● Recruiting pre-college students—particularly students from under-represented minorities and from educationally disadvantaged and poorer families—into the health professions. Minority health professionals are more likely to serve vulnerable populations, and students who are from rural areas are more likely to return to practice in these areas if they receive high-quality training, mentoring and support.
● Assisting in the ambulatory training of health professionals. Health professionals who train in underserved communities are more likely to serve those populations when their training is complete.
● Providing continuing education, particularly to primary care providers and those who care for the underserved. Continuing education improves the quality of care and enhances professional satisfaction. These benefits improve retention of health professionals in Indiana’s rural and urban underserved areas.

In Indiana and throughout the country, Area Health Education Centers (AHECs) work to improve access to quality health care through community-academic partnerships. By linking the Indianapolis-based academic medical center to communities around the state, the Indiana AHEC program improves the distribution of Indiana’s health care professionals to areas and populations most in need of primary care. It also improves the diversity of the health care workforce in order to eliminate health disparities and increase access to health care for minority and disadvantaged populations, and improves the quality of health care for all Hoosiers.

Accomplishments in 2009

Connecting Students to Careers…

 Nearly 18,000 K-12 students in Kids Into Health Careers activities at dozens of Indiana schools
 557 students participating in intensive academic enrichment and career exploration programs
 79% of all participating students are educationally or economically disadvantaged

Connecting Health Professionals to Communities…

 1,144 health professions trainees across Indiana
 84 medically underserved sites providing clinical education to health professions trainees

Connecting Communities to Better Health…

 1,530 continuing education participants in 52 offerings

For more information on Indiana Area Health Centers, please email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or visit http://ahec.iupui.edu. For specific details on how to get involved, please contact Angela M. Holloway, M.H.A. Associate Director of Development at 317.278.6695