UCSF Fresno file photo

The California Statewide Area Health Education Center (AHEC) has been awarded $1.98 million by the Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) to fund the education of future health care workers.

The AHEC focuses on support for prospective students from underrepresented regions to pursue careers in the industry.

California’s AHEC is operated by the UCSF Fresno Department of Family and Community Medicine.

“We are incredibly happy to have received this funding in support of HCAI’s statewide goals and local aspirations to increase and diversify our health care workforce,” said Ivan Gomez, MD, chief of UCSF Fresno Department of Family and Community Medicine. “This is an acknowledgement of AHEC’s 50-year successful track record and an opportunity to expand and extend our work.”

The AHEC’s five-year proposal focuses primarily on the development of high school to post-baccalaureate pathway programs and the development of summer undergraduate internship programs at a variety of outpatient clinical sites.

The AHEC will specifically focus on those working with federally qualified health centers.

The California AHEC is federally funded through state initiatives, as well as aid from the Bureau of Health Workforce under the Health Resources and Services Administration.

A total of 12 AHEC centers are administered funding and subcontracts from UCSF Fresno, which serves 58 counties and are located in under-resourced parts of the state, providing population-based education services for students and health care professionals.

The centers collaborate with regional advisory boards to develop programs responding to specific community healthcare needs, conducting these programs through educational, clinical and community partnerships.

From 2018 to 2021, a total of 16,318 individuals participated in California AHEC programs.

Overall, 20 organizations statewide were selected to receive the grant, consisting of a total of $40.8 million administered through the Health Professions Career Opportunity Program.