Nicole Carritt, MPH, joins the Department of Family Medicine as the Deputy Director and Program Manager of the Nebraska Area Health Education Center program.
Nicole has a Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise Science from Wayne State College and earned her Master’s in Public Health from UNMC. Professionally, Nicole spent five years leading a local public health department in western Iowa, overseeing over 20 public health and health care programs.
Most recently, Nicole was the executive director of Project Extra Mile, a statewide nonprofit organization in Nebraska, focused on preventing and reducing alcohol-related harms by advocating for evidence-based policies and practices. The work focused on providing training and technical assistance to coalitions, communities, and policymakers at every level; working with law enforcement partners; engaging in media advocacy; and training youth leaders. She spent two years as the policy and research specialist before becoming the organization’s executive director.
She currently serves as an officer on the board of directors for the US Alcohol Policy Alliance and is a member of the Harrison County Iowa Incident Management Assistance Team.
Nicole is excited about the opportunities to work with AHEC and UNMC.
“I’m looking forward to being a contributing member of the large UNMC team and utilizing my knowledge and expertise to help build upon the successes of the Nebraska AHEC Program, making it a model for other states working collaboratively to recruit and train health care professionals in rural areas,” she said.
The Nebraska Area Health Education Center program, or AHEC, is a cooperative venture between a medical school (and/or its sponsoring institution) and community centers in remote locations.
UNMC received federal funding to establish AHECs in Nebraska in 2001, with Dr. Michael Sitorius serving as the principal investigator for the project. Since its inception, the Nebraska AHEC Program has been coordinated by UNMC College of Medicine, Department of Family Medicine. Five regional AHECs (in Grand Island, Norfolk, Scottsbluff, Omaha, and Lincoln) manage the day-to-day tasks, program coordination, and outreach.
In her spare time, Nicole enjoys spending time with her husband and two elementary-aged children while staying active and outdoors.
Welcome, Nicole!
Welcome, Nicole! You’ll love working with everyone in Family Medicine!