Fayetteville Area Health Education Foundation Inc

THE MISSION OF SR-AHEC IS TO DELIVER QUARLITY HEALTHCARE EDUCATION AND MEET THE REGIONS' HEALTH WORKFORCE NEEDS BY: PROMOTING STATE OF THE ART HEALTHCARE EDUCATION, CONTINUALLY SEEKING INNOVATION IN THE EDUCATION EXPERIENCE AND PROVIDING TIMELY INFORMATION RESOURCES FOR THE PROVIDERS AND CUSTOMERS IN THE REGION. OUR MISSION IS TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO CARE THROUGH HIGHQUALITY CLINICAL SERVICES AND INCREASE THE NUMBER AND DIVERSITY OF PRACTICING HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS.

THERE WERE TWENTY FOUR FAMILY MEDICINE RESIDENTS IN THE PROGRAM THIS YEAR. EIGHT PHYSICIANS COMPLETED THE RESIDENCY IN JUNE WITH EIGHT NEW RESIDENTS ENTERING THE PROGRAM. THERE WERE 31,894 PATIENT VISITS IN THE FAMILY MEDICINE CENTER AND SPECIALTY MEDICINE CENTER. THE BUSINESS OFFICE STAFF CONTINUED TO EXCEED MGMA BEST PRACTICE TARGETS FOR DAYS IN ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE AND NUMBER OF DENIALS. AT SR-AHEC FAMILY MEDICINE RESIDENCY OUR MISSION HAS ALWAYS BEEN TO TRAIN RESIDENTS AND PLACE OUR RESIDENCY GRADUATES IN THE COMMUNITY TO HELP IMPROVE HEALTHCARE ACCESS FOR OUR PATIENTS AND IMPROVE THE OVERALL HEALTH OF THE POPULATION IN OUR NINE-COUNTY REGION OF: BLADEN, CUMBERLAND, HARNETT, HOKE, MOORE, ROBESON, SAMPSON AND SCOTLAND COUNTIES. IN FY21, EIGHT PHYSICIANS JOINED THE OVER 220 DOCTORS WHO HAVE CHOSEN THE DUKE/SOUTHERN REGIONAL AHEC FAMILY MEDICINE RESIDENCY PROGRAM SINCE 1977 TO BOARD-CERTIFY THEIR SKILLS IN FAMILY MEDICINE. THESE DOCTORS OF ALLOPATHIC AND OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE CONTINUE THEIR EDUCATION OR BEGIN THEIR CAREERS IN HOSPITALS, PRIVATE PRACTICES, IN THE MILITARY, AND OTHER AVENUES AS THEY PURSUE THEIR LIFE-LONG AMBITION OF PROVIDING COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH CARE TO PEOPLE OF ALL AGES.SINCE 1977, APPROX. TWENTY FIVE PERCENT OF THESE PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIANS STAYED IN NORTH CAROLINA OR IN THE REGION AFTER GRADUATING FROM THE PROGRAM. SINCE 2015, THE NUMBER OF GRADUATES OPTING TO WORK WITH LOCAL OR REGIONAL HOSPITALS AS THEIR FIRST JOB AFTER GRADUATION HAS BEEN STEADILY INCREASING.THIS PAST YEAR WE HAD SEVENTY PERCENT OF OUR GRADUATES PRACTICE IN OUR REGION. FACULTY AND STAFF PRESENTED AT NUMEROUS NATIONAL AND STATE PROFESSIONAL MEETINGS.

THE HEALTH CAREERS AND WORKFORCE DIVERSITY PROGRAM FOCUSED ON THE PLANNING OF THE AHEC SCHOLARS PROGRAM IN PREPARATION FOR THE THIRD COHORT OF SCHOLARS. ITS AIM IS TO RECRUIT, TRAIN, AND SUPPORT A DIVERSE GROUP OF STUDENTS FROM EACH AHEC REGION, CREATING A MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAM OF HEALTH PROFESSIONALS COMMITTED TO COMMUNITY SERVICE AND THE TRANSFORMATION OF HEALTH CARE IN NORTH CAROLINA. THIS NEW PROGRAM IS AN EXTENSION OF THE K-12 HEALTH CAREERS PIPELINE TO HIGHER EDUCATION THAT HAS BEEN OFFERED THROUGH NC AHEC SINCE THE 1990S. THE NC AHEC SCHOLARS PROGRAM WAS DEVELOPED FOR HEALTH PROFESSIONS STUDENTS INTERESTED IN SUPPLEMENTING THEIR EDUCATION WITH ADDITIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE IN RURAL AND/OR UNDERSERVED URBAN SETTINGS. SR AHEC CONTINUED TO OFFER SPECIFIC PIPELINE PROGRAMS TO INCLUDE HEALTH CAREERS PASSPORT, H.U.M.P. DAY IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CAMPBELL, TEACH, AND AHEC ON THE HILL. TEACHING EXCELLENCE FOR A CAREER IN HEALTH (TEACH) IS A NINE-MONTH PRE-PROFESSIONAL HEALTH ENRICHMENT PROGRAM FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN GRADES 8 -12. ITS GOAL IS TO SERVE AS AN INTEGRAL COMPONENT IN THE STATE'S EDUCATION PIPELINE AND TO MAKE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THE NUMBER OF UNDER-REPRESENTED STUDENTS ENTERING THE HEALTH PROFESSIONS IN THE REGION. DUE TO THE PANDEMIC SOME OF THESE PROGRAMS HAVE TRANSITIONED TO A VIRTUAL PLATFORM.IN 2021-2022, 380 CE/CME PROGRAMS WITH 1,072.25 PROGRAM HOURS WERE OFFERED TO HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS THROUGH SR-AHEC. THIRTY-SIX PERCENT OF THESE PROGRAMS WERE HELD IN CUMBERLAND COUNTY, WITH 16 PERCENT HOSTED IN SR-AHEC'S OTHER 8 COUNTIES IN THE REGION AND ANOTHER 48 PERCENT HELD OUTSIDE OF THE REGION. THE TRANSITION TO A VIRTUAL PLATFORM DUE TO THE PANDEMIC PLAYED A ROLE IN INCREASED PARTICIPATION FROM OUTSIDE THE REGION. THERE WERE 9,706 INDIVIDUALS WHO ATTENDED CE/CME PROGRAMS, WITH AN AVERAGE OF 26 PER PROGRAM. A TOTAL OF 187 HEALTH PROFESSIONS STUDENTS RESIDED IN SR-AHEC PROVIDED STUDENT HOUSING IN THE REGION. STUDENTS CAME PRIMARILY FROM DUKE, EAST CAROLINA, METHODIST UNIVERSITY, UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA-CHAPELHILL, WESTERN CAROLINA UNIVERSITY AND WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY AND CAMPBELL.THERE WERE ALSO ROTATIONS FOR TEN 3RD YEAR VIRGINIA COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE (VCOM) STUDENTS WHO SPENT THE WHOLE ACADEMIC YEAR LEARNING IN THE FAMILY MEDICINE CENTER. SOUTHERN REGIONAL AHEC'S PRACTICE SUPPORT TEAM TRANSFORMS HEALTHCARE DELIVERY IN OUR NINE-COUNTY REGION BY HELPING PROVIDERS MEET NATIONAL STANDARDS AND READY THEMSELVES FOR VALUE-BASED CARE. THIS TEAM WORKSWITH INDIVIDUAL PRACTICES TO PROVIDE ON-SITE ASSISTANCE ON THE TOOLS AND SYSTEMS NEEDED TO OFFER CONSISTENT, HIGH-QUALITY CARE TO ALL PATIENTS, AND PREPARE THE PRACTICE TO RECEIVE VALUE-BASED PAYMENT INITIATIVES.