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Interdisciplinary,
Community-Based Linkages:
Area Health Education Centers (AHEC)
|
FY
2007
Actual |
FY
2008
Enacted |
FY
2009
Estimate |
FY
2009 +/-
FY 2008 |
BA |
$28,681,000
|
$28,180,000
|
--- |
($28,180,000) |
Authorizing Legislation: Section 751 of the Public
Health Service Act.
FY
2009 Authorization |
Expired |
Allocation
Method |
Cooperative
Agreement/Competitive Grant |
Program
Description and Accomplishments
The
AHEC program provides cooperative agreements to accredited
schools of medical and nursing to encourage the establishment
and maintenance of community-based training programs
in off-campus rural and underserved areas. Schools
of medicine, allopathic and osteopathic, are eligible
to apply for AHEC funding. Additionally, schools of
nursing are also eligible applicants in States where
there is no medical school.
The
AHEC Programs partner with community-based AHEC Centers
through contracts to implement health professions
training directly in the community and specifically
in underserved area sites. The AHEC Centers connect
remote health science training institutions with a
continuing stream of new medical students, primary
care residents, allied health professions and nursing
trainees, flowing directly into the medically underserved
area. The AHEC Programs carry out other community-based
training for health professions students, practicing
health care providers, and expose grades 9 to12 students
to health career activities.
The
AHEC Program activities include mentoring students
in medically underserved and unserved communities
from kindergarten to grade 12. Between FY 2003 and
FY 2006, a total of 203,253 high school students received
AHEC Health Career Training of more than 20 hours
(e.g., summer programs).
In
FY 2007, there were 14 Basic AHEC Programs with 41
Centers and 39 Model AHEC Programs with 170 Centers.
Most of the AHEC Programs have matured over time and
are now at the Model level of funding, which is based
on the number of centers within a program. For example,
a Basic Program plans at the level of $150,000 to
$300,000 per Center during the developmental stages,
while a Model program (where the centers are already
developed) received $86,855 per Center in FY 2007.
All have State and/or local dollars to match their
Federal dollars.
In FY 2007, 53 AHEC Programs provided remote clinical
training to 19,158 allopathic and osteopathic medical
students of at least a month or more.
Over
the period of four years from 2003 to 2006, the average
numbers of health professions receiving continuing
education training at HC sites represented 1,358 physicians,
2,117 nurses, and 1,287 allied health professionals,
for a total of 7,843 health professionals. The number
of participants from underserved area sites receiving
AHEC sponsored CE training totaled 12,403 from HCs;
7,283 from rural health clinics; 14,662 from health
departments; and 10,696 from governor designated areas.
Participants in AHEC sponsored activities over that
period of four years averaged 37,671 health profession
students; 50,813 students in grades 9 to 12 who participated
in health career programs that exceeded 20 hours;
and 1,772 primary care residents.
Most
of the Health Professions’ Title VII and Title
VIII programs were reviewed as a unit in 2002 using
the Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART). This program
was included in that assessment. These programs, in
the aggregate, received a rating of Ineffective. See
Summary of Request.
Funding
includes costs associated with grant reviews, processing
of grants through the Grants Administration Tracking
and Evaluation System (GATES) and HRSA’s electronic
handbook, and follow-up performance reviews.
Funding
History
FY
2004 |
$29,206,000
|
FY
2005 |
$28,971,000 |
FY
2006 |
$28,661,000 |
FY
2007 |
$28,681,000 |
FY
2008 |
$28,180,000 |
Budget
Request
The
FY 2009 Request does not request funding for this
program. The AHEC Programs have been well received
and may be supported entirely by State and local resources
in the future. In addition, evaluations have not linked
the Health Professions training grants to changes
in supply, distribution, and minority representation
of physicians and other health professionals.
# |
Key
Outputs |
FY
2004 Actual |
FY
2005 Actual |
FY
2006
|
FY
2007 |
FY
2008
Enacted |
FY
2009 Est |
Out-Year
Target |
Target |
Actual |
Target |
Actual |
|
No.
of medical students and associated health professions
trained in community sites in rural/underserved
areas |
31,913 |
42,156 |
NA |
44,854 |
NA |
44,156 |
43,000 |
-- |
NA |
|
No.
of medical students trained in community sites
in rural/underserved areas and percent |
15,786 |
17,228 |
NA |
19,034 |
NA |
19,158 |
19,000 |
-- |
NA |
|
No.
of associated health professions students trained
in community sites in rural/underserved areas |
16,127 |
24,928 |
NA |
27,116 |
NA |
24,800 |
23,900 |
-- |
NA |
|
No.
of training linkages with community/migrant health
centers and other underserved area sites |
725 |
925 |
NA |
998 |
NA |
1,500 |
1,200 |
-- |
NA |
|
No.
of local providers who received continuing education
on Cultural Competence, Women’s Health, Diabetes,
Hypertension, Obesity, Health Disparities and
related topics. |
317,638 |
279,756 |
NA |
326,414 |
NA |
340,500 |
325,000 |
-- |
NA |
|
No.
and percent of local providers receiving continuing
education in medically underserved areas |
68,277
22% |
73,268
26% |
NA |
78,716
24% |
NA |
87,840
26% |
80,000 |
-- |
NA |
|
No.
of elementary/high school students receiving health
career guidance and information from the Kids
Into Health Careers in the AHEC Programs |
245,782 |
220,930 |
N/A |
285,761 |
NA |
250,000 |
330,000
|
-- |
NA |
|
No.
of high school students (grade 9-12) participating
in > 20 hours of hlth. career trng. and/or academic
enhancement experience |
59,594 |
55,502 |
NA |
49,931 |
NA |
51,300 |
48,000 |
-- |
NA |
# |
Key
Outputs |
FY
2004 Actual |
FY
2005 Actual |
FY
2006
|
FY
2007 |
FY
2008
Enacted |
FY
2009 Est |
Out-Year
Target |
Target |
Actual |
Target |
Actual |
|
No.
and percent of minority high school students (grade
9-12) participating in > 20 hours of Hlth career
trng and/or academic ehancement experience |
29,339
49% |
28,353
51% |
NA |
28,658
57% |
NA |
29,000
57% |
28,000 |
-- |
NA |
|
No.
and percent of white disadvantaged high school
students (grade 9-12) participating in >20 hours
of hlth career trng and/or academic enhancement
experiences |
17,225
29% |
12,149
22% |
NA |
11,286
23% |
N/A |
12,500
24% |
10,000 |
-- |
NA |
|
No.
of States with AHEC Programs |
45 |
46 |
NA |
46 |
NA |
|
47 |
-- |
NA |
|
Appropriated
Amount ($ Million) |
206 |
$28.97
|
|
$28.66
|
|
$28.68
|
$28.18
|
|
|
NA - Not Applicable
|