Area Health Education Centers

 

The Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) Program enhances access to high quality, culturally competent health care through academic-community partnerships. The goal of the AHEC Program is three fold: (1) to prepare a diverse, culturally-competent primary care workforce representative of the communities served; (2) to improve health workforce distribution through the nation, particularly among rural and underserved areas and population; and (3) to develop and maintain a healthcare workforce that is prepared to deliver high quality care in a transforming health care delivery system with emphasis on rural and underserved areas and communities.

Active 93.107 Health Resources and Services Administration, Department of Health and Human Services B - Project Grants Fiscal Year 2018 In Academic Year 2017-2018, the AHEC Program supported various types of pre-pipeline, pipeline, and continuing education training activities for thousands of trainees across the country. AHEC grantees implemented 1,915 unique continuing education courses that were delivered to 137,301 practicing professionals nationwide, 72,278 of whom were concurrently employed in medically underserved communities. AHEC grantees partnered with 5,512 sites to provide 32,328 clinical training experiences to student trainees (e.g., ambulatory practice sites, physician offices, and hospitals). Approximately 60 percent of these training sites were primary care settings; 66 percent were located in medically underserved communities; and 45 percent were in rural areas.
Fiscal Year 2020 In Academic Year 2019-2020, the AHEC Program supported various types of pre-pipeline, pipeline, and continuing education training activities for thousands of trainees across the country. In total, the AHEC Program educated and trained 323,244 participants nationwide through their AHEC Scholars, Community-based Experiential Training, Continuing Education, and Youth Pipeline programming. AHEC grantees partnered with 5,092 training sites to provide clinical training experiences to student trainees (e.g., ambulatory practice sites, physician offices, and hospitals). Approximately 59 percent of these training sites were primary care settings; 66 percent were located in medically underserved communities; and 45 percent were in rural areas. AHEC-SET: No data available.
Fiscal Year 2021 In Academic Year 2020-2021, the AHEC Program supported pre-pipeline, pipeline, and continuing education training activities for thousands of trainees across the country. AHEC awardees implemented 1,879 unique continuing education courses that were delivered to 168,338 practicing professionals nationwide, 68,894 of whom (41 percent) were concurrently employed in medically underserved communities (MUC). They also enhanced or developed 2,324 courses and training activities for 39,062 AHEC scholars and other health professionals. AHEC grantees partnered with 4,686 training sites to provide clinical training experiences to student trainees (e.g., ambulatory practice sites, physician offices, and hospitals). Approximately 60 percent of these training sites were primary care settings; 68 percent were located in medically underserved communities; and 47 percent were in rural areas. AHEC-SET: No data available.
Fiscal Year 2023 In academic year 2021-2022, the AHEC Program supported pre-pipeline, pipeline, and continuing education training activities for thousands of trainees across the country. The AHEC Program trained 283,140 health care trainees and professionals, including 30 percent from rural areas. A total of 266,344 health care trainees and professionals completed their AHEC program. AHEC awardees implemented 1,560 unique continuing education courses that were delivered to 150,349 participating professionals nationwide, of whom46 percent were concurrently employed in medically underserved communities (MUC). They also enhanced or developed 2,972 courses and training activities for 34,564 AHEC scholars and other health professionals. AHEC grantees partnered with 4,892 training sites to provide clinical training experiences to student trainees (e.g., ambulatory practice sites, physician offices, and hospitals). Approximately 57 percent of these training sites were primary care settings; 70 percent were located in medically underserves communities; and 45 percent were in rural areas. Title VII, Sec. 751 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 294a) Entities eligible to apply for AHEC Infrastructure Development awards under 751(a)(1) are public or nonprofit private accredited schools of allopathic medicine and osteopathic medicine and incorporated consortia made up of such schools, or the parent institutions of such schools. In states and territories in which no AHEC program is in operation, an accredited school of nursing is an eligible applicant. An entity eligible to apply for AHEC Point of Service Maintenance and Enhancement awards under section 751 (a) (2) means an entity has received funds under this section (751), is operating an area health education center program, including an area health education center or centers, and has a center or centers that are no longer eligible to receive financial assistance under subsection (a)(1). Eligible entities are accredited public or nonprofit schools of allopathic medicine or osteopathic medicine, the parent institution on behalf of such schools, and accredited schools of nursing, which have received funds under section 751 to operate an AHEC program. Federally Recognized Indian Tribal Government and Native American Organizations may apply if they are otherwise eligible. Beneficiaries include a full range of trainees: high school students from underrepresented minority populations or from disadvantaged or rural backgrounds, health professions students, and practicing health professionals. Applicants should review the individual HRSA Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) issued under this assistance listing for any required proof or certifications which must be submitted with an application package. Preapplication coordination is not applicable. 2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards applies to this program. HRSA requires all applicants to apply electronically through Grants.gov. All eligible, qualified applications will be forwarded to an objective review committee. Based on the advice of the objective review committee, the HRSA program official with delegated authority is responsible for final selection and funding decisions Notification of award is made in writing (electronic) through a Notice of Award. When making final funding decisions regarding Section 751 awards, consideration will be given to the "Sense of the Congress that there be an area health education center program in each state." Contact the headquarters or regional location, as appropriate for application deadlines From 120 to 180 days. Approximately 120 to 180 days after receipt of applications. Not applicable. Depending on Agency priorities and availability of funding, during the final budget year of the approved project period competing continuation applications may be solicited from interested applicants. Procedures for assessing the technical merit of grant applications have been instituted to provide an objective review of applications and to assist the applicant in understanding the standards against which each application will be judged. Critical indicators have been developed for each review criterion to assist the applicant in presenting pertinent information related to that criterion and to provide the reviewer with a standard for evaluation. Competing applications are reviewed by nonfederal reviewers for technical merit recommendations. Applications will be reviewed and evaluated against the following criteria: (1) Purpose and Need; (2) Response to Program Purpose; (3) Impact; (4) Organizational Information, Resources and Capabilities; and (5) Support Requested. See the most recent Notice of Funding Opportunity for detailed review criteria. Funds shall be used to recruit individuals from underrepresented, disadvantaged, or rural backgrounds into the health professions; establish and maintain community-based placements or preceptorships with an emphasis on primary care; conduct interdisciplinary/interprofessional training involving an array of health professionals; deliver or facilitate continuing education; propose and implement outcomes measurement and evaluation strategies. Not less than 75 percent of the total amount provided to an AHEC Program under subsection 751(a) (2) shall be allocated to the AHEC centers participating in the program. The aggregate amount of awards to schools in the state for the fiscal year under Point of Service Maintenance and Enhancement AHEC authority shall be not less than $103,000 annually per AHEC center, including program office funds. If amounts appropriated to carry out Section 751 are not sufficient to comply with the amount stated in the preceding sentence, the Secretary may reduce the per center amount as necessary. Not applicable. Not applicable. Recipients are required to maintain grant accounting records 3 years after the date they submit the Federal Financial Report (FFR). If any litigation, claim, negotiation, audit or other action involving the award has been started before the expiration of the 3-year period, the records shall be retained until completion of the action and resolution of all issues which arise from it, or until the end of the regular 3-year period, whichever is later. Statutory formula is not applicable to this assistance listing.

Matching is voluntary. 50%. With respect to the costs of operating a program through a grant under section 751, to be eligible for assistance under section 751, an entity shall make available (directly or through contributions from state, county, municipal governments or the private sector) recurring nonfederal contributions in cash or in kind toward such costs in an amount that is equal to not less than 50 percent of such costs. Thus, the matching ratio for AHEC awards is 1:1 (federal funds to non-federal contributions). At least 25 percent of the total required non-Federal contributions shall be in cash.

This program has MOE requirements, see funding agency for further details. Additional Information: The recipient must agree to maintain non-federal funding for grant activities at a level which is not less than expenditures for such activities during the fiscal year prior to receiving the award. AHEC provides support for a five-year project period. Recipients drawdown funds, as necessary, from the Payment Management System (PMS). PMS is the centralized web-based payment system for HHS awards. None/Not specified. Tamafa Barbee, Public Health Analyst, Health Careers Pipeline Branch
Division of Health Careers and Financial Support
Bureau of Health Workforce
Rockville , MD 20857 US
TBarbee@HRSA.GOV
Phone: (301) 443-623 https://bhw.hrsa.gov/grants/healthcareers 75-0350-0-1-550 (Cooperative Agreements) FY 22$42,495,250.00; FY 23 est $44,311,340.00; FY 24 est $47,000,000.00; FY 21$38,795,967.00; FY 20$38,855,187.00; FY 19$36,210,000.00; FY 18$36,017,749.00; FY 17$28,465,186.00; FY 16$28,338,943.00; - AHEC(Cooperative Agreements) FY 22$0.00; FY 23 est $0.00; FY 24 est $857,244.00; - AHEC FY 2022 range $288,500 - $1,731,000; Average Award $805,101 FY 2023 range $288,500 - $2,106,000; Average Award $857,244 FY 2024 est range $288,500 - $2,196,000; Average Award est. $857,244 AHEC FY 2022 range $288,500 - $1,731,000; Average Award $805,101 FY 2023 range $288,500 - $2,106,000; Average Award $857,244 FY 2024 est range $288,500 - $2,196,000; Average Award est. $857,244 All administrative and audit requirements and the cost principles that govern Federal monies associated with this activity will be subject to the Uniform Guidance 2 CFR 200 as codified by HHS at 45 CFR 75. HRSA awards are also subject to the requirements of the HHS Grants Policy Statement (HHS GPS) that are applicable based on recipient type and purpose of award. The HHS GPS is available at http://www.hrsa.gov/grants/hhsgrantspolicy.pdf. Not applicable.