Area Health Education Centers (AHECs) across the country will celebrate National AHEC Week, March 23-27, 2026, highlighting the vital role AHECs play in building and sustaining a healthcare workforce nationwide.

Communities across the country face ongoing shortages of primary care professionals, especially in rural and high-need areas. Through partnerships between academic institutions and community organizations, AHECs create pathways that prepare health professionals and support them in practicing where they are needed most.

In 2024–2025, 621,290 individuals engaged in AHEC-supported programs nationwide. AHECs facilitated 29,604 clinical training rotations, nearly half of which were in rural communities and 81% of which were in medically underserved areas. In addition, 312,931 health professionals participated in AHEC continuing education programs to strengthen the quality of care and address emerging community health needs.

Jeff Hartz, center director for East Indiana AHEC and president of the National AHEC Organization Board of Directors, said, “Every community deserves access to a well-trained healthcare workforce. AHEC programs help make that possible by investing in local students and supporting their path to becoming community-connected healthcare professionals.”

AHEC supports learners at every stage of the workforce pathway, from early exposure to health careers through clinical training and into professional practice. One signature initiative, the AHEC Scholars program, is a two-year interprofessional experience focused on primary care. Since 2019, 16,150 health professions students have finished the program. Of those whose practice location is known, 48% of program completers work or train in medically underserved communities one year after graduation.

For Lydia Stigsell, DDS, AHEC Scholars shaped her professional direction. “The Scholars program strengthened my commitment to compassionate, patient-centered care and gave me skills that allow me to better support my patients beyond their immediate dental needs,” she said. “Now, I proudly work at a rural FQHC, an opportunity made possible through connections and knowledge gained during AHEC.”

Authorized by Congress in 1971 and administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration, the AHEC Program includes nearly 300 centers serving communities in almost every state and several U.S. territories.

During National AHEC Week, AHECs nationwide will highlight the students, alumni, preceptors, and partners advancing healthcare access in their communities.

Learn more at www.nationalahec.org or contact info@nationalahec.org.