Nebraska Area Health Education Center Deputy Director and Program Manager, Nicole Carritt, MPH, attended the National Area Health Education Agency Organization Conference in Washington, D.C. this past June.
AHEC on the Hill: A Capitol Idea! was held for the national AHEC network consisting of 53 medical schools, 2 nursing schools and over 240 community-based centers.
“As someone new to the Nebraska AHEC program, having the opportunity to learn more about AHEC programs across the country from some of the foremost leaders in the field was invaluable,” Carritt said.
The AHEC network spent from June 26-30 learning best practices and innovative ideas from national leaders in healthcare. There were opportunities to network and become more involved in the important work of advancing the AHEC mission to enhance access to quality health care, particularly primary and preventive care, by improving the supply and distribution of healthcare professionals through strategic partnerships with academic programs, communities, and professional organizations.
“Attending the conference allowed me to meet and network with colleagues from across the country, identify opportunities to get involved and volunteer in some of the national efforts, and to hear from Dr. Luis Padilla, the Associate Administrator for Health Workforce at HRSA, about the vision for AHEC into the future was what I enjoyed most, in addition to spending time with the staff and board members of several of Nebraska’s AHECs,” Carritt said.