August 29, 2024
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Inaugural D.C. Advocacy Fly-In a Success

On July 22-24, NAO sponsored Chelsey Palmer and Mike Anderson on a Fly-In to Washington, D.C. for advocacy training and Capitol Hill visits to promote the AHEC mission.

They were chosen for this advocacy trip because of their experiences supporting AHECs as well as their interest in public policy and advocacy at a national level.

Palmer, a nurse, former AHEC Scholar, and AHEC board member from Ohio, and Anderson, a medical student and AHEC Scholar from Alabama, joined NAO president Dr. Julie Bazan and NAO CEO Dwain Harris to advocate for continued AHEC support at the Capitol.

After a Capitol tour and training at the offices of the Health and Medicine Counsel, the group visited congressional offices representing Alabama, Ohio, and Texas.

“NAO leaders routinely do Capitol Hill visits,” said Dwain Harris, NAO CEO. “But this was the first time we had taken student advocates, and it paid off. Mike and Chelsey articulated those qualities of AHEC as only those in their shoes could do.”

The group also engaged in key conversations at the offices of HRSA, where staff got a first-hand account of how AHECs, and specifically the AHEC Scholars program, is helping students reach their potential as changemakers in their communities.

The trip encouraged both Anderson and Palmer to continue to advocate for the AHEC mission.

Anderson said that his experience “solidified his goal to build a career of service with underserved populations and actively participate in efforts to reshape equitable healthcare access.”

Palmer anticipates continued advocacy efforts, both regionally and nationally. “I am always looking for a chance to share with others the incredible impact that AHECs are having across the country,” she said.

The AHEC (Area Health Education Centers) program was developed by Congress in 1971 to recruit, train, and retain a health professions workforce committed to underserved populations. Today, the 300 AHECs in the United States serve 44 states and six U.S. territories.

Visit nationalahec.org or email info@nationalahec.org to learn more.