NYS AHEC SYSTEM
Dept. of Family Medicine
University at Buffalo
462 Grider Street
Buffalo, NY 14215
(716) 898-4699
ahec-info@buffalo.edu

Continuing Education
"Connecting Communities to Better Health"

Providing continuing education and professional support to health practitioners, developing career ladders that enable workers to advance, and promoting programs for adults re-entering the workforce

Because AHECs emphasize community partnerships, our training programs reflect each area’s unique needs and priorities. In rural settings, training focuses on overcoming
distance, or supporting science and math exposure in smaller schools. In lower-income urban areas, training focuses on basic health and preventive care, as well as educating students about disparities so they can better understand the community. Ultimately, our efforts will help achieve a more balanced distribution of health care resources and professionals – and thus better health – throughout the state.

* Video conferencing and web-based training enable health care practitioners to receive continuing education from distant locations.
* AHECs collaborate with educators and employers to identify community needs and develop training programs at all levels, from lab and surgical technology to public health grdaduate degrees.
* We work with community partners to identify areas where health care workers are retiring, so that new professionals can be trained to replace them.

AHEC efforts also target adults who are seeking a new career, whose jobs have been
eliminated, or who need new skills to keep pace with advancing technologies. Programs
for retraining – plus assistance to overcome obstacles such as child care or transportation – direct people with good work skills into rewarding new careers in health care.

For example:
* AHECs work with educators, professional organizations, workforce investment boards
and employers to enhance local workforces through training for a variety of health
care jobs.
* We work with these same partners to develop career ladders that help qualified health care workers advance to higher level jobs.
* A variety of programs provide continuing education to practicing health care professionals.

AHEC initiatives have an economic impact. Health care makes a community more productive. Job opportunities continue to grow faster than any other employment sector. And local health care wages stay in the local economy.