NWVRHEC Overview

Northern West Virginia

Rural Health Education Center, Inc.

Mission Statement:

"Bring quality healthcare to the underserved populations in 23 West Virginia counties by training, recruiting and retaining health care professionals."

Counties:

Barbour, Braxton, Brooke, Calhoun, Doddridge, Gilmer, Hancock, Harrison, Lewis, Marion, Marshall, Monongalia, Ohio, Pleasants, Preston, Randolph, Ritchie, Taylor, Tyler, Upshur, Wetzel, Wirt, and Wood. (View map)

Purpose:

The major focus of programming for the NWVRHEC includes conducting health professions education with an emphasis on graduate-level students; strengthening rural practice and coordinating patient care through interdisciplinary team building; providing continuing education to reduce professional isolation and improve health care; expanding health professions career paths for underrepresented and disadvantaged high school students; enhancing recruitment and retention efforts at the community level; and developing cooperative relationships to better meet the challenges associated with recruitment and retention efforts.

Guiding Principles:

Maintain and support the AHEC/RHEP missions.

Take advantage of other opportunities for health professions education.

Cover the rural and underserved areas of the 23 counties in northern West Virginia.

Maintain current state positions in RHEP.

Strive for equal board representation considering geography.

Each RHEP Consortium has representation on NWVRHEC Board.

Adhere to wisest use of resources.

Develop integrated (interactive) management model.

Partnership decision-making to guide Board decisions.

Structure and evaluate programs to meet ongoing defined and assessed needs in areas served by the corporation.

WV AHEC’s Statewide Objectives 2004-2007:

WV AHEC will provide basic and core support to the four regional AHEC Centers established from 2001 to 2003, working with each Center to develop their particular contribution and expertise in community based health professions training in the state.

Conduct health professions community based education, through Interdisciplinary Teams (IDTs) with an emphasis on graduate-level students and integrate AHEC interdisciplinary team "block" rotations (of at least 4+ weeks) within the RHEP/AHEC infrastructure, and develop pilot interdisciplinary rotations of various durations.

Strengthen rural practice and enhance direct clinical primary care service for underserved populations.

Provide continuing education to reduce professional isolation and improve health care.

Expand K-12 pipeline program opportunities through existing programs such as the Health Sciences Technology Academy (HSTA), for underrepresented and disadvantaged students statewide and/or create new and unique regional opportunities in health careers pipeline programs for geographic areas and/or age groups not currently served by HSTA.

Encourage and enhance recruitment and retention efforts at the community level through participation in existing state level resources.

Continue the merger of the WV AHEC and West Virginia Rural Health Education Partnerships programs to better meet the state's needs in the recruitment and retention of an increased number of quality health care professionals practicing in rural underserved areas of WV.

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