Requested Item: Central Iowa Area Health Education Center Reaches Out

Central Iowa Area Health Education Center (CI AHEC) recruits and retains health professionals in under-served areas. Each center teaches children about health care careers, offers clinical training sites for health profession students and supports health care practitioners with continuing education programs. Programming targets three population groups throughout Iowa.

• First, AHEC activities foster kindergarten through undergraduate student interest in the pursuit of health care careers.
• Second, health care profession students are provided greater opportunities for clinical experiences in under-served areas.
• Finally, practicing health professionals are provided continuing education opportunities addressing the unique challenges of serving the under-served.

The CI AHEC is interested in using the communities in their catchment area (Boone, Dallas, Greene, Guthrie, Jasper, Polk, Poweshiek and Story counties) to help assess and further their services. On May 14, 2009, K-12 professionals in the above listed counties are invited to a Community Forum that will be held in Des Moines. For an informational flyer, click here.

The CI AHEC is also conducting a community needs assessment within their catchment area and have a survey for K-12 professionals regarding what programs currently exist and what programs would be beneficial.

The CI AHEC would greatly appreciate if school professionals from the counties of Boone, Dallas, Greene, Guthrie, Jasper, Polk and Story would fill out the pdf form, found by clicking here, and e-mail it to Jill Whitson, Executive Director of the Central Iowa AHEC, at jwhitson@broadlawns.org or mail it to her at the following:

Jill Whitson, Executive Director
Central Iowa AHEC
1801 Hickman Road
Des Moines, IA 50314

Questions about the Community Forum and/or the survey can be directed to Jill Whitson at 515-282-5721 or jwhitson@broadlawns.org.