We know that our rural and urban communities need health care providers who are attuned to their unique needs. Our programs and activities support health care students who want to practice in rural and urban areas in the northeast Illinois region. Our students benefit from learning from top-notch health professionals while providing needed services to communities experiencing shortages of health professionals.
Who We Serve
The Northeast Illinois AHEC serves the counties of DeKalb, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, Will, as well as the Cook County townships of Barrington, Berwyn, Cicero, Elk Grove, Evanston, Hanover, Leyden, Lyons, Maine, New Trier, Niles, Northfield, Norwood Park, Oak Park, Palatine, Proviso, River Forest, Riverside, Schaumburg, Stickney and Wheeling. For more information, contact northeastilahec@niu.edu.
Our Program
Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) Scholars
AHEC Scholars is a nationally recognized certificate program for health professions students interested in supplementing their education by gaining additional knowledge and experience in rural and/or urban settings. The program is nationally funded by the Health Resources and Administration Association (HRSA), Bureau of Healthcare Workforce and focuses on strengthening the healthcare workforce.
The AHEC Scholars program emphasizes a team-based approach for health care.
This is a two-year program with interdisciplinary curricula to implement a defined set of clinical, didactic and community-based activities.
The requirements should complement your existing coursework.
Each of the two years includes the following for a total of 160 hours:
40 hours each year of community-based, experiential or clinical training in rural and/or urban area
40 hours each year of interprofessional education focused on the six core topic areas below (may be continuing education modules or college credit).
Interprofessional Education (also known as interdisciplinary training) supports a coordinated, patient-centered model of healthcare that involves an understanding of the contributions of multiple healthcare professionals.
Behavioral Health Integration promotes the development of integrated primary and behavioral health services to better address the needs of individuals with mental health and substances use conditions.
Social Determinants of Health includes the five key areas (determinants) of economic stability, education, social and community context, health and healthcare, and neighborhood and built environment and their impacts on health.
Cultural Competency seeks to improve individual health and build health communities by training healthcare providers to recognize and address the unique culture, language, and health literacy of diverse consumers and communities.
Practice Transformation aims to fully support quality improvement and patient-centered care through goal-setting, leadership, practice facilitation, workflow changes, measuring outcomes, and adapting organizational tools and processes to support new team-based models of care delivery. AHEC programs are expected to develop and implement educational and training activities and build and strengthen strategic partnerships. Educational and training activities under practice transformation must target the specific skills and competencies needed to prepare students and practicing health professionals to effectively practice in a transforming healthcare system.
Current and emerging health issues, such as the Zika virus and opioid abuse, should be proposed before implementation.
Have a current interest in pursuing a career in rural or urban health care
Be currently enrolled in a health professions degree or certificate program
Be two years from program or degree
The AHEC Scholars program is for health profession students wishing to enhance their education by gaining additional leadership knowledge and experience in rural and/or urban areas.
This includes students in dentistry, medicine, nursing, optometry, marriage and family therapy, pharmacy, physical/occupational therapy, physician assistant, public/population health, rehabilitation counseling and social work programs.
Northeast Illinois AHEC is funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration, the federal agency charged with training health professionals and improving health care for people who are geographically isolated, economically disadvantaged or medically vulnerable. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.
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