President's Message

Moving Mountains to Overcome Health Disparities. What a great NAO 2008 Conference we just had in Denver, June 28 – July 1, 2008. Many thanks to our presenters and exhibitors, the conference planning committee members, co-chairs Sally Henry and Roxanna Jokela, our Colorado AHEC hosts, and Judy and Annie with Kamo. It was a beautiful location, a wonderful conference and I personally heard many positive comments from attendees over the days.

Mark your calendars for our 2010 NAO Conference which will be at the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas, June 19-25, 2010. Since it takes about two years to plan a large conference like this, we are already looking for conference planning committee members. If you would like to participate in planning NAO’s 2010 conference in Las Vegas, please contact me (cselleck@health.usf.edu) or Judy Lyle (j.lyle@kamo-ms.com).

Thanks to all Center and Program members who responded in May to the NAO benefits survey developed by the Membership Committee. The survey was distributed by email with a link to the surveymonkey.com file and there were a total of 137 responses (40% of those initially contacted).  A quick summary of the results follows:

• More than 92% of respondents reported Workshop/Conference involvement.
• 87% reported “networking with other AHECs” as a reason for becoming an NAO member.  “Advocacy” and “professional development” were also highly valued.
• “Federal advocacy-related” benefits and “conference-related” benefits were reported as having the MOST value or importance to respondents followed by “credibility” associated with national membership.
• More than 95% reported some positive level of familiarity with NAO benefits and more than 91% reported “satisfaction” at some level with current NAO benefits.
• The potential new benefits most selected were “Leadership training,” “Technical Assistance (TA) service,” and a “Standard of Excellence Certification.”

Based on these and other findings from the benefits survey, the Board voted favorably on the Membership Committee’s recommendations to:

• Discontinue use of CapWiz subscription (although federal advocacy is highly valued, CapWiz is costly and apparently not a preferred tool by the membership).
• Integrate advocacy training into the planned Leadership Institute and/or planned TA Service and increase member training, messaging/marketing, and any other interventions deemed appropriate, to build the membership’s skills and commitment to advocacy action.
• Not otherwise invest resources in developing potential member benefits determined to have relatively “low” value based on the survey (membership certificates, photo member directory, volunteer insurance, office supply discounts).
• Create an ad hoc committee to research and evaluate possible mechanisms for offering an AHEC Certification of Excellence and request a report and recommendations by October 1, 2009.

Our NAO member year is winding down and folks are waiting to hear about the outcome of their federal AHEC funding for the coming year. For many of us, state AHEC funding has also been cut. Financial times are tough all over the country. One thing that struck me, however, at the conference in Denver is peoples’ need to network with one another and talk about issues that are affecting our programs and activities. We haven’t always allowed ourselves enough time to do this. I hope as you plan your budgets for the coming year, you will plan travel for both the Fall Meeting (formerly known as the PDCG meeting but renamed and open to all Program and Center Directors) to be held in Washington DC, November 19-21, 2008 and Spring Policy Day to be held in DC in April 2009.  There will be time planned to meet and network with AHEC colleagues at both meetings.  Remember, we don’t have another large conference until 2010, so plan your budgets accordingly. 

Best wishes for the rest of the summer and I look forward to seeing many of you in November.

Cynthia S. Selleck, ARNP, DSN
2007-2008 NAO President

 

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Denver Conference 

NAO Moves Mountains in Denver to Overcome Health Disparities

The City of Denver, Colorado was founded 150 years ago at the base of the Rocky Mountains. At that time, the promise held out for pioneers was the discovery of gold and a land of opportunity. In 2008, the NAO Conference brought that same sense of promise to attendees looking for new ways to move the nation towards healthcare parity.

This bi-annual conference was held at the Sheraton in downtown Denver from June 28-July 1. Nearly 700 attendees came from across the nation representing 216 programs and centers in 46 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and America Samoa.

Over the four days, attendees interacted with federal officials, shared best-practices, networked with partners old and new, and enjoyed the hospitality of the host program, Colorado AHEC. With more than 80 agenda sessions provided, there was something for everyone (presentations are being posted online at www.nationalahec.org). Watch for an announcement when the presentations are posted.  The scene even got wild – beyond the false fire-alarms – when attendees were given the run of the Denver Zoo after hours on Monday evening.

The Conference Planning Committee did a wonderful job making the conference a success, presenting a wealth of content, and providing a forum for the exchange of innovative ideas that can be implemented in communities across the country. Mark your calendars now for the 2010 conference in Las Vegas, NV – June 19-24, 2010.

The recent National AHEC Organization meeting in Denver was a gold mine of information on successful Area Health Education Center initiatives throughout the country to "prime the pump" of future health professionals. -- Fred Lenhoff, Director, Medical Education Products, American Medical Association Just a quick line to tell you how excellent the organization was at the NAO conference and how energizing it felt. Everyone with whom I spoke or worked had nothing to say except praise for the whole conference. Congrats to all involved in the planning and execution. -- Emily Jo Hasley, MNSc, RN, Education Coordinator, Centennial Area Health Education Center Thanks for making the NAO conference so good. It went very smoothly this year. -- Sandy Ryman, Executive Director, Northeast Oregon AHEC From an exhibitor’s perspective, you did a superb job of maximizing the interface opportunities with member agency personnel. I feel that our company gained some quality name recognition as a result. -- Jim Ward, Mutual of America

NAO would like to thank the following Exhibitors & Sponsors from this year’s NAO 2008 Conference in Denver, CO:

Exhibitors:
o AHEC of Southern Nevada
o AHEC Office of Minority & Rural Affairs
o American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM)
o Applied Technologies
o Arizona AHEC Program
o Association of Nurses in AIDS Care
o Breathe E-Z Systems, Inc.
o Colorado Rural Health Center
o Community Health Association of Mountain/Plains States (CHAMPS)/Colorado Community Health Network (CCHN)
o Community Health Partnership
o ComQuip, Inc.
o COPD Foundation
o Council Connections
o DNTLworks Equipment Corporation
o Excelsior College
o Explore Health Careers.org
o FDA Office of Women's Health
o Gulfcoast South AHEC, Inc.
o Infant Adoption Training Initiative
o Laerdal Medical
o LifeLine Pilots
o Mutual of America
o National Association of Community Health Centers
o National Library of Medicine
o National Minority AIDS Education and Training Center - Howard University College of Medicine
o National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health
o Nebraska AHEC
o New Jersey Area Health Education Center (AHEC)
o North Carolina AHEC Program
o Northern AHEC, Inc.
o Northwest Indiana AHEC
o Oklahoma State University Center for Rural Health
o Overeaters Anonymous
o RXAssist Plus
o Social Security Administration
o South Carolina AHEC
o Southwest Georgia AHEC/Foothills AHEC
o Texas AHEC Network
o The AHEC Manager
o The Colorado Trust
o The Florida AHEC Network Tobacco Training and Cessation Program
o United States Public Health Service
o University HealthSystem Consortium
o WICHE - Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education
o WorldPoint
o Worldways Social Marketing
o Youth Health Service Corps

Sponsors:
o American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists
o Arkansas AHEC Program
o Colorado AHEC System
o Colorado Rural Health Center
o North Carolina AHEC Program
o Northern AHEC, Inc.
o The Colorado Trust
o University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine
o Wake Forest University School of Medicine
 

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Best Practices 

Federal Official Assesses Camden AHEC Community Health Service
By Lois Teer Seeligsohn

Dr. Elizabeth Duke (right) U.S. Health Resources and Services Administrator (HRS), listens intently as Carol Wolff, Executive Director of Camden Area Health Education Center (AHEC) center, and Dr. Michael DeShields, Chairman of AHEC’s Board of Trustees, left, describe AHEC’s free health programs for disadvantaged and uninsured people.

A top federal health official chose the Camden (N.J.) Area Health Education Center (AHEC) in March from among 200 AHECs nationwide for an official site visit.

Dr. Elizabeth M. Duke, Administrator of Health Resources and Services (HRS) for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, asked to know more about Camden AHEC’s free health and education programs for disadvantaged youth, seniors and homeless, as well as the agency’s training programs for medical, nursing and allied health students. Duke lauded Camden AHEC’s Community Health Worker Institute, calling community health work “an emerging health profession” in medically-underserved communities.

In nearly every state, AHECs collaborate with medical, nursing and allied health schools to improve healthcare access by increasing healthcare professionals. Camden AHEC is an affiliate of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-School of Osteopathic Medicine.
HRS’ $7 billion budget helps fund U.S. AHEC programs, as well as HIV/AIDS, maternal-child health and geriatric education programs. The division concentrates on healthcare access issues in areas such as urban and rural South Jersey, where AHEC works to break down barriers between uninsured individuals and quality healthcare.

Dr. Duke, who hails from Moorestown, NJ, met with Camden AHEC board chairman, Dr. Michael DeShields and executive director Carol Wolff, along with staff and volunteers. Medical students in training at AHEC described their assignments with high school youth and senior citizens in nearby housing projects.

Duke visited Camden AHEC’s teen drop-in center and the agency’s mobile community health van, which carries free testing and health services to high-risk neighborhoods day and night.

“AHEC fosters creativity in health services,” Duke asserted. “That’s why I’m here.”


Acadia Health Education Coalition Recognized for Service
By Arlene Luzzi, MA, LSW & Carolyn Dorrity, RN, BSN
 

The Acadia Health Education Coalition was the recipient of the Barbara Higgins Bodwell ’45 Center for Service & Volunteerism 2007-2008 Community Partner Award. This award is presented to a business, individual, or community agency that has contributed significantly to a University of Maine student service project for at least one year. Accepting the award on April, 27, 2008, was Executive Director, Carolyn Dorrity, RN, BSN ’85.

Since 2006, the Acadia Health Education Coalition has participated in the development of Medical Mission: Maine, a health professions service and training program which addresses health care deficiencies in Maine’s most rural and underserved communities. UMaine students travel to Aroostook County to participate in the health care delivery to migrant workers in collaboration with the Maine Migrant Health Program. Students also conduct mentoring sessions with area high school students related to pursuing a career in health care, as well as conduct early childhood oral health programs at Head Start and day care sites.

With the guidance of Crisanne Cadmus Blackie, Health and Legal Professions Advisor at the University of Maine, health professions students are bringing the education programs back to the greater Bangor area during the academic year, as well as expanding the programs back to their own home towns. Utilizing dental puppets, children’s books, and hands on experiences, the University of Maine students teach essential skills of proper brushing, healthy dental snacks, and safety. The intention of this program is to introduce future health professionals to rural and underserved communities and to encourage them to consider practicing there once they complete their education. Excitement is gathering, states Dorrity, as these students return to Maine and seek opportunities to continue their mentoring and service projects in rural areas. Two UMaine graduates returning to the state from their first year of dental school at Dalhousie have already contacted us about what opportunities to serve are available in their community. It is our hope that a lifelong spirit of service is fostered by Medical Mission Maine.

This award is particularly meaningful, states Dorrity, as it recognizes the Acadia Health Education Coalition’s commitment to supporting training opportunities in health professions shortage areas. The passion for service to Maine’s most vulnerable is already ignited in the University of Maine students. Medical Mission Maine just gives the students an avenue to put their passion to work. Adding to the significance of this award was the fact that during the first two years of Medical Mission Maine, Andrew Bodwell ’07, great-nephew of Barbara Bodwell and currently enrolled in Optometry school, was an active participant and leader in the success of this project. Dorrity went on to state that the Acadia Health Education Coalition is truly honored to receive this recognition from our friends at the University of Maine.
 

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Who’s Who

Member Spotlight: Fred Donini-Lenhoff

Q: What is your occupation or agency job title?
Director, Medical Education Products, American Medical Association.

Q: What is your professional "passion project"?
The Health Care Careers Directory (http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/3991.html#5) is my current flame! It was expanded this year to include the gamut of health care careers, and now has 8,000 educational programs in 77 different fields. It's a great resource for students, counselors, and others interested in health care careers.

Q: As a new member, what NAO membership feature do you benefit from the most?
I like the e-newsletter and the Bulletin, both of which which always have one or more interesting articles about the efforts of AHECs to recruit more people into health care careers.I always share extra copies of the Bulletin with my colleagues in medical education and the science and public health departments of the AMA.

Q: How has NAO membership impacted your agency operations or services?
It has helped us reach a new and valuable group of people involved in recruiting future health care professionals at the grass-roots level. It's truly amazing the things the AHECs are doing on a day-to-day basis in this regard.

Q: What is your hope for future NAO and AMA collaborations?
I'd like to work with Midwest-area (and other) AHECs to help encourage wider use of our products and services. For example, our Doctors Back to School program (http://www.ama-assn.org/go/dbts), which uses role models to raise awareness of the need for more health care practitioners from underrepresented minority groups and help students realize that they too can have a career in health care.

Additional comments:
I presented a poster at the NAO 2008 meeting in Denver on continued low levels of minority students in allied health educational programs, and the problems of student attrition (particularly at for-profit educational institutions). Also, I'd like to thank Susan Moreland for her excellent presentation on NAO and AHECs at the April 2007 meeting of the Health Professions Network. This led directly to the AMA joining the NAO!
 

Wendy Loomis – Health Careers Facilitator, Southern VT AHEC
By Tricia Temple

Southern Vermont Area Health Education Center (AHEC) is pleased to announce that Wendy Loomis has been hired as a Health Careers Facilitator. Loomis began her position at SVAHEC in March. Previously she worked in the Rutland area in various health professions. Loomis states “I have spent the majority of my professional life in the health care field. I started out working in the Billing office at Rutland Regional Medical Center. I completed my EMT certification in 2003 and began working for Regional Ambulance Service and the Emergency Department at Rutland Regional Medical Center. I also spend some time in the school setting as a one-on-one Para educator. Then I completed my Bachelor of Arts degree in Health Science and Natural Science with a minor in Biology from Castleton State College in 2007.”

As the Health Careers Facilitator, Loomis will be creating an innovative and interactive way for students in grades 7-12 to learn about various healthcare careers and how to make their future goals happen. “My presentation will include written and verbal information and in some cases allow students to acquire some hands on learning with various ‘tools of the trade’” Loomis is very enthusiastic about her new role. When asked what she enjoys the most about her job, she says, “I love working with children, teaching, and working in healthcare. So in this job I get the best of all three worlds.”

She would like to achieve many goals working as the Health Careers Facilitator with SVAHEC, “I would consider this position an accomplishment when I see the enlightened looks of interest on the faces of today’s youth. If I can get them interested in entertaining the idea of working in healthcare and get them to realize the significance of how their interests and hobbies can lead them into a career path that they can find satisfaction in as adults then I would say that the job was a success.”

Loomis is a native of Southern Vermont. She lives in Shrewsbury with her family. In her spare time she coaches soccer for middle school boys and sings in a band with her father. She also enjoys photography and camping with family and friends.

Funded by a Career Exploration Grant from the Vermont Department of Labor, Loomis is available for the remainder of this school year and until the end of January in the 08-09 school year. Science teachers, counselors, school nurses, principals, and FACS teachers are just some of the possible school personnel who may be interested in inviting Loomis to their classrooms or assemblies. She can be reached by calling 802-885-3744 or 888-758-0676 (toll-free) or e-mailing wloomis@vermontel.net.
 

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