AHECSinACTION

AHECS in Action in their Communities

Thirty students complete Northern Marianas College AHEC Teen Health Summer Program

Thirty high school students recently completed the 2025 Teen Health Summer Program, hosted by the Northern Marianas AHEC at Northern Marianas College in Saipan, CNMI. Held July 14-25, the two-week program offered hands-on training in CPR, first aid, and suturing, as well as lessons on mental health, nutrition, and high-demand healthcare careers.

Students also engaged with healthcare professionals from across the CNMI, gaining insight into the skills and dedication needed to enter the field. "Learning CPR and suturing showed me how much I want to help others," said Carly Kate P. Dela Cruz, camp participant. To read more, click here here.

Other AHEC news from around the country

Georgia AHEC creates comprehensive guide to health careers 2025-2027

The Georgia AHEC network has published an online guide offering profiles of over 80 different healthcare careers.

Each profile includes a career description, areas of specialization, academic requirements, median salary, and licensure information. Listings connect users to Georgia colleges and universities that offer relevant degree programs.

Additional resources in the guide include projected top health careers in the state, scholarship information, healthcare trends, and guidance on how to get started in a healthcare career.

NJ AHEC Scholars step into patients' shoes with poverty simulation

The 2025 NJ AHEC Scholars Conference at Rowan-Virtua School of Medicine introduced the Cost of Poverty Experience (COPE), a new simulation designed to deepen understanding of social determinants of health.

Spearheaded by the NJ AHEC program and River AHEC, the June 6 event located at the Stratford, New Jersey campus immersed students in the daily challenges many patients face, from navigating health care and housing to securing food and employment.

Through role-play, participants encountered denials, delays, and tough financial choices, offering firsthand insight into systemic barriers. With 15 Scholars in this year's pilot, organizers aim to expand COPE across Rowan campuses and beyond.

Bridging the gap in rural lupus care: Wiregrass AHEC hosts community health conference at ACOM

The Wiregrass AHEC at Troy University, in collaboration with SE Health and the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOME), hosted "Rural Outreach: Provider Education on Lupus," in Dothan, Alabama, to address the challenges rural healthcare providers face in treating lupus. The event received coverage on local television news, further highlighting the impact.

This conference was partially made possible due to funding Alabama Wiregrass AHEC received via the NAO National Training Center's partnership with the American College of Rheumatology. Through this partnership, AHECs are funded to educate rural healthcare providers about the signs and symptoms of lupus as part of the ACR's Rural Health Outreach project, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Urge your members of Congress to support AHEC funding

Reach out to your House Representative and two Senators to urge them to support $67 million for the AHEC Program in FY2026! Click "Read More" below to get advocacy tips and action steps.