The Nebraska Area Health Education Center Scholars Program, based at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, recently graduated 51 students.
The two-year program, part of a national initiative, prepares health profession students to serve in rural and urban underserved areas of the state.
The 2023 class of AHEC Scholars includes health professions students in dentistry, nursing, paramedic, pharmacy, physical therapy, physical therapy assistant, physician assistant, medicine, radiologic technology and speech therapy. The graduates represent health profession programs at Central Community College, Northeast Community College, Regional West Medical Center School of Radiologic Technology, Southeast Community College, University of Nebraska at Kearney, University of Nebraska Medical Center and Western Nebraska Community College.
During the two-year program, students engaged with a variety of health professionals, community leaders and potential employers. They gained insight into health care issues, cultural and environmental factors, and community resources in Nebraska to better understand future patients and communities they will serve.
The AHEC Scholars Program is a part of the Nebraska AHEC Program, which is based in the UNMC Department of Family Medicine. The program is designed to continue working with rural and underserved communities across the state through five AHEC centers that collectively serve all 93 counties. Regional AHEC centers include Nebraska Panhandle AHEC in Scottsbluff, Northern Nebraska AHEC in Norfolk, Central Nebraska AHEC at the University of Nebraska at Kearney, Southeast Nebraska AHEC at Southeast Community College and Omaha AHEC at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
The 2023 graduates included:
Central Community College
Emergency Medical Technician Program
Albion — Austin Bader
Northeast Community College
Nursing Program
Fremont — Oscar Garcia
University of Nebraska Medical Center
College of Allied Health
Physical Therapy Program
Beatrice — Andrea Zulauf
Columbus — Emily Hand
Fremont — Zachary Smrcina
Wayne — Lindy Sandoz
Physician Assistant Program
Fremont — Brant Ridder
Hemingford — Natalie Gasseling
Lincoln — Dakota Judds
Lusk — Kelcy Bentley
Minden — Tysen McDowell
Omaha — Andrew Olvera
Radiologic Technology Program
Elkhorn — Kate Gusse
Omaha — Fatima Garcia-Vargas
Polk — Delaney Carlstrom
Trenton — Kyleigh Scott
College of Dentistry
Dentistry Program
Grand Island — Sydney Armstrong
Hastings — Sophia Pankratz
Lincoln — Jordan Brozek, Wilson (Edward) Hardy
College of Medicine
Neligh — Kelsey Green
Norfolk — Geena Tangeman
North Platte — Hannah Wesslund
Omaha — Katherine Weaver
College of Nursing – Northern Division
Saint Paul — Valaree Busse
College of Nursing – West Nebraska Division
Nursing Program
Crawford — Kelsey Tighe
Grand Island — Beverly Yax
Grant — Hailey Snyder
Kimball — Madison Wynne
Mitchell — Alyssa Dishman
Sidney — Macie Rolls
Phoenix, AZ — Jasmine McAliley
Glendive, MT — Shelby Wetz
College of Pharmacy
Fairbury — Macy Ohlde
Merna — Jesica Spanel
Omaha — Emily Evans
Papillion — Anhnguyet Vu
Randolph — Caitlin Lemmons
Schuyler — Kellie Kroeger
University of Nebraska Kearney
Speech-Language Pathology Program
Kearney — Maddie Drozd
North Platte — Katherine Montgomery
Lyons, KS — Carrisa Sanchez
Regional West Medical Center School of Radiologic Technology
Scottsbluff — Emily Schmidt
Southeast Community College
Physical Therapy Assistant Program
Humphrey — Colton Engel
Lincoln — Wyatt Scott
Odessa, MO — Samantha Houston Brown
Western Nebraska Community College
Nursing Program
Alliance — Yenisey Heredia, Brytni McLaughlin
Hemingford — Jacobi Stumpff
Mitchell — Holly Anderson
Scottsbluff — Allyson Gion
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