Workforce Development
San Francisco Area Health Education Center (AHEC)
What is an Area Health Education Center?
The Area Health Education Center (AHEC) program was developed by Congress in 1971 to recruit, train and retain a health professions workforce committed to underserved populations. AHEC’s 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 and community organizations, like SFCCC.
The National AHEC Organization represents a network of more than 300 AHEC program offices and centers that serve over 85% of United States counties. California alone has 13 AHEC sites.
SFCCC & AHEC
The United States is experiencing a primary care workforce shortage, which is acutely experienced in community health centers like our members. Since 2004, SFCCC has been working to address this shortage by serving as the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)-designated San Francisco AHEC. We work to promote workforce development in our member health centers and Street Outreach Services (SOS) mobile clinic, through training of future health care professionals and continuing education for current staff.
PRogram Components
AHEC Scholars:
San Francisco AHEC Scholars are health professional students who want to supplement their education by learning more about community primary care to improve the health of underserved San Francisco residents. The program equips students with the knowledge and the skills for them to be successful in the primary care health system and to deliver high quality care to underserved patients.
To apply: All applicants must apply by through an online application here. Applications are reviewed on a bi-weekly basis.
SOS Residency Rotations
As an Area Health Education Center, we partner with local schools like UCSF School of Medicine to host medical residents and nursing students for rotations on our Street Outreach Services mobile outreach van. This partnership is designed to promote greater diversity among health professionals and better distribution of care for underserved populations.
AHEC Training Center
The goal of the AHEC Training Center is to enhance knowledge and skills to support practice transformation. The AHEC Training Center provides inter-professional continuing education for providers and staff of SFCCC’s twelve partner community clinic organizations.
contact
Beau Sanchez (she/her)
Director of Workforce Development & SF AHEC
bsanchez@sfccc.org
This publication was supported by the California AHEC with HRSA grant number U77HP23071