Illinois Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) Network Program

Established in 2010, the HRSA funded Illinois Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) Network Program has nine regional centers throughout the state to serve both rural and urban underserved residents through access to health professions education, health careers development and community and public health promotion activities.

NCRHP serves as the main Program Office and partners with a satellite program office in Chicago that is part of the University of Illinois College of Medicine Chicago and the UIC School of Public Health. The IL AHEC Network develops and offers innovative, long-term solutions to health and workforce disparities.

Regional centers include AHEC of Northwest Illinois in Polo, South Central Illinois AHEC in Centralia, South East Illinois AHEC in Fairfield, Chicago Area Health Education Center in Chicago, West Central Illinois AHEC in Carthage, Central Illinois AHEC in Normal, East Central Illinois AHEC in Gibson City, Chicago South AHEC in Chicago. A newly established ninth center, North East AHEC, will be formed in 2019-2020.

IL AHEC SCHOLARS

Undergraduate and graduate students pursuing a health profession in Illinois can apply for the new Illinois AHEC Scholars Program. This competitive, two-year cohort program supplements students’ education with job shadowing, career coaching, seminars and experiences in underserved areas. Participants also receive additional training on practice transformation, behavioral health, social determinants of health, cultural competency and interprofessional education and training.

Illinois AHEC Scholars will graduate from the program with practical insight and expertise that will prepare them to serve as leaders in their health care field. It expands on traditional health professions education and training with the goal of increasing awareness of and interest in health care professions in rural and underserved areas.