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Western Colorado AHEC History
Established in 1978
Western Colorado Area Health Education Center is one of five Area Health
Education Centers (AHEC) in Colorado. The AHECs provide important services
to the rural healthcare community. Western Colorado AHEC (WCAHEC),
established in 1978, provides services to twenty-one counties on
Colorado's Western Slope. WCAHEC's mission is to promote healthier
communities through education and other health care quality improvement
related services. WCAHEC provides personal healthcare learning experiences
for consumers and professional learning experiences for healthcare
providers.
WCAHEC is committed to improving the quality and distribution of healthcare
providers throughout its region in partnership with institutions of higher
learning and elementary, middle and secondary schools throughout our
communities. In order to accomplish its goals, WCAHEC:
- Provides clinical training opportunities for health professions students in rural communities;
- Facilitates the provision of health education programs within its twenty-one counties;
- Offers continuing education for health professionals in remote areas - either on-site or through interactive videoconferencing;
- Offers youth programs aimed at increasing interest and awareness in health professions training;
- Offers on-line training courses and interactive videoconferences in conjunction with the School of Nursing and other University of Colorado schools;
- Develops and provides certification courses in a variety of health care fields;
- Collaborates with a wide array of community organizations to meet the needs our communities' health.
WCAHEC is a non-profit, community-based organization governed by a regional
board of directors who are committed to developing long-term strategies to
address health related concerns within their communities. If you are
interested in board membership, you may contact the Executive Director..
Western Colorado AHEC Region
Western Colorado AHEC strives to improve the supply, distribution,
diversity and quality of the health workforce and to ultimately improve
access to health care in underserved areas. The Western Colorado AHEC
program emphasizes community-based training of primary care oriented
learners through community/academic partnerships.
Western Colorado Area Demographics
- The twenty-one Western Colorado AHEC counties constituting the "Western Slope" covers 40,000 square miles
- The area reaches north to the Wyoming border, south to the New Mexico border and west from the Utah border to the Great Divide
- Most of the mountainous region of Colorado is included in this area
- There are two Native American reservations in the southwest portion of the State (Southern Ute Tribe and Ute Mountain Ute Tribe)
- In the nine "frontier" counties (counties of fewer than six people per square mile), there are no primary care physicians - these counties include Dolores, Hinsdale, Jackson and San Juan
- There are approximately seventeen hospitals in the Western Colorado AHEC region
- Seven counties on the Western Slope have fewer than twenty-three hospital beds per 10,000 people
- Of twenty-one counties on the Western Slope:
- Ten counties are classified as whole/part HPSA (Health Professional Shortage Area) counties
- Nine counties are classified as whole/part MUA (Medically Underserved Area) counties
Western Colorado AHEC serves 21 counties on the Western Slope of Colorado:
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