHEC Celebrates 30 years of He has a keen ear and remarkably humble service, we celebrate the “originals” that way of coaching us forward. He calculates have endured the thirty years of growing the risk and potenal, and then recommends a statewide program. Prior to 1988, Janet structured course for hurdling each barrier Head, RN, MSN, EdD, began her inial drive in our collecve path. to bring AHEC to the Show‐Me‐State. Armed In addion to managing daily AHEC with reams of HRSA publicaons, a map, and contribuons to the host medical school lots of ambion, she set a course to shi the and its 350+ on‐campus students, Janet’s infamous “mal‐distribuon” and lessen the passion for geriatrics and interprofessional shortage of primary care providers in our educaon has led her to acvely develop largely rural state. Early on, she hired a and lead numerous community integraon young EMS administrator by the name of and interdisciplinary acvies for the health Janet Head and Michael French Michael French from Wisconsin to join her in have lead the Missouri AHEC effort professions students both at ATSU and this effort. Janet and Michael quickly proved since the inception in 1988. Truman State University. themselves a remarkable and well‐spoken In 2009, she achieved her long‐term team capable of tackling systemic problems Individually, their talents and interests goal of compleng a doctorate in educaon as well as the daily minua. Their partner‐ have led them to work for MAHEC in differ‐ in 2009. Her thesis explored how and in ship bloomed in both work and in life, and ent ways. Michael is our detail person and what context osteopathic medical students they married in 1991. keeps us on track with a statewide vision. learn about interprofessional pracce. Even The earliest Missouri AHEC years were He assists the other two program offices and in her personal endeavors, Janet is com‐ difficult. The inial Program Office was locat‐ seven centers become a stronger statewide mied to a more responsive, beer pre‐ ed in a condemned part of the medical system, seeking relaonships, partnerships, pared, and stronger healthcare workforce. school. Few people knew or understood the legislaon, financial resources ‐ any and all of In 2016 the efforts and contribuons to mission; even fewer thought the vision could the components that will grow MAHEC into a MAHEC were recognized at the naonal be carried out. Nonetheless, Janet and greater, more connected, and more respon‐ level with the Red Koelling Award for Ser‐ Michael set out to build one regional center sive force. This has not always been an easy vice to AHEC. While many center directors aer another, visualizing a statewide network job, but Michael keeps his even‐temper and and staff members have come and gone that truly linked communies to their future works with us individually and as an incorpo‐ from Missouri AHEC over 30 years, Michael health providers and vice versa. Thirty years rated group. We will never know exactly how and Janet have remained constant through later, we hope they are feeling sasfacon much me he has spent over the years on it all. Not only do they have historical refer‐ and pride in what has been achieved by the our behalf at the state capital, but we know it ence, they ARE the history of our Missouri Missouri AHEC system. is far more than the rest of us want to spend! AHEC system. We are grateful. Missouri Area Health Education Center | 30 year celebration | page 3 R B Whether governing or advisory, each was established to convene board mem‐ regional AHEC center is dependent on the bers from each regional board with staff contribuon and support of their regional from the center and program offices. boards. Board members represent educa‐ These annual retreats allowed board mem‐ on, healthcare, business, government, bers from across the state to learn best and other community organizaons and pracces from other regions and work on play a vital role in the success of the cen‐ statewide strategic planning. ter’s growth and community engagement. In 2001, those in aendance decided In the late 1990s a Joint Boards Retreat to begin fundraising for a scholarship. Following the passing of the ECMO AHEC first center, the scholarship was named the Tamra Lisy Memorial Scholarship. Funds were primarily raised through silent auc‐ ons held in conjuncon with the confer‐ ence. The last Joint Boards Retreat was held in 2010. Funds raised during that me provided scholarships from 2005‐2016 for our AHEC students pursuing health careers. Several recipients are now praccing professionals including Dr. Emily Penick of Northeast Missouri AHEC region, Kristen Alexander, DMD, of Southeast Missouri region. Although the retreat is no longer held, regional centers sll convene regular meengs and value the input and experse that community members bring to the table. We Remember... Tamra Lisy James Balls Dr. Larry Garrison‐Sullivan Tamra served as the first center director for the James was a charter member of the East Dr. Sullivan was an advisory board member for East Central Missouri AHEC in St. Louis, Missouri Central Missouri AHEC board of directors and the West Central Missouri AHEC since 2010. in a me of change and growth as a statewide had served as chair since its incepon. He served as pre‐health advisor and Dean of organizaon. She movated and challenged His leadership, passion and strong interest in Health Sciences at Avila University for over MAHEC leadership to connuously strive for helping ECMO AHEC succeed helped shape the 40 years. He was passionate about helping excellence in becoming the effecve statewide center into the success it is today. He passed students reach their goals of becoming health‐ organizaon of today. She passed away in 2003. away in 2016. care providers. He passed unexpectedly in 2019. A for AHEC The Naonal AHEC Organizaon (NAO) was formally organized and incorporated in 1998. NAO represents a network of more than 300 AHEC program offices and centers that serve over 85% of Unit‐ ed States counes. The goal of NAO is to help its members achieve Missouri AHEC was proud to have Paula the AHEC mission through advocacy, educaon, and research. Overfelt, Northwest Missouri AHEC The AHEC mission is to enhance access to quality healthcare, center director, serve as president of the parcularly primary and prevenve care, by improving the supply National AHEC Organization for 2017-18. and distribuon of healthcare professionals via strategic partner‐ ships with academic programs, communies, and professional organizaons. As a membership organizaon, involvement with our naonal organizaon is important and Missouri has been well represented. Both Dr. Janet Head and Michael French from the ATSU‐KCOM AHEC were involved from the beginning of the organizaon. Janet served as naonal president in 2005‐2006 and was very acve in various commiees such as the Program Directors Constuency Former AHEC student, Tara Seals, Group, NAO secretary, and other countless roles. RN/BSN, CPNP, participated on the student panel at the 2018 National Michael French is currently compleng his second term on the AHEC Conference in Washington, NAO Board of Directors, where he also serves as parliamentarian. D.C. He has served as chair of the Program Directors Constuency Group, member of the NAO Public Policy Commiee. In 2016, Ashley DeVilbiss, Michael was nominated by his Missouri AHEC colleagues and Michelle Mollick, Paula selected by NAO Awards Commiee for the Red Koelling Award for Overfelt and Barbara service to AHEC. Bowman present at the In 2012, the MU AHEC, with the efforts of the Northwest, NAO Conference. West Central and Mid‐Missouri AHEC, received Naonal Eugene S.