Tuskegee Area Health Education Center, Inc. (TAHEC) is a nonprofit 501© 3 organization established to increase the number of health care professionals and to improve access to health care in rural and underserved communities in Central Alabama. TAHECs catchments area includes nineteen (19) counties in Alabama’s Black Belt. TAHEC was incorporated in 1972, as a part of a system of AHEC’s to address the problems related to health resource shortages prevalent in rural areas of Alabama.
PURPOSE, MISSION AND VISION
Purpose: Tuskegee Area Health Education Center, Inc. (TAHEC) was incorporated in 1972, as a part of a system of Area Health Education Centers (AHECs) to address the problems related to health resource shortages prevalent in rural areas of Alabama.
Mission: TAHEC strives to develop a culture of health for citizens in Alabama’s Black Belt counties though health education/promotion, health screenings, health equity, and by providing health career opportunities for students in grades K-16.
Vision: TAHEC seeks to cultivate a culture of health and health equity for Black Belt communities.
Fundamental to the success enjoyed by the agency is the educational and health service programs it implements. Among the most noteworthy of the programs monitored/conducted are:
- Medical clerkships for fourth-year medical students
- The Health College Connection program in which rural students who have an interest in health care are paired with a rural health care preceptor for a summer educational experience. (This program is on-going)
- Provide Community Health Fairs and Community Health Education Programs for the lay public.
- Provide Basic Life Support classes for health care providers and the community. Advanced Cardiac Life Support classes quarterly for health care providers.
- Promote Breast and Cervical Cancer Education that includes the college community
- Basic Trauma Life Support Classes as needed for health care providers and others
- Provide Recruitment and Retention leadership for 19 counties in Alabama’s Black Belt
- Provide annual diabetes conference for those living with diabetes, their care givers and health care professionals
- Provide annual conference designed for Nurse Practitioners
- Partner with local school system to prevent teen pregnancy through its Teen Outreach Project
- TAHEC provides health education in the areas of diabetes, and hypertension to the community at-large and for the benefit of health care professionals.