NDSU’s Department of Nursing has been named the fiscal host for the North Dakota Southwest Area Health Education Center (AHEC). Loretta Heuer, associate dean for nursing and associate director of the center, will provide administrative direction.
The center is funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, UND College of Nursing and Dakota Medical Foundation, Fargo. The grant is an annual $340,000.
“It is important for North Dakota to grow our own health care workers and the Department of Nursing is excited to partner with UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences to develop tomorrow’s providers,” Heuer said. “AHECs have an excellent reputation in building student interest in health care careers and providing pathways for them to enter the profession with the ultimate goal that they return to work in their own community. North Dakota rural areas will certainly benefit from this partnership in the years ahead.”
The North Dakota AHEC was established in 2008 and currently is housed in the UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences’ Department of Family and Community Medicine. Two regional centers, the Eastern AHEC located in Mayville directed by Dr. Bill Krivarchka, and the SW AHEC in Hettinger directed by Tony Scheerz have been established to develop health care workforce pipeline activities to improve the distribution, diversity and quality of health personnel in underserved areas throughout North Dakota. To continue the mission of the AHEC, two new partnerships have been entered in each of the respective regions.
Mayville State University has entered into a contract with UND to serve as the fiscal host for the Eastern AHEC. Steven Bensen, vice president for business affairs, said, “Mayville State University is honored to participate as an active partner with the North Dakota AHEC through a partnership agreement with the Eastern AHEC.”
“We are excited about our new partnerships with Mayville State and NDSU and having the AHEC regional employees part of the North Dakota University System,” said Mary Amundson, director of the AHEC program. “Our third and final regional center will be developed in 2011 serving the northwest region of the state and we look forward to entering into a partnership with a college/university within that region to serve as the fiscal host for the NWAHEC.”
For more information, contact Heuer at Loretta.heuer@ndsu.edu.