The Rural Health Education Network (RHEN) at the University of Nebraska Medical Center has announced the funding of 39 grants to small communities around the state. The grants, which total nearly $47,000, range between $750 and $3,000 and are used to fund projects aimed at improving community health and to introduce Nebraska youth to health care careers.
The grants are awarded through the RHEN office in conjunction with the five Nebraska Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) located in Grand Island, Norfolk, Scottsbluff, Beatrice and Omaha.
The community grant program began in 1998 by RHEN Director Roxanna Jokela, who saw a need to fund local programs in small Nebraska communities that could use funds to improve community health, promote health care career awareness or provide continuing education opportunities to local professionals.
Today, the grants are awarded on a competitive basis and to be considered, the applicant agency must partner with other local organizations/institutions. For more information, please contact your local AHEC office – Central Nebraska AHEC, Grand Island, (308) 385-5074; Northern Nebraska AHEC, Norfolk, (402) 644-7256: Nebraska Panhandle AHEC, Scottsbluff, (308) 635-6713; Southeast Nebraska AHEC, Beatrice, (402) 228-9094; and the Omaha Urban AHEC, (402) 502-1207.
CENTRAL NEBRASKA COMMUNITIES – RHEN/CN-AHEC FUNDED
Chase County: Wauneta-Palisade Public High School received funding to continue “Opportunities in Health Care Professions,” a program which gives junior and senior high school students an opportunity to explore various health careers. Partnering organizations are the Chase County Clinic and Chase County Community Hospital.
Buffalo County: Good Samaritan Hospital, “Career Opportunities for High School Students.”
Pleasanton High School, “Video Journal of Health Career Professions” program for high school students.
Merrick County: Central City Public Schools, “Introduction to Healthcare Careers” for students.
Franklin County: Good Beginnings in Franklin County, “High School Health Fair.”
Adams County: Central Community College, Hastings, “CSI: Health Occupations Academy.”
Red Willow County: Southwest Public Schools, “Healthcare Partnership for the Future” program.
Hall County: St. Francis Medical Center, “CAN Classroom Assistance Project.”
Grand Island Public Schools, “Medical Careers for Islanders” program.
Central District Health Department, “Dental Day/Give Kids a Smile.”
Grand Island Northwest Highschool, “Healthcare Career Exploration” program.
NORTHERN NEBRASKA COMMUNITIES – RHEN/NNAHEC FUNDED
Hooker County: Mullen Public Schools, CPR/AED training
Wayne/Dixon County: Wakefield Community Schools, health fair.
Holt County: O’Neill High School, field trip to UNMC.
Ewing Public Schools, “Kick Tobacco and Alcohol” seminar.
Antelop County: Elgin Public Schools, Health Careers/Shadowing/Graduate Symposium.
Tilden Community Hospital, “CPR Training.”
Madison County: Faith Regional Foundation, summer internship program.
Norfolk Catholic Jr./Sr. High School, “CPR Training.”
Washington County: Arlington Public Schools, “CPR Instructor and School Training.”
Blains County: Sandhills Public Schools, School and Community CPT Training.
Thurston County: UNL Extension, “Targeting Youth for a Healthier Tomorrow.”
Knox County: Creighton Area Health Services, “Knox County Kids Career Fair.”
Cedar County: Hartington Public Schools, “Operation Clean Hands.”
Rock County: Rock County Hospital, “Rock County Fair/Health Fair.”
Cuming County: Franciscan Care Services, “Women’s Health Fair Activity.”
NEBRASKA PANHANDLE COMMUNITIES – RHEN/NP-AHEC FUNDED
Scottsbluff: UNMC, Summer Institute at Guadalupe Center to work with approximately 120 minority students, ages 5-14 years old.
Western Nebraska Community College, Summer Youth Academy to expose minority youth to careers in health, music, arts, language, and crafts.
Garden County– Garden County Health Service, Student CPR/AED training – teaching students in grades 6-12 in Garden County.
Scottsbluff – Safe Kids Scotts Bluff, Safe Kids Child Passenger Safety Training – teaching instructors about car seat safety for children.
Ft. Robinson – Panhandle Resource Conversation and Development, Inc., Intertribal Gathering at Ft. Robinson State Park to provide health care career exposure to Native American children from five states (South Dakota, Montana, Nebraska, Colorado and New Mexico).
Dawes County – Western Community Health Resources, health professions awareness among Chadron youth to provide a health fair for middle school students, high school job shadowing and mentoring.
SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA COMMUNITIES – RHEN/SE-AHEC FUNDED
York County: Four Corners Public Health Department, continuing education program for local and regional health care providers on antimicrobial resistance.
Epworth Village, Inc., “Rural Health Career Day” for York area students and students from Concordia University. The program will include general sessions and breakout sessions to allow students to further explore career options.
Nemaha County – Nemaha County Wellness Center, community health fair for Nemaha County residents in July/early August.
Wahoo County– Wahoo Public Schools and Saunders County Sherriff’s office, CPR/First Aid Training for 43 students in high school anatomy class.
Saline County– Warren Memorial Hospital and Friend Public Schools, formation of “health clubs” to help develop a summer shadowing program and to support participation in the science meet.
Johnnson County – St. Elizabeth Foundation on behalf of Tecumseh Family Health, Johnson County Hospital and St. Elizabeth’s Regional Medical Center, second annual Community Health Fair with services provided by local and regional health providers.
Working together to shape healthy communities– An Area Health Education Center (AHEC) is a cooperative venture between a medical school and community centers. Funded through a federal grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the centers may be rural or urban but must be geographically removed from the actual medical center and all of its campuses. The goal of each AHEC is to meet the health care needs within its area. Each Nebraska AHEC has an executive director, is staffed with local people, and is an independent nonprofit organization governed by a board of directors made up of area community people.
The Central Nebraska AHEC, established in 2001, is located in Grand Island and covers 35 counties. The Northern Nebraska AHEC, established in 2002, is located in Norfolk and covers 26 counties. The Nebraska Panhandle AHEC, established in 2004, is located in Scottsbluff and covers 14 counties. Southeast Nebraska AHEC, established in 2005, is located in Beatrice and covers 18 counties. An Omaha Urban AHEC, established in 2005, is located in Omaha and covers the underserved in the Omaha area.
UNMC is the only public health science center in the state. Its educational programs are responsible for training more health professionals practicing in Nebraska than any other institution. Through its commitment to education, research, patient care and outreach, UNMC has established itself as one of the country’s leading centers in cancer, transplantation biology, bioterrorism preparedness, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, genetics, biomedical technology and ophthalmology. UNMC’s research funding from external sources is now nearly $80 million annually and has resulted in the creation of more than 2,400 highly skilled jobs in the state. UNMC’s physician practice group, UNMC Physicians, includes more than 460 physicians in 50 specialties and subspecialties. They practice primarily in The Nebraska Medical Center, UNMC’s teaching hospital. For more information, go to UNMC’s Web site at www.unmc.edu.