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NEPA AHEC News
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A Closer Look at What it Does
NEPA AHEC Has Exceptional First Year
The NEPA AHEC (Northeast Pennsylvania Area Health Education Center) has had an incredible first year. And the progress made would not have been possible without the hard work of many, many people.
A great deal of time has been spent this past year introducing the AHEC concept to the many people throughout the Northeast. Understanding the AHEC Program is essential in order to appreciate how it can best fit into the community.
The national mission of the AHEC Program is to improve the supply and distribution of health care professionals (with an emphasis on primary care) through community/academic educational partnerships, to increase access to quality health care.The Northeast AHEC's mission is to enhance access to health care for the underserved through education.
Since the AHEC concept was first introduced in the 1970 Carnegie Commission Report on Higher Education as a mechanism for alleviating the shortage and maldistribution of health care providers, all AHEC programs have worked toward the consistent goal of decentralizing health professional educational training in order to improve the distribution, supply, quality utilization and efficiency of health care personnel. This has been accomplished by linking communities with academic health science centers, in a manner that promotes cooperative solutions to local health problems.
But what does this actually mean?
The AHEC program is addressing the Root Causes of issues regarding the following:
Access to primary health care services.
The NEPA AHEC works with our sponsoring medical school, Jefferson Medical College, and all health professional schools to enable students to do their clerkships/internships in rural and urban underserved settings. The goal is that this exposure will encourage them to return to these areas to practice after they complete their education.
The NEPA AHEC identifies practitioners in these regions, supports their programs and enhances their ability to serve as preceptors and mentors. AHEC provides continuing professional education, faculty development, technological support, school affiliation and additional assistance as appropriate. AHEC's realized early on that if they were going to have an impact on retention and recruitment, a home-grown candidate is one of the best. So AHEC's have developed extensive math/science readiness programs and health career awareness programs. These programs help young people and career-changing adults gain access to education and become their community's health professionals.
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In facilitating the above goals, AHEC's collaborate with numerous community education programs and public health initiatives. All of these activities have a profound impact on a community's access to primary care and have a special priority for underserved populations.
The NEPA AHEC is a (non-profit) 501(c)3. This is the model chosen by Pennsylvania to allow each AHEC to best respond to the needs of its community.
The Pennsylvania AHEC Program receives funding from the Federal Health Resources and Services Administration's Bureau of Health Professionals and the Pennsylvania Department of Health's Bureau of Health Planning.
This past year the NEPA AHEC program has become physically operational. We have an office, furniture, staff, a board of directors and all sorts of paper. We have spent a great deal of time on the road, getting to know our region and the partners within it better.
We are looking forward to the next year and are excited about the potential within our region.
What we ask of you is something we ask of everyone
when we are out visiting.
Be our eyes and ears.
Tell us where you think we fit best,
how to utilize our strenghs to enhance yours.
PRINCIPALS ATTENDING NEPA AHEC's FIRST ANNUAL MEETING are shown above. From left: Michael Rosenthal, MD., Jefferson Medical College; Christine Jerpbak, M.D., Jefferson Medical College; John Randall, M.D., Jefferson Medical College; James Herman, M.D., Penn State College of Medicine, State AHEC Director; Fred Markham, M.D., Jefferson Medical College; Michael Stershic, NEPA AHEC Board Chair, Wayne Memorial Health System, Honesdale; Patricia Lawless, NEPA AHEC Executive Director; Christine Arenson, M.D., Jefferson Medical College.
Federal Agency Provides Reliable Health Info Online
Finding reliable health information on the Web can be tricky, but it just got easier thanks to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).The federal agency has improved its offering of online health resources at their redesigned Web site, http:// www.ahrq.gov/. Formerly called the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research, AHRQ sponsors and conducts research to provide evidence-based health information for patients, healthcare providers and policymakers alike. The agency's Web site makes it easier to find a wide variety of information ranging from children's health to choosing a health plan.
"Depending on what numbers you hear, there's anywhere from 20,000 to upwards of 50,000 health Web sites out there," said Allan J. Lazar, deputy director of the AHRQ Office of Health Care Information. "Some have reliable information; some don't ... the information on this site, as on many government sites, is based on evidence and vetted research."
Web sites providing reliable health information are important, Lazar said, because it can be difficult to distinguish good information from bad on the Web. "On the Net, you never know exactly who you're dealing with," Lazar said. "And so you have to make an independent assessment based on what you see and based on different criteria whether you're getting good quality information."
By ensuring quality information is available to the public, AHRQ hopes to encourage people to "have a good, intelligent dialogue with their healthcare provider," Lazar said. People need to actively participate in their healthcare, he added. Doing so can help prevent medical errors, reduce costs and improve the quality of treatment.
AHRQ aims to make printable and easy-to-read booklets, pamphlets and record-keeping charts available to the public through its Web site. Most information is offered in both English and Spanish versions. A list of resources intended just for consumers and patients can be accessed at http://www.ahrq.gov/consumer/. The list includes such topics as "20 Tips to Help Prevent Medical Errors," "Child Health Guide," "Personal Health Guide," "Staying Healthy at 50+," and "Your Guide to Choosing Quality Health Care."
Article provided by Reuters Health
William R. Dewar III, M.D., has been named Clinical Coordinator for the NEPA AHEC. Dr. Dewar is board-certified in internal medicine and vice president of Highland Physicians, Ltd. in Honesdale. He is a graduate of Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, PA. and the Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Mexico.
Dr. Dewar is on the medical staff of Wayne Memorial Hospital, Honesdale and was president of the medical staff from 1981-1983. He is active on numerous hospital committees and is the medical director for Ellen Memorial Health Care Center, as well as medical advisor of Bethany Village (Assisted Living Center). He is a member of the American Medical Association, Pennsylvania College of Physicians, American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation, and the Affiliate Faculty of the American Heart Association ACLS Program.
Dr. Dewar is a preceptor for medical students from Penn State College of Medicine and brings with him many years of experience working closely with all types of health professional students. He will be working closely with the NEPA AHEC's sponsoring school, Jefferson Medical College, and other health professional programs throughout the region and state.
SUMMER 2000 CHILDREN'S PROGRAMS
Students have fun exploring health and science
Summer of 2000 found two NEPA AHEC interns piloting a successful summer outreach program. Interns Linda Howarth and April Cleveland presented more than 40 programs to 870 students over a nine-week period lasting from June to late August. All the participants had fun while exploring health and science concepts. In addition, the two interns gained valuable experience in program planning, implementation and evaluation.
Programs Offered
The NEPA AHEC offered three distinct programs. They exposed students to the wide variety of health care fields, stimulated an interest in health, and offered opportunities for developing skills in science required for entrance into the health care professions.
"The Great Hospital Adventure," developed by the Northwest AHEC, uses a video and puppets to introduce a range of health career roles to young children. It also addresses basic health behaviors and teaches such emergency tips as the appropriate use of "911." The interns enhanced the program by encouraging role-play activities, using medical equipment such as stethoscopes, as well as costumes in the form of lab coats and scrubs.
The "Lungometer" and "Bubbles and Balloons" from the My Health, My World curriculum, are designed to teach science and health concepts through fun, hands-on activities. In "Lungometer," the participants constructed an apparatus to measure lung capacity. In measuring their lung capacity, the students utilized math skills, including graphing. "Bubbles and Balloons" demonstrated properties of gases under different environmental conditions. Health-related learning for the students (such as the effect of smoking on lung capacity) was also easily introduced into the programs. Once again, the goal was to have fun while experiencing science and health.
Population Served
Programs were offered to all nine counties in the NEPA AHEC region and presented in five. Over 60% of the programs were presented to rural populations. From that group, six programs were presented to children of migrant workers at a special summer day camp. Of the programs presented to urban or mixed populations, about 20% of the participants were from minority groups - - African-American, Asian or Hispanic. Because of specific requests, about 30% of the programs were presented in modified form to special needs children and youth.
Linda Howarth (left) and April Cleveland use puppets to introduce various health roles to young children during one of NEPA AHEC's summer programs. Linda is from Carbondale and graduated in June from Marywood University with a degree in special education. April lives in Scranton and is completing her studies in early childhood education and business at Keystone College.
New Health Careers Page Added to NEPA AHEC Web Site
Jessica Friedrichs, NEPA AHEC summer intern, developed the new, comprehensive "Health Careers" page on the NEPA AHEC web site.
Health Careers - Career Guidance for You! is located at www.NEPAAHEC.org/healthcareers
Designed to be helpful for students, parents and school personnel, the page is loaded with pertinent information, hints and links.
The introduction, "The Heart of Health Care: Is the beat right for you?" states that many people choose health-related fields because they want a rewarding, exciting job which deals with the human heart - a job centered on people. Health care is also one of the fastest-growing industries in the United States today, with many employment opportunities for the future.
Look through the questions below to see if a career in health care might be right for you. This site covers the following topics:
Jessica lives in Clarks Summit and has returned to Penn State University at State College to complete her senior year.
FROM THE CHAIRMAN ...
You cannot believe how excited we were over the turnout at our very first annual meeting in July. We were excited not only by the size of the turnout but also by those who attended. Our fondest expectations were exceeded by the variety of organizations represented by the attendees. So many organizations represented ... so many opportunities for partners.
This type of interest in what we at the NEPA AHEC are doing has set a challenge for us. We need to maintain the enthusiasm for what we have begun. We need to engage each of you in the process of insuring greater access to health care no matter where you are located in the region and no matter what role you play. You are all partners in the AHEC process. We look forward to your enthusiasm, ideas, and most important your participation in the process.
I believe Dr. Jim Herman said it best when he spoke about the importance of getting the medical schools out into the local communities. It is in each of our local communities that the true work of the NEPA AHEC will be delivered. Let's keep the ball rolling ... We've had a great start thanks to all of you!
Michael Stershic, NEPA AHEC Board Chair
NEPA AHEC Staff
Vera Walline, MPH, CHES, Health Educator/Planner;
Patricia Lawless, MHA, Executive Director;
Nancy Savage,Office Administrator.
