Health Education and Training Centers > FY 2003 Grantee Contacts and Abstracts

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Arizona

Cooperative Agreement Program:  Health Education and Training Centers
Project Title: Arizona’s Border Health Education and Training Centers (HETC) Program
Collaborative Partner(s): Arizona’s border HETC Program maintains close programming relationships with the Community Health and Migrant Health Centers throughout the Arizona-Mexico Border region.  Additionally, urban and rural hospitals, county health departments, behavioral health agencies, dental and medical practices, and Emergency Medical Services units along the border are major partners in the work of the HETC.  All institutions of higher education, community colleges and universities alike, which provide health professions educational programs in Arizona, are important partners for the Border HETC Program. So too are the community schools, which prepare high school graduates for postsecondary matriculation in health professional education programs in the service area of the Border HETCs.
Project Director: Carlos C. “Kent” Campbell, MD, MPH
Organization Name: The University of Arizona Health Sciences Center
Address: 140 N. Tucson Blvd.
Tucson, AZ 85716-4740
Telephone: (520) 318-7151
Fax: (520) 318-7155
E-Mail: carlosc@u.arizona.edu
Project Period: September 30, 2002-September 29, 2005

Abstract Narrative: Arizona’s Border Health Education and Training Centers (HETC) Program works throughout the Arizona-Mexico border region to improve the health status and access to culturally competent care of low-income and ethnically diverse populations living in resource-poor and severely medically underserved communities. The Arizona Border HETC Program employs educational incentives and methodologies that are designed to attract and retain health care personnel and which emphasize wellness through public health education. Training focuses on community and personal health education, health careers education, continuing education for health professionals, and the use of nurse practitioners, physician assistants, public health personnel and other providers of relevant primary care in areas of exceptional need. While the program is located at the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center, most of the HETC activities are delivered through two border area community-based centers (HETCs): the Southeast Arizona HETC, serving Pima, Santa Cruz, and Cochise border counties, and the Western Arizona HETC, serving the border county of Yuma. Professional student training in the Arizona Border HETC region focuses on a number of bi-national border health problems/issues, including but not limited to, environmental health, health promotion/disease prevention, bi-national communicable diseases, maternal-child health, bi-national occupational health issues, primary care, bi-national emergency medical services, bio-terrorism issues, and substance abuse. Multidisciplinary groups of health professional students, including community health workers, medical students, nursing students (including nurse practitioner students), social work students, pharmacy students, public health students, and allied health students, engage in training activities in bicultural settings with a public health service emphasis throughout the Southeast Arizona Border HETC and the Western Arizona Border HETC service areas.  The overall goal of Arizona’s HETC training is to link education with service.  The Arizona Border HETC Program also emphasizes education and training opportunities in border communities to (1) improve cross-border provider relationships that can result in improved bi-national patient referrals and reduce the incidence of uncompensated care for Mexican nationals in Arizona; (2) provide continuing education programs that encourage bi-national provider participation and interchange; (3) provide support for bi-national providers for updates on public health issues; and (4) address public/consumer educational needs related to the primary health issues facing border communities.

Arkansas

Cooperative Agreement Program: Health Education Training Centers
Project Title: Delta Unidad Health Education Training Center (Delta Unidad HETC)
Collaborative Partner (s): AR Department of Health, Community Health Centers, Rural Hospital Program, AR Public Schools, AR Center for Health Initiatives, HETC at San Antonio, Migrant Head Start Centers, and AHEC South at Texarkana
Project Director: Charles O. Cranford, DDS, MPA
Project Coordinator: Becky G. Hall, EdD
Organization Name: University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Address: 4301 W. Markham St., Slot #599
Little Rock, AR 72205
Telephone: 501-686-5260
Fax: 501-686-8506
E-mail: cranfordcharleso@uams.edu
Project Period: 09-30-02 to 09-29-05

Description: The Delta Health Education Training Center in Helena, Arkansas was established in November of 1990 with support from the Health Education and Training Centers (HETC) Program of the Health Resources and Services Administration. Its ensuing progress has been a result of extensive local support through community linkages and inter-agency relations. This cooperative endeavor has resulted in the production of exemplary programs, model educational materials, and innovative methodologies that have been successfully replicated in other rural settings.  The Delta HETC agenda and path of development has been and continues to be needs driven.  A primary task of the center is to develop and implement better ways to serve the most under-served population groups. Based on projected needs identified by current advisory groups and boards, the most significant need has been to partner and establish a Hispanic-oriented HETC Extension Site with southwest Arkansas to continue to meet the critical needs of the region and to expand the numerous quality services provided by the small, multidisciplinary staff of the Delta HETC. This partnership has been designated the Delta Unidad HETC project. Its service area is comprised of nine counties. Six of the nine counties (Chicot, Crittenden, Desha, Lee, Phillips, Monroe, and St. Francis) are in eastern Arkansas, with an HETC Extension Site in southwest Arkansas to serve the expanding Hispanic population of Sevier, Howard, and Hemstead Counties.

Rationale: The two largest minority groups in rural Arkansas are African American and Hispanic minority/disadvantaged who have serious, unmet healthcare needs. As a group, they are older, sicker, less educated, and found to have a health status worse than other comparable groups.  Injury and infant mortality rates are higher and the overall health statistics in the region are some of the poorest in the nation with critically high rates of morbidity and premature mortality.  Additionally, there are fewer hospital beds and physicians per capita, and seven of the nine counties, under the auspices of the Delta Unidad HETC project, are deemed Medically Underserved Areas (MUA), according to the 1997 Arkansas Primary Care Sourcebook.

Objectives: The mission of the Delta Unidad Health Education and Training Center is: 1) to improve the distribution, supply, quality, and efficiency of personnel providing health services; 2) to encourage health promotion and disease prevention through public education; 3) to increase access to a diverse and culturally competent health profession workforce through appropriate preparation and composition; 4) to attract and support minority and disadvantaged health professionals entering residencies in under-served areas; and, 5) to support primary care by disciplines to increase minority/disadvantaged program enrollees, completers, and graduates to promote career development, continuing education, and recruitment of health care professionals.

Evaluation: Data on each indicator is collected on a monthly basis and recorded into the UAMS Regional Program database to track longitudinal program measures and trends.

California

Collaborative Partners: University of California, San Diego, Irvine, Los Angeles Schools of Medicine; San Joaquin Valley Health Consortium; Multicultural Area Health Education Center; UCLA Research and Education Institute; Western University of Osteopathic Medicine; University of Texas, San Antonio Health Sciences School; Health Education and Training Centers Alliance of Texas; Imperial County Health Department; Project Concern International; National City Middle School; Sweetwater Union High School; Scripps Memorial Hospital; Community Outreach Partnership Center; Mid City Community Free Clinic; Wilson Middle School; California Office of Border Health; San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency; California/Baja Binational Health Council; California State University, San Marcos; San Diego Unified School District; Home Start, Inc.; San Diego State University; Colton Joint Unified School District; Pomona Unified School District; San Bernardino County Department of Public Health; Clinica Carino; UCI Medical Center; Western Medical Center; Family Health Center; Sherman Indian High School; Madres del Futuro; Loaves and Fishes; Latino Health Access; Harbor City Elementary School Healthy Start Center; Francisco Bravo Medical Magnet High School; Theodore Roosevelt High School; Belvedere Junior High School; Hollenbeck Middle School; Stephenson Middle School; White Memorial Medical Center; White Memorial Family Residency Program; UCSF Fresno Family Practice Residency Training Program; Central California Asthma Coalition; American Lung Association of Central California; Community Medical Centers; Sunnyside High School; McLane High School; United Health Centers

Project Director: Katherine A. Flores, MD
Organization Name: Health Education and Training Center Program
Address: 550 East Shaw Ave.  Suite 210
Fresno, CA  93710
Phone: 559-241-765
Fax: 559-241-7656
Email: kflores@ucsfresno.edu
Project Period: September 30, 2002 to September 29, 2005

Abstract Narrative: The California-Mexico border is the world’s busiest border crossing with an estimated 90 million persons crossing a year. California’s population is a “majority” minority with 29% of the state’s population being Hispanic. 69% of the state’s Hispanics live in the 16 county region covered by the Border HETC program, legislated as the 300 mile zone north of the US-Mexico Border. California has the most agriculturally productive counties in the world, served by 700,000 migrant laborers, mostly from Mexico whom have little or no English skills, are poorly educated, uninsured and undocumented

The California Border HETC seeks to improve the supply, distribution, quality and efficiency of personnel providing health services to the target population—migrant farmworkers, recent immigrants and second and third generation immigrants who have not been able to access appropriate healthcare. HETC encourages health promotion and disease prevention to immigrant communities, seeks to assure culturally and linguistically competent health care services and seeks to provide recruitment and retention activities for students interested in serving this population.  A critical shortage of minority health care professionals exists in California.  Four percentage of practicing doctors, 4% of nurses and 3% of dentists are Hispanic. Research indicates that minority health professionals are more likely to practice in underserved areas. By increasing availability of Hispanic health care providers for immigrant communities, we can positively impact the public health of California’s border communities. The California HETC is organized into partnerships of community based organizations and health professions schools. The program is public health oriented and community needs driven with expertise garnered from medical education programs. The San Diego Border HETC trains health professionals in San Diego and Tijuana on coordinated border health issues such as trauma care, the binational conducted management and tracking of HIV and TB. The San Bernardino/Imperial Co HETC has developed an on-line cross-cultural curriculum for nurses and provides nursing healthcare professions information to high school and middle school students. The Orange Co HETC runs a summer medical camp program for 500 minority high school students to learn about health careers. The Los Angeles Basin HETC trains promotoras through Latino Health Access to educate community members about diabetes, nutrition, exercise and smoking cessation. The Multicultural HETC operates Jovenes por la Salud, a health careers education program for 500 high school students. The San Joaquin Valley HETC employs promotoras that target migrant communities to educate them about asthma.

Florida

1. Collaborate with and provide technical assistance to the self-sufficient community coalitions established prior to 1999.
2. Support the self-sufficiency efforts of the community coalitions established during 1999-2002.
3. Establish new programs in community organization and development for health promotion in four of the state’s neediest rural counties.
4. Continue to implement and improve practicum experiences for students of medicine (including physician assistant students),  nursing (including nurse practitioner students), social work, allied health, and public health linked to the health promotion programs in each of the HETC communities.
5. Continue to implement and improve a program of continuing education for health professionals who serve the HETC communities,  focusing particularly on approaches to reducing disparities in health status between minority populations and the white population in underserved communities.
6. Continue to implement and improve a program of health professions recruitment for students in grades K-12 serving HETC communities.

The Community Organization and Development for Health Promotion model is at the heart of the program. It describes an approach by which we organize community coalitions that work to better community health and may go on to address other problems as well, such as housing, education, or legal assistance.  Health professions students gaining portions of their education through the program learn about this approach and gain an appreciation of the special strategies that are needed to reduce health disparities in very underserved communities.  The program also establishes a pipeline by recruiting students from these communities into the health professions and supporting local health professionals through a program of continuing professional education.

Kansas

Cooperative Agreement Program: Health Education and Training Centers
Project Title: Health Education Training Centers in Kansas
Collaborative Partner(s): Nurse-Midwifery Education Program at the University of Kansas (KU) School of Nursing; Family Medicine Department, KU School of Medicine; Dietetics and Nutrition Department, KU School of Allied Health (Wyandotte County 3 preceding);  Sterling Medical Center (Rice County); Wichita State University: Health Options for Planeview (Sedgwick County); Birth and Women’s Center (Shawnee County); State AHECs (Crawford, Ellis, Finney counties).
Project Director: Ginger Breedlove, CNM, PhD, FACNM
Project Coordinators: Denise Fryzelka, CNM, MS, Judie Wika CNM, MSN, Marta Skalacki, BA
Organization Name: University of Kansas School of Nursing
Address: 3901 Rainbow Blvd
Kansas City, Kansas, 66160
Telephone: 913/588-1641
Fax: 913/588-8299
E-Mail: gbreedlove@kumc.edu
Project Period: 9/30/2002 to 9/29/2005

Abstract Narrative:  The Kansas HETC Program addresses access to quality health care for underprivileged and underserved populations in select counties through appropriate preparation, composition and distribution of the health care workforce.  Program objectives are: establishment of interdisciplinary clinical training in underserved communities for nursing, medicine, and allied health (nutrition) students from The University of Kansas (KU) Medical Center Campus; delivery of culturally appropriate health care information to underprivileged populations; provision of continuing education to community health workers and health professionals serving vulnerable populations; and recruitment of disadvantaged high school students to the health professions.  Clinical practice sites are located in both rural and urban underserved areas in Rice, Sedgwick, Shawnee, and Wyandotte cou nties.  At these sites, health professions students attain knowledge and competence in understanding access issues for at risk populations and help deliver community-based quality health care that is both culturally sensitive and cost-effective.  Students also advocate health promotion and disease prevention and distribute multi-lingual community health education materials specific to maternal and infant health, teen pregnancy, unintended pregnancy, unintentional injury, violence, suicide, tobacco use and addiction, alcohol and other drug use, HIV/AIDS and STD infection, unhealthy dietary patterns and their effect on chronic diseases such as heart disease and cancer, inadequate physical activity, and environmental health.  The ultimate goal is to encourage health professions students to practice in underserved Kansas areas after completion of their studies.  An interface with program communities is maintained through an annual, statewide continuing education conference managed by the state-supported AHEC system.  Participants are a combined audience of community health workers and health professionals serving vulnerable populations.  Conference presentations are re-formatted for sharing on the program web site. 

Through linkages with Harmon and Schlagle high schools in Wyandotte County, teen students have the opportunity to enroll in the program’s job-shadowing activity.  Two goals for these students are recruitment into the health professions and a return to their communities to practice.  The Kansas HETC program is managed by faculty of the Nurse-Midwifery Education Program of the KU School of Nursing in collaboration with KU School of Medicine Family Medicine Program and KU School of Allied Health Nutrition Program.  Goal, process, outcome, and patient evaluations are used to assess the objectives, performance indicators and results of the entire program.

Kentucky

Cooperative Agreement Program:  Health Education and Training Centers
Project Title: Eastern Kentucky Health Education Center Training Program
Collaborative Partner(s): NorthCentral Kentucky AHEC, Gateway Community College, Northeast Kentucky AHEC, St. Claire Medical Center, Southern Kentucky AHEC, Berea Hospital, Southeast Kentucky AHEC, Appalachain Regional HealthCare System
Project Director:  James C. Norton, PhD
Project Coordinator:  Mae Marie Quan, MSEd
Organization Name: University of Kentucky
Address: A301 Kentucky Clinic
Telephone: (859) 323-8018
Fax: (859) 323-1043
E-Mail: mquan@email.uky.edu
Project Period: 9/30/02 – 9/29/05

Abstract Narrative: The Eastern Kentucky Health Education Training Center (EKYHETC) provides activities to address the needs of three special population groups: a rapidly growing Hispanic population, highly underserved communities in eastern Appalachian Kentucky and the historically neglected needs of African American communities.  The goal of this program is to contribute to the development of an infrastructure to support Kentucky’s health care system in addressing the growing health disparities that have an impact on access to care, particularly as they affect the Hispanic, minority and rural underserved populations.

The EKYHETC is directed and coordinated through the University of Kentucky AHEC Central Office located at the University of Kentucky Chandler Medical Center.  This initiative benefits from the success of the AHEC program and builds upon the existing relationships between the AHEC Central Office and programs across the state.  The Central Office for the EKYHETC works in collaboration with the five colleges of the Medical Center, other academic institutions and four regional centers and their affiliated communities.  Key personnel who have experience in program development and who have experience in working to resolve some of the issues and problems surrounding access to care of underserved populations oversee program activities.  These individuals serve as resources to the statewide AHEC/HETC system and other organizations statewide.

To meet the programmatic goal, the EKYHETC develops an array of education and training activities that occur through the four regional centers.  These centers are located in the existing regional AHEC network and benefit from the support and broad constituencies of these AHECs.  Education and training activities focus on four key components: development of training sites and service learning opportunities for students and residents in multicultural settings, training of healthcare workers and community volunteers to develop cultural competence skills, development of  health career activities that target representation of Hispanic, minority and rural, disadvantaged students in the health professions and development of strategies and provision of models for overcoming linguistic barriers to health care.

Cooperative Agreement Program:  Health Education and Training Centers
Project Title:  University of Louisville Health Education and Training Centers Program
Project Director:  Michael E. Byrne
Project Coordinator:  Margaret Mahaffey
Organization Name:  University of Louisville School of Medicine
Address:  323 East Chestnut Street
Louisville, KY 40202
Telephone:  502-852-2759
Fax: 502-852-5261
E-Mail:  Mebyrn01@louisville.edu
Project Period:  August 30, 2002 to August 29, 2005

Abstract Narrative:  Many Kentucky counties struggle with an inadequate number of health care professionals, high poverty rates, low educational attainment levels, and poor health status.  An estimated 987,322 Kentuckians lacked access to primary care providers in underserved areas in 1997 (Healthy Kentuckians 2010).  Thirty-five percent of all those living in poverty are children. County poverty rates reach as high as 64%. Nationally, Kentucky ranks second to last (49^th) in the number of adults who complete high school. The Hispanic, other minority and rural underserved populations within the proposed HETC catchment areas are at risk for increased incidence of heart disease, diabetes and substance abuse.  The incidence of domestic violence and homicide are serious problems.  Collaborative initiatives between public and private sectors, such as the project proposed here, are needed to achieve improved health status (Healthy People 2010). 

The influx of migrant Hispanic workers is a recent phenomenon in Kentucky, accelerating during the past five years.  Kentucky has only lately been faced with large numbers of immigrant and migrant populations, and there are significant challenges as the state moves toward addressing the needs of a growing Hispanic population.  According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the documented Hispanic population in Kentucky nearly tripled from 20,363 in 1990 to 59,939 in 2000 (Census 2000).

The purpose of this proposal is to expand the current HETC project to the western part of the state by establishing two new HETC sites in far western (Purchase) and west central (West) Kentucky, as well as develop and enhance educational activities in the NorthWest and South Central HETCs.  In addition, this HETC proposal will continue to 1) focus on programming for Kentucky's growing Hispanic population and its African-American population, and rural populations in Appalachian and Mississippi Delta counties; 2) expand the number of training sites for primary care students, residents, faculty, and community-based practitioners to diversify educational experiences available for rotations and the training of culturally competent health professionals; 3) increase the number of experienced personnel dedicated to cultural competency training; 4) develop new health education programs that are culturally appropriate; and 5) establish an oral health program for underserved populations in western Kentucky.

New Mexico

Cooperative Agreement Program:  Health Education and Training Centers
Project Title:  Border Health Education and Training Center
Collaborative Partners:  Southern Area AHEC at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, NM
Project Director:  Christopher Urbina, MD, MPH
Project Coordinator:  Same as Director
Organization Name:  New Mexico Border Health Education and Training Center at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center School of Medicine
Address:  AHEC/BHETC/Preceptorship,  MSC 08-4580
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001
Telephone: 505-272-3510
Fax: 505- 272 8498
E-Mail:  curbina@salud.unm.edu
Project Period: September 30, 2002-September 29, 2005

Abstract Narrative:  The New Mexico Border Health Training Education Center (BHETC) is a collaborative effort between University of New Mexico (UNM) and the New Mexico State University (NMSU).  BHETC is dedicated to improve the unmet health care needs such as distribution, supply, quality and efficiency of health care personnel to the populations along the New Mexico/Mexico Border. The role of BHETC is to build upon existing health resources in the community and develop new ones with the intent to provide a foundation for addressing persistent and unmet health care needs, especially health professional recruitment and retention and along the Border. The New Mexico Border HETC Program began in 1990 and was established to complement the already existing Southern Area Health Education Center (SoAHEC) under the Department of Health Science at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, New Mexico.  The BHETC Program in NM is well established with the AHEC Program Office at University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center (UNM HSC).  The Project Objectives for BHETC are designed to meet the BHPr requirements and to address the problems that are of importance to rural and underserved communities in New Mexico.  BHETC objectives focus on the unique and critical role of the BHETC Center, which play an important role in addressing the educational needs of health professionals and also training in rural and underserved communities.  Specific objectives are: 1) Health career awareness programs with emphasis on underrepresented ethnic minorities; 2) Clinical training in Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) for health professions students; 3) Continuing education programs which promote retention of health professionals and continued partnerships with community-based agencies in the provision of leadership and culturally relevant trainings for community health workers.  Each of the objectives requires extensive collaboration with community-based organizations with educational institutions, the NM Department of Health, Community Health Centers, Migrant Health Centers, the Indian Health Service Units, and other community-based organizations, including local and regional community health councils, and directly addresses the BHPr National Workforce Goals. New Mexico BHETC focus is on: (1) Diversity & Cultural Competency, which concentrates on the recruitment of students that are more representative of New Mexico’s diverse population, including those from underserved areas; (2) Student Distribution, which focuses on community-based training for health professions students and residents into BHETC rural and underserved areas; and (3) Quality of Health Care, which addresses the barriers that affect the retention of practitioners in rural and underserved areas through continuing education and linkages with the library, access to health and medical information, and regional continuing education opportunities, with special emphasis on border issues. 

Oregon

Cooperative Agreement Program: Health Education and Training Center Program (HETC)
Project Title: Oregon Health Education and Training Center Program
Collaborative Partner(s):
Project Director: Jeffrey F. Butler
Organization Name: Department of Family Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University
Address: 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd. Mail code FM
Portland, OR 97201-3098
Telephone: 503-494-4248
Fax: 503-494-4496
E-Mail: butlerj@ohsu.edu
Project Period: 9/30-2002 - 9/29/2005

Abstract Narrative: The Oregon HETC program combines resources from rural outreach, geriatric education, community health worker training, community-based training for health professions students and community technical assistance to develop new programs and training opportunities in American Indian communities in Oregon. Four Tribes served by the Oregon HETC Program benefit from interactions with HETC Resource Partners: Oregon Pacific AHEC, Northeast Oregon AHEC, Geriatric Education Center Program (Portland State University), MPH Program (Oregon State University), and the Rural Interdisciplinary Team Training Program (Oregon Health & Science University).  Tribal community needs are being addressed through the following HETC programs:

• Basic training utilizing, Popular Education methodology, for Tribal Community Health Representatives (CHRs).
• Continuing education programs for Tribal CHRs.
• Technical assistance for Tribal Health Programs to assess and fund equipment and training needs for Emergency Medical Services.
• Creation of public health promotion and disease prevention programs and activities for Tribal communities.
• Health professions continuing education events in geriatric education.
• Community-based health professions student training with a cultural competency curriculum.
• “Kids into Health Careers” activities.

The vision for the Oregon HETC program is to be successful with the programs and communities the program is working with currently and leverage new partnerships to expand the program and serve additional Tribal communities in future years.

Texas

Cooperative Agreement Program:  Health Education Training Centers
Project Title:  The Health Education Training Centers Alliance of Texas - HETCAT
Collaborative Partner(s):  Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Baylor College of Medicine, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Texas A&M University Health Sciences Center, The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth,  Prairie View A&M, Texas State University, Texas A&M Corpus Christi, Texas Woman’s University, The University of Texas at Arlington, School of Nursing, The University of Texas at Austin, School of Nursing, The University of Texas Brownsville, The University of Texas at El Paso, The University of Texas, LBJ School of Public Affairs, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Public Health, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, The University of Texas Pan American,  Tarleton State University,  Texas Agricultural Extension Service, Texas Department of Health, Office of Rural Community Affairs and Office of Border Health,  Office of the Governor, Texas Department of Health and Human Services,  National Center for Farmworker Health Inc.,  Pan American Health Organization, Texas Association of Community Health Centers, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board,  Texas Medical Association, and the UTPA Office of Border Health

Principal Investigator:  Darryl M. Williams, MD, MPH
Project Director:  Teresa M. Hines, MPH
Organization Name:  The Health Education Training Centers Alliance of Texas
Address:  4800 Alberta Avenue, TTUHSC at El Paso
El Paso, Texas  79905
Telephone:  915/774-4927
Fax:  915/774-4928
E-Mail: darryl.williams@ttuhsc.edu or teresa.hines@ttuhsc.edu
Project Period:  9/30/2003 – 9/29/2004

Abstract Narrative:  The quality of life depends on the health of ones’ community. The Health Education Training Center Alliance of Texas (HETCAT) has been promoting community health action projects since 1990 by advocating, stimulating, developing, supporting and sustaining collaborations between academic health professions institutions, state and local health services agencies, health professionals, social service agencies, and targeted underserved minority populations.  Training and education for these community-owned action projects is supported by HETCAT. Our flexible multi-regional operations continue to provide for the development of programs responsive to community-determined primary healthcare needs, priorities and resources consistent with Health People 2010 priority objectives.

HETCAT addresses health problems produced by health work force shortages and imbalances affecting the fastest growing ethnic Texas population, Hispanics.  Through training and educational programs, the alliance attempts to improve the supply, geographic distribution, diversity, specialty/primary care balance, and retention of the health professional work force. HETCAT also works to improve the quality, efficiency, and productivity of the health care delivery system. 

Family and community health worker training programs expand and extend health promotion and preventive services and link “curing” with “caring” throughout the HETCAT region.  Our goal is to improve the quality of Texas community life through collaboration within and between communities and through active citizen participation.  Networks of community-driven health partnerships are essential building blocks for sustained quality of community life including poor, markedly underserved minority populations.   HETCAT’s three regional offices promote and coordinate the development of community-based empowerment projects.  In the last twelve years HETCAT has supported more than 525 community-academic-service partnership projects. These include:

1. Providing technical assistance and consultations for target populations to identify health promotion and disease prevention problems as well as the community assets that can be used to solve them
2. Working with communities to develop solutions that link existing community assets
3. Providing training and education for the personnel needed to support the community planned solutions.
4. Encouraging academic health professional institutions to prepare their students to perform in rural and urban underserved areas through association with AHEC and other organizations
5. Preparing peer-community health workers as team members of community health efforts
6. Encouraging youth to consider health profession careers
7. Increasing access to health promotion, disease prevention, medical and curative care especially for uninsured children and youth
8. Maintaining the quality of personnel and community health care services through continuing education.

Washington

Cooperative Agreement Program: HETC
Project Title:  WWAMI HETC
Collaborative Partner(s): College of Rural Alaska and Alaska Center for Rural Health
Project Director:  John B. Coombs, MD
Project Coordinator:  Peter J. House, MHA
Organization Name:  University of Washington School of Medicine
Address:  Box 356340, Seattle
Washington, 91895-6340
Telephone:  206-543-6020
Fax:  206-616-4990
E-Mail:  phinney6@u.washington.edu
Project Period:  September 1, 2002 through August 31, 2005

Abstract Narrative:  The University of Washington School of Medicine will partner with the College of Rural Alaska (CRA) at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, a unit of the University of Alaska system, and the Alaska AHEC, the Alaska Center for Rural Health, to provide services for an Alaska Health Education and Training Center (HETC).  The Board of the Alaska Center for Rural Health, which is comprised of health services providers, educators and consumers who live and work in rural health, will serve as the advisory board for the Alaska HETC.  The Alaska HETC will address several persistent problems of unmet need in health services in rural Alaska.  We will target inadequate access to mental health and substance abuse services by expanding workforce training in behavioral health in rural Alaska.  Not only will we expand our capacity to train workers, we will also work to develop faculty for the programs.  In the case of both the trainees and the faculty, our focus will be Alaska Natives residing in the underserved regions. The Alaska HETC will focus on a second health discipline, by developing a local workforce that can manage the emerging and critical needs in financial management in the health services arena.  Specifically we will provide entry-level training for medical billing and coding, at both the secondary and postsecondary levels through an academic certificate program.  A key strength of the Alaska HETC is that we will build on the programs and services that we already have in place.  The College of Rural Alaska delivers the highly successful Rural Human Services (RHS) Certificate program statewide, in coordination with Alaska’s Department of Health and Social Services.  RHS prepares behavioral health paraprofessionals for work in rural Alaska.  RHS gathers students and Elders together for 3 weeks each semester over two years to attend courses and to develop learning skills, personal growth and networking, critical to survival and longevity in behavioral health work.  Western and traditional modalities of healing are incorporated and all students complete a work practicum.

Wisconsin

Cooperative Agreement Program:  Health Education Training Centers
Project Title:  Wisconsin HETC
Collaborative Partner(s): University of Wisconsin Medical School, Northern Wisconsin AHEC, Southwest Wisconsin AHEC, Milwaukee AHEC, Northeast AHEC, local health departments, and community agencies
Project Director: Nancy A. Sugden, Assistant Dean, Academic Affairs, UW Medical School
Project Coordinator:  Peggy Ore, MS, RN
Organization Name: University of Wisconsin Medical School
Address: 1300 University Ave, 203 Bradley
Madison WI   53706
Telephone: (608) 263-1712
Fax: (608) 265-5995
E-Mail: nasugden@wisc.edu,  pore@wisc.edu
Project Period:  September 30, 2002 - September 29, 2005

Abstract Narrative: This project enables Wisconsin AHEC to have a more direct impact on the health status of vulnerable populations by creating and expanding lay health advocate programs (community health workers and peer health advisors) through partnerships between the AHEC program office, regional AHECs and community-based organizations.  The program targets three medically underserved groups in Wisconsin with severe persistent unmet health care needs:  Latino populations (including migrant and seasonal farm workers), Wisconsin’s Hmong communities and inner-city Milwaukee adolescents. The Wisconsin HETC program supports entry level training, experience, and professional development opportunities for people from underrepresented minority groups who are interested in health careers.  The Wisconsin HETC goals clearly link the program to BHPr National Workforce Goals and apply to all our local HETC projects. That is:  to improve access to quality health care through appropriate preparation, composition and distribution of a diverse and culturally competent health professions workforce.

To reach our three target populations we have chosen to partner with our regional AHECs and community healthcare organizations that serve the identified population groups, and have expressed an interest in starting or expanding indigenous health advisor-type programs.  Our current community partners include:

Milwaukee’s Washington High School, Beloit Area Community Health Center, Kenosha Health Department, Kenosha Community Health Center and Spanish Center of Kenosha, Wausau Family Practice, Bridge Community Health Center, Marathon County Health Department and Childrens’ Service Society of Wisconsin.

If funding allows, we hope to add one more community (Green Bay) during the second year of the grant. The current primary health education areas of focus for each of the local projects are:

1. Milwaukee – AODA issues
2. Beloit – oral health
3. Kenosha – women’s’ health and diabetes
4. Wausau – health promotion, disease prevention, screening/early detection of illness

A local advisory committee provides oversight to each of the four community projects and a statewide program steering committee is forming that will include representatives from the University of Wisconsin’s various health professions schools and programs, the regional AHEC offices in the state, and the local advisory committees.  The Wisconsin HETC program brings together community health centers, community agencies, local health departments, schools, academic health professions training programs, and others. It also links with Wisconsin’s regional AHEC National Library of Medicine funded programs. We are excited about this opportunity to extend more health education outreach and health careers opportunities to our state’s medically underserved populations.