News and Events

August 25, 2009
University of Guam Designated as Program Office for Guam/Micronesia Area Health Education Center
Receives $867K in Federal Funding
The University of Guam has been designated as the program office for the Guam/Micronesia Area Health Education Center (AHEC) in partnership with the University of Hawaii, the Guam Community College, the College of Micronesia, the College of the Marshall Islands, and the Pacific Islands Health Officers Association. The Department of Health and Human Services awarded $867K in funding to UOG for the first year of a three-year grant that supports the improvement of individual and community health throughout Micronesia by recruiting and training additional health care professionals.

“Area Health Education Centers will be established in Guam, the Marshall Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia,” said Maria Salomon Director of Nursing at the University of Guam and Guam/Micronesia AHEC program office director. “The first year of the grant will focus on establishing the centers and developing training program curriculum.”

The goal of the Guam/Micronesia AHEC is to improve the health of the underserved through collaborative regional training initiatives across the Micronesian region. This area has some of the highest health workforce shortage ratings, and greatest health and education disparities in the US. The Guam/Micronesian Area Health Education Center emphasizes community-based interisland training for healthcare providers and students while enhancing health career education and recruitment from elementary to community college levels. The grant objectives include:

Improve the diversity of the health professions workforce by mentoring and providing health career activities for over 1,200 underrepresented minority students per year.
Improve the distribution of the health care workforce in Micronesia by providing local/on-island interdisciplinary training for more than 150 students a year.
Improve the quality and retention of the health workforce in Micronesia by providing culturally relevant continuing education to more than 780 medical providers.

“We will begin recruitment activities throughout the region at the elementary level in order to familiarize young students with health care professions,” said Salomon. “Additionally, we will create programs to train these students based on the health care needs of each particular area served by the centers.” Training and continuing education programs will include curricula for nurses, dental workers, technicians, public health professionals, and physicians, among others.

The expansion of the health workforce by approximately 30 individuals per year will be accomplished through collaborative partnerships with eight postgraduate educational institutions, 30 primary and secondary schools, six Community Health Centers, local departments of health and education, providers, hospitals, and organizations.

For more information on the Area Health Education Center grant, contact Dr. Maria Salomon at 735-2650 or msalomon@uguam.uog.edu.

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UOG TakeCare Career Development Awards for scholarships/tuition support are available for students enrolled in the UOG Associate Degree in Nursing and Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs, and in Master of Science in Nursing programs for Spring 2009. Deadline for application: February 23, 2009. For the criteria, application form, and more information, contact the UOG School of Nursing and Health Sciences administrative Office at 735-2650-2, or visit the UOG Health Science Building Rm 100.