Growing a Vibrant Healthcare Workforce for Arizona
Together We Can!
The Central Arizona Area Health Education Center (CAAHEC) is one of 6 regional Arizona Area Health Education Centers (AzAHEC) in Arizona, serving the entire Maricopa County and portions of Pinal and Yavapai Counties.
The mission of AzAHEC is to improve access to quality healthcare, particularly primary and public health by improving the supply and distribution of healthcare workforce in Arizona, especially in rural and underserved areas.
Through extensive academic-community partnerships, AHEC is a recognized leader in health professions workforce development, including youth programs, clinical and community-based experiential training for health professions students and residents, continuing education for health professionals, and public health education. We connect students to careers, professionals to communities, and communities to better health.
Intention without action is meaningless. We will think critically and act swiftly to influence positive, sustained change in helping grow a vibrant workforce to care for our communities. There is much work to be done, and we are thankful to be in a field that is called upon to do that very work, to improve our system of healthcare delivery for the communities that need us most. CAAHEC at its core exists to address life’s central issues of health and well-being.
“Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane.”
– MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
What We Do
CAAHEC was organized to create and grow Arizona’s healthcare workforce, and to support and recognize health professionals who are tirelessly giving back to our underserved communities.
CAAHEC is a sponsored program of the Arizona Alliance for Community Health Centers (the Alliance) that supports its mission of “Primary Healthcare for All.” As the state’s Primary Care Association, the Alliance firmly believes we are at the nexus of addressing primary care workforce issues in the state, especially in rural and underserved communities. CAAHEC’s solution to addressing workforce shortages and improving healthcare access is through “growing our own.” This is accomplished through strong academic-community partnerships focused on developing a health workforce in professions of highest need, in places of highest need, using innovative and promising models. Through educating students in our Community Health Centers and public health systems, we will get them connected and serving our communities, helping address health disparities, and making our communities healthier.
Who We Serve
Through a shared vision, CAAHEC has extensive partnerships with Community Health Centers, Indian Health Service and tribal organizations, hospitals, public health systems, community-based organizations, high schools, community colleges, universities, workforce and economic development partners, and other healthcare organizations throughout the region, state, and nation. These are the people who we do this with and for.
Youth (K-12)
CAAHEC offers pipeline programs that expose and engage high school and undergraduate students to health care career paths.
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Students & Residents
CAAHEC supports community-based education and training that include clinical rotation and internship opportunities, and provides exposure to community medicine, social determinants of health, current and emerging public health issues, and community health needs.
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Healthcare Professionals
CAAHEC provides different educational opportunities for our healthcare professionals seeking continued medical education through conferences, seminars, workshops and training sessions.
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Communities
CAAHEC partners with various entities and communities to help address Arizona’s health care workforce needs.
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Let’s Work Together!
We are looking for individuals and organizations that want to make a difference in the lives of families and communities in need of primary health services.
CAAHEC provides clinical opportunities for health professions students and residents to serve in interdisciplinary primary health care teams providing care in underserved communities. As we train future health professionals, we increase the recruitment and retention of qualified workers in Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) and Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs).
Preceptors | Mentors | Academic Partners | Healthcare Partners
The Arizona Alliance for Community Health Centers (AACHC) is the Primary Care Association (PCA) for the State of Arizona. CAAHEC is a sponsored program of the AACHC that supports its mission of “Primary Healthcare for All.” As the state’s Primary Care Association, we firmly believe that we are at the nexus of addressing primary care workforce issues in the state, especially in rural and underserved communities. CAAHEC’s solution to addressing workforce shortages and improving health care access is through “growing our own.” This is accomplished through strong academic-community partnerships focused on developing a health workforce in professions of highest need, in places of highest need, using innovative and promising models. Through educating students in our Community Health Centers and public health systems, we will get them connected and serving our communities, helping address health disparities, and making our communities healthier.