Mid-Central AHEC News
Health Career Pipeline Programs Expand Across Mid-Central AHEC Region
Over the last few months, the Mid-Central Area Health Education Center (AHEC) has built upon the health career programming and support available to youth across the region through ongoing and expanding collaborations. These are a few of the efforts to provide exposure and education that Mid-Central AHEC staff have participated in recently.
Central Michigan University (CMU) Health Career Shadowing Program
Previous Mid-Central AHEC Health Career Pipeline Program high school and college student participants from the Mt. Pleasant and Saginaw areas were offered the opportunity to participate in the Career Shadowing Program being coordinated by the Graduate Medical Education Department within Central Michigan University Health. This program provided interested students the opportunity to follow multiple healthcare professionals through a typical workday in a variety of healthcare settings and departments to better experience and gauge their pursuits in these potential career paths. Along with Mid-Central AHEC promotional support, this program had been revived following a hiatus during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic with overwhelming initial interest and participation.
participants following a personal protective equipment
demonstration and activity.
Thumb Community Health Partnership Hatchet Hero's Health Career Pipeline Program
Through the Michigan Health Endowment, the Thumb Community Health Partnership (TCHP) was awarded a grant for the 2022 Community Health Impact Initiative for Health & Human Service Workforce Development Youth Programs. A variety of resources and expertise from Mid-Central AHEC pipeline programs are used to strengthen the opportunities available to students interested in exploring healthcare careers in TCHP counties of Huron, Sanilac, Tuscola and Lapeer. The first middle school program, Hatchet Heroes, is currently underway with plans for additional middle and high school programs in 2023.
Michigan Works! MiCareer Quest Middle Michigan
Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow College of Health Professions departments
showcase hands-on elements of potential academic and career pathways
to students across the mid-Michigan region.
At the end of October, the Great Lakes Bay Michigan Works! and Michigan Works! Region 7B, held an event for almost 5,000 9th and 10th grade students from 13 mid-Michigan counties at Saginaw Valley State University to provide a glimpse into careers across five industries including advanced manufacturing, agri-business, construction, health sciences and information technology. Mid-Central AHEC teamed up with nearly a dozen academic departments of the Central Michigan University Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow College of Health Professions to bring hands-on activities to peak student's interest and knowledge on available careers and academic pathways available to them within the healthcare sector.
Central Michigan University College of Medicine Mt. Pleasant Area Health Career Pipeline Program
Throughout the fall season, Mid-Central AHEC hosted, in collaboration with the CMU College of Medicine, the 9th annual Health Career Pipeline Program. This program was made possible in part with a grant from the Mt. Pleasant Area Community Foundation and is set up to provide healthcare career exposure, leadership characteristic development and postsecondary education pathway mentorship to students from disadvantaged or underserved backgrounds. Over the 9-week curriculum, the program brought together 13 students from 7 high schools and 7 area counties.
Joint Educational Efforts
Health Education Tuition Subsidy: Rural Workforce & Loan Repayment Presentation
On October 25th, Paige Recker from the Michigan Center for Rural Health gave a virtual presentation to medical, nursing, physician assistant, and social work students about federal and state loan repayment programs available through the National Health Service Corps and Michigan State Loan Repayment Program. By supporting workforce, behavioral and telehealth programs for rural residents, healthcare professionals will be contributing to the improvement of health care access for those living in Michigan's rural areas. Students at the seminar learned that the Michigan Center for Rural Health offers technical assistance in areas like loan repayment, health professional shortages, immigration programs and workforce development. The Mid-Central AHEC partnered with the Michigan Center for Rural Health to raise student awareness of the opportunities available in rural areas for healthcare careers.
Population Health: Steps to Stronger Use Now & Steps to Improve Equity
In conjunction with MiHIA (Michigan Health Improvement Alliance), Mid-Central AHEC offered a webinar series that introduced participants to basic population health concepts. An expert panel was led by Dr. Zeina Habib, Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine at Central Michigan University College of Medicine, Dr. Marcia Ditmeyer, Dean of the Crystal M. Lange College of Health and Human Services at Saginaw Valley State University, and Dr. Joseph Inungu, a professor of global health at Central Michigan University (CMU). Population health definitions were discussed, along with sources of big data, evidence-based action, and population health metrics, as well as the role of interprofessional education and collaborative practice. The second webinar discussed health disparities, drivers of health inequity and strategies to address them. Among the topics discussed by the panel of experts were health disparities, social determinants, racism, distrust and implicit bias.