About the Nonprofit
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Western New York Rural Area Health Education Center, Inc improves the quality of healthcare in our region through workforce development, education, and resources. We envision a future in which our community is supported by high quality, accessible health resources, and a diverse, educated, and compassionate workforce. R-AHEC is part of the National Area Health Education Center (AHEC) program, whose overarching mission is to “enhance access to quality health care, particularly primary and preventive care, by improving the supply and distribution of healthcare professionals via strategic partnerships with academic programs, communities and professional organizations." R-AHEC is also a partner in the NYS AHEC System, of which there are a total of nine NYS centers. R-AHEC has the distinct honor of being recognized as New York State’s first AHEC.
R-AHEC serves a predominately rural 12-county region, headquartered in Warsaw, New York. Counties include Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Orleans, Steuben, Wayne, Wyoming, and Yates, which covers 9,140 square miles. R-AHEC addresses the health needs of its rural and underserved communities by focusing on: Workforce Development; Housing; Education; and Health Information Technology Support.
Workforce Development: Through various grant based and independent initiatives, the healthcare workforce are extended a variety of training opportunities (professional skills, career ladder development, continuing education, and others). WNY R-AHEC is a NYS approved provider of continuing education for Social Work, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Mental Health Counselors, and Speech language Pathologists.
Education: Healthcare career exploration for grades 7-12 is offered through classroom presentations, career fairs, field trips, shadowing experiences with local healthcare providers, camps, newsletters, and many others all aimed at exploring the various careers in healthcare. Post-secondary education opportunities include internships, immersive programming, scholarships, case management, and tabling events.
Housing: The Thiel Hospitality House provides discounted rates and scholarships through grant funding for housing for healthcare students, healthcare workers, and community members.
Health Information Technology Support: Eligible healthcare providers, primarily rural, are offered opportunities through various funding sources which subsidize network connections and broadband equipment as well as telemedicine software and equipment to provide better access to healthcare.
