Virginia Area Health Education Centers (VA AHEC) are federally funded through the United States Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and administered by the Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority.
The aim of VA AHEC is to provide interprofessional and educational resources to motivate, recruit, train, and maintain a healthcare workforce dedicated to serving our eight AHEC Regions within Virginia. Within these eight regions are AHEC Centers which are made up of dedicated teams of professionals who collaborate with healthcare providers, educators, and community leaders, striving to create innovative programs and initiatives that address the evolving needs of our diverse population.
Through comprehensive training, continuous education, strategic partnerships, and the VA AHEC Scholars Program, we empower healthcare professionals to deliver exceptional care while promoting health equity. VA AHEC Program also contributes toward the HRSA mission to increase access to care for underserved individuals and communities through their academic and community partnerships that create training opportunities for health professions students and health care professionals.
What are AHECs?
Federal Grant funded by Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
AHEC Program supports the following three overarching goals:
AHEC Program Activities
DIVERSITY
Preparing a diverse, culturally competent primary care workforce that can address the needs of the communities we serve;
DISTRIBUTION
Improving workforce distribution throughout the nation, particularly among rural and underserved areas and populations; and
PRACTICE TRANSFORMATION
Developing and maintaining a health care workforce that is prepared to deliver high quality care in a transforming health care delivery system with an emphasis on rural and underserved areas and communities.
Staff
Amy Taloma Director of Virginia AHEC
Amy Paul, MD Director of Data, Impact, & Engagement
Abbey Sandhovel Virginia AHEC Program CoordinatorAHEC Regional Directors
Brenda Bechler Center Director Blue Ridge AHEC
Aileen Edwards Harris, MSA Center Director Capital Area AHEC
Susan Schumann Hunter, Ph.D. Center Director Eastern Virginia AHEC
Karen Y. Brown, MAEd Center Director Northern Virginia AHEC
Stacie Wind Center Director Rappahannock AHEC
Anjanette Farmer Outreach Specialist & Center Director South Central AHEC
Natasha Lipscomb Center Director Southside AHEC
Louann Morrow Center Director Southwest AHEC