On the recordMarch 27, 2025
I rise today to recognize this week as National AHEC--Area Health Education Centers--Week. The AHEC program, originally authorized in 1971, began by working in conjunction with other Health Resources and Services Administration programs to develop health professionals to staff brick-and-mortar community health centers across the country. Today, AHECs offer hands- on and innovative health career curriculums for pre-college level students and are committed to continuing education, clinical training of health professionals, and responding to community health needs. The Nation's 300 AHECs operate in nearly every State and in multiple U.S. territories. AHEC clinical training placements put students in a variety of real- world settings, such as urban and rural community health clinics and health departments that provide care to traditionally hard-to-reach populations. Students, in particular those working through their AHECs, are more likely to remain in the communities where they trained, making it critically important to establish training opportunities in rural and underserved areas. The need to strengthen the healthcare workforce continues. According to new data from the Association of American Medical Colleges, the U.S. could see a shortage of up to 124,000 physicians by 2034, and the American Hospital Association says more than 200,000 new registered nurses are needed each year to meet increasing healthcare needs and to replace retiring nurses.…
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