Frequently Asked Questions

Want to know more about us, or AHEC in general? Find it in our FAQ below, or Contact Us online.

What Is An AHEC?
Area Health Education Centers (AHECs) were begun by the federal government in the late 1970's as programs designed to address health manpower distribution through community based initiatives.

How Are AHECs Structured?
AHECs are administered by a school of medicine, which is the program office, and subcontracts with remote centers from the medical school. Each center must be a 501(c)3 entity, governed by a Board of Directors representing the region surrounding the center. A program office may receive a maximum of twelve years of federal seed funding while the centers are eligible for six years of funding. The program office administers a multidisciplinary academic consortium that includes one or more nursing schools and schools of other health professions, such as allied health and social work.

How Are AHECs Funded?
The federal government, through competitive grants, makes seed monies available to establish AHEC programs and centers. The intent is to provide sufficient dollars to build the infrastructure and to build a case for state support assuming the activities and accomplishments are of value to the communities served by the AHEC.

What Is The Role Of The Community In AHEC?
Communities are the heart of AHEC. The centers are governed by a community Board of Directors who live in and represent the region served. These community boards identify the needs and priorities for health care professionals in their region within the scope of the broad AHEC objectives. The AHEC employees live in the center's region and are employees of the Board of Directors rather than of the academic partner. A minimum of 75% of all federal dollars awarded must be subcontracted directly to the centers, with the remaining financial oversight and to develop institutional support and linkages needed by the committee.

How Many AHECs Operate In Georgia?
The AHEC program in Georgia was begun by the Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) in 1984 with the establishment of two centers, the Atlanta AHEC (serving three metropolitan areas) and the Tuskegee AHEC in Alabama. The Atlanta AHEC was changed to become the Southeastern Primary Care Consortium AHEC (SPCC-AHEC) . The second center, the CHEP- AHEC, was begun in 1987 serving 39 counties in central and southeast Georgia.
The Southwest Georgia (SOWEGA) AHEC was established in 1990. It is coordinated by the Mercer University School of Medicine (MUSM) and serves 38 counties. The Three Rivers AHEC, established in 1994, serves 28 counties in west central Georgia and is also coordinated by MUSM.
The Medical College of Georgia (MCG), in partnership with MUSM, received a grant in 1996 to operate as a federally funded AHEC. This funding has supported the development of two new centers in northwest and Northeast Georgia as well as overseeing the maturation of the Three Rivers AHEC. The program office at MCG coordinates the Blue Ridge AHEC in northwest Georgia, serving twenty counties. Foothills AHEC, newly established in 1999, serves thirty-one counties in northeast Georgia.
The office at MCG will coordinate the statewide effort as MCG and MUSM become an integrated statewide AHEC program under the management of MCG. MCG will coordinate and manage this diverse partnership of schools, provider organizations and clinical practitioners.