Nebraska AHEC Organization Chart connecting Regional AHEC Centers, students in health careers, health professionals in communities.

UNMC established Area Health Education Centers in Nebraska in 2001 with funding from the Division of State, Community and Public Health within the Bureau of Health Professions under the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). The funds allow UNMC to house a program office within the College of Medicine’s Department of Family Medicine, under the direction of Dr. Jeffrey Harrison.

The Nebraska AHEC program is implemented through five regional centers; four rural centers located in Kearney, Lincoln, Norfolk and Scottsbluff, as well as one urban center located in Omaha. Regional AHEC centers enable Nebraska AHEC Program to carry out local programs with efficiency and provide statewide local services to provide high quality, efficient, effective and flexible services that meet local needs. Collectively, the five centers provide services to all 93 counties in Nebraska. Two centers operate as independent 501(c)(3) organizations, and three centers are hosted sites. Omaha Area AHEC is hosted by the University of Nebraska Omaha, Central Nebraska AHEC is hosted by the University of Nebraska Kearney, and Southeast Nebraska AHEC is hosted by Southeast Community College - Lincoln.

The Nebraska Area Health Education Center Network works throughout Nebraska to improve access to basic health care by linking local community groups with the resources of the University of Nebraska Medical Center and other health professions training programs. 

AHEC improves access to health care by:

• Recruiting minority students into the health professions. AHECs work with Nebraska's public schools to provide health career programs for grades 8-16.
• Partnering with community organizations to address local health issues. AHECs have helped local groups secure federal and private funding by ensuring and effective group process.
• Providing continuing education that improves the care received by vulnerable populations.
• Developing and supporting community training opportunities for health professions students. The AHEC Program has been instrumental in helping UNMC place more of its students in underserved communities.
• Developing and implementing the Nebraska AHEC Scholars Program for health profession students designed to give students a deeper understanding of rural and urban health care, caring for underserved populations, and the importance of transformation in a clinical setting.