For Immediate Release: October 16, 2000
Contact: DMS Communications (603) 650-1520
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New Hampshire AHEC Program Receives Continued Federal Support
HANOVER, NH -- The New Hampshire Area Health Education Center (AHEC) program has been awarded $3.9 million in continuation support over the next three years by the Health Services Resources Administration (HRSA), effective October 2000.
The AHEC is a statewide consortium of academic and community programs in New Hampshire, headquartered at Dartmouth Medical School in Hanover. It was established in 1997 to help increase access to health care by enhancing the distribution, quality and diversity of the health care work force.
"Dartmouth is gratified that we can serve the people of New Hampshire as a health care resource, and especially pleased to continue our productive collaboration in health education with partners throughout the state," said Dr. John C. Baldwin, dean of the medical school. "We are honored to be deeply involved in the provision of health care, in the discovery of better health care practices and in the education of the citizens, patients, students and physicians of New Hampshire."
New Hampshire Senator Judd Gregg stated, "This grant renewal brings us closer to meeting the health care needs of the people of New Hampshire. Providing information and educational materials about health care will help improve the delivery of health care services in our state. I am pleased to have played a role in helping secure this renewal and look forward to its continued success."
Baldwin added, "We are grateful for Senator Gregg's ongoing support for our work at Dartmouth Medical School and appreciate his efforts in helping to establish and sustain the New Hampshire AHEC."
Two centers - the Southern New Hampshire AHEC in Raymond and the Northern New Hampshire AHEC in Littleton - provide continuing education, library services, practice improvement opportunities, health careers recruitment programs for high school students, training sites for health professions students and more. The southern site, at Lamprey Health Care, serves Strafford, Merrimack, Cheshire, Hillsborough, Rockingham and Sullivan counties. The northern site, at the North Country Health Consortium, serves Carroll, Coos, Belknap and Grafton counties. The AHEC program office, headed by Dr. Rosemary Orgren, supports the centers in their work and addresses work force and other issues statewide.
The renewed support from HRSA will "help us eliminate disparities in health care through our work with partners such as the New Hampshire Minority Health Coalition. It will support continuation of practice improvement programs, such as the Lunch and Learn' series, and help us continue to meet the needs of the health care work force by linking local health care providers with academic health centers," stated Paula Smith, director of the Southern New Hampshire AHEC.
Martha McLeod, director of the Northern New Hampshire AHEC, noted that ongoing support for the AHEC Program will allow her center to move ahead on a health literacy initiative, provide additional training for certified nurse assistants and emergency medical service providers, and support the needs of rural health care providers with case-based medical education and expanded library services. "The AHEC program has provided North Country an important and valued resource. We look forward with great enthusiasm to the next three years." Both directors plan to host more medical, nursing, social work, physician assistant, nurse practitioner and other students at AHEC sites.
According to AHEC Program Director Orgren, "This support will allow the AHEC to make a significant investment in development of the health care work force in New Hampshire over the next three years and to be an active partner in meeting the objectives of Healthy New Hampshire 2010."
Recently the program received a "Distance Learning and Telemedicine" grant of almost $237,000 from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to purchase interactive videoconferencing equipment for nine sites in rural New Hampshire.
Statewide partners in the AHEC include academic institutions, community health centers, health and human service agencies and associations, and libraries.
For additional information call Dr. Rosemary Orgren at (603) 650-1817, Paula Smith at (603) 895-1514 or Martha McLeod at (603) 444-4461.
