What is the Wisconsin Area Health Education Center (AHEC)?
AHEC, a statewide federal program, has a mission to improve access to primary care in medically underserved areas of the state through education of health professions students and practicing health professionals, and through collaborative efforts between academic programs and local communities. The Wisconsin AHEC system consists of a statewide program office affiliated with the UW School of Medicine and Public Health and four private non-profit regional centers located around the state.
What is Wisconsin Express?
Wisconsin Express is a one week immersion experience in one of Wisconsin’s diverse communities.
What is its purpose?
The purpose of Wisconsin Express is to give health professions students a chance to observe health care systems in medically underserved and culturally diverse communities, to interact with local health care practitioners and community residents, and to learn in teams with other students.
Who can participate?
Students enrolled in health professions programs throughout Wisconsin’s public and private colleges and universities are welcome. In the past participants have come from physical therapy, medicine, pharmacy, nursing, nutritional science, social work, physician assistant programs and others.
What is a Wisconsin Express community site?
Sites are rural and urban medically underserved* communities located around the state. They include clinics, community health centers, and hospitals that welcome interaction with students and want to share the importance of increasing access to health care for the communities they serve.
When and where does the program take place?
• May 18 - 22, 2009
• Wisconsin Express begins on Monday morning in your community site with an interactive workshop intended as an introduction to the community experience.
• Student teams spend Tuesday through Friday in their communities. Activities vary but may include Presentations from community residents, Participation in community activities, Visits to community agencies and resources, Interactions with local health care professionals, Interactive learning exercises or group projects
• Participants gather Thursday evening or Friday morning to reflect on, evaluate and conclude the experience.
What can students expect from participation in this program?
Students can acquire skills, knowledge, and attitudes, depending on their experience, goals, and interests. They learn about the variety of services available, the way interdisciplinary teams of health professionals work together, healthcare innovations in areas with limited resources, possibilities for practice in their future careers.
How do students learn about health care delivery by visiting the community?
Every site offers a variety of activities for participants. In the past, students have:
• Participated in presentations by community members on topics specific to the location
• Visited and toured community health care facilities
• Shadowed local health care professionals
• Interacted with community representatives
Who coordinates the site activities?
Each student group is assigned a Site Coordinator who arranges accommodations, designs itineraries, and facilitates all activities.
How much does the program cost?
Although Wisconsin AHEC covers the majority of the cost of your participation, we do ask each participant to pay a fee of $50.00. In the past, housing has been shared hotel rooms, bed and breakfasts, or apartments maintained by a community organization. In addition to housing, AHEC covers workshop fees and instructional materials. You may be responsible for some of your meals. Each site varies in availability of grocery stores, restaurants, and kitchen facilities. You will receive more details from your Site Coordinator.
How do students travel to the site?
AHEC will provide transportation within your assigned site. You will have to arrange travel to your site. Site coordinators will contact and confirm transportation arrangements with students.
How do participants dress?
Dress varies somewhat from site to site. Generally speaking, you might be most comfortable dressed as you would be in a professional clinic setting, but your Site Coordinator will provide specific information regarding what you should pack to wear for the week’s activities.
* The term “medically underserved communities” is generally used to describe populations in geographic areas with inadequate access to health care services. There are several measures used to determine whether or not a community is underserved. The simplest formula is the ratio of primary care physicians to total population (e.g. 1:3500). More complex formulas incorporate other indicators of access to health care, such as the number of physicians or dentists who will accept Medicaid (a program that helps pay for medically necessary medical services for needy and low-income persons. It uses state and federal government money.), the percentage of population over age 65, the percentage of populations living on an income below the poverty level, etc. Communities designated as a Medically Underserved Area (MUA), Medically Underserved Population (MUP), or Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) are eligible for state and federal programs intended to improve access to primary health care.
If you have additional questions, contact: Mary Carson Bumann:
Email: mbumann@wisc.edu phone: 608/262-7237 office: 4218e HSLC or 5765 MSC
