Area Health Education Center (AHEC)

The North Dakota Area Health Education Center (AHEC) was created to address critical health workforce shortages in the state. Without an adequate workforce, access to essential health and medical services and the quality of care can suffer. AHECs have a long history of creating community-based solutions in collaboration with academic centers.

•Nearly one fourth of the state’s physicians and nurses will retire by 2015

• 89% of ND counties do not have an adequate number of primary care providers

• 96% of ND counties are partially or fully designated as mental health professional shortage areas

• 32% are partially or fully designated as dental health professional shortage areas

• 17 rural ND counties have fewer nurses than the national average

AHEC will develop and organize statewide efforts to coordinate educational and community-based activities to help connect students to careers…professionals to communities….communites to better health.

Hettinger has been chosen as the site of the Southwest AHEC. West River Health Services will help facilitate the set up of the AHEC, which will serve 18 counties in the SW region of North Dakota.

Visit the North Dakota AHEC web site at ndahec.org for more information.

AHEC Director Hired

Tony Scheerz will start July 5 as the AHEC director in Hettinger. He has been working for the state government in the Department of Career and Technical Education in Bismarck. His work with career programs has taken him into several high schools and colleges. Scheerz recognizes that a qualified, skilled workforce is essential to the economic well-being of North Dakota’s business, industry, and public sector. He is originally from Reeder and has an understanding of rural issues and lifestyle.

07/08/2010