Western Colorado Area Health Education Center is one of five Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) in Colorado. The AHEC's provide important services to the rural healthcare community. Western Colorado AHEC (WCAHEC), established in 1978, provides services to twenty-one counties on Colorado's Western Slope. WCAHEC's mission is to promote healthier communities through education and other health care quality improvement related services. WCAHEC provides personal healthcare learning experiences for consumers and professional learning experiences for healthcare providers.
WCAHEC is committed to improving the quality and distribution of healthcare providers throughout its region in partnership with institutions of higher learning and elementary, middle and secondary schools throughout our communities. In order to accomplish its goals, WCAHEC:
Provides clinical training opportunities for health professions students in rural communities;
Facilitates the provision of health education programs within its twenty-one counties;
Offers continuing education for health professionals in remote areas - either on-site or through interactive videoconferencing;
Offers youth programs aimed at increasing interest and awareness in health professions training;
Offers on-line training courses and interactive video conferences in conjunction with the School of Nursing and other University of Colorado schools;
Develops and provides certification courses in a variety of health care fields;
Collaborates with a wide array of community organizations to meet the needs our communities' health.
WCAHEC is a non-profit, community-based organization governed by a regional board of directors who are committed to developing long-term strategies to address health related concerns within their communities. If you are interested in board membership, you may contact the Executive Director.
Western Colorado AHEC Region
Western Colorado AHEC strives to improve the supply, distribution, diversity and quality of the health workforce and to ultimately improve access to health care in underserved areas. The Western Colorado AHEC program emphasizes community-based training of primary care oriented learners through community/academic partnerships.
Western Colorado Area Demographics
The twenty-one Western Colorado AHEC counties constituting the "Western Slope" covers 40,000 square miles
The area reaches north to the Wyoming border, south to the New Mexico border and west from the Utah border to the Great Divide
Most of the mountainous region of Colorado is included in this area
There are two Native American reservations in the southwest portion of the State (Southern Ute Tribe and Ute Mountain Ute Tribe)
In the nine "frontier" counties (counties of fewer than six people per square mile), there are no primary care physicians - these counties include Dolores, Hinsdale, Jackson and San Juan
There are approximately seventeen hospitals in the Western Colorado AHEC region
Seven counties on the Western Slope have fewer than twenty-three hospital beds per 10,000 people
Of twenty-one counties on the Western Slope:
Ten counties are classified as whole/part HPSA (Health Professional Shortage Area) counties
Nine counties are classified as whole/part MUA (Medically Underserved Area) counties
Western Colorado AHEC serves 21 counties on the Western Slope of Colorado:
