Eastern Shore AHEC
The Eastern Shore Area Health Education Center (ESAHEC) is a private, non-profit, 501(C) 3 organization which became operational in 1997. Governed by a 16-person Board of Directors, ESAHEC services the nine counties comprising Maryland’s Eastern Shore.
With connections at the local, state, and national levels, ESAHEC has an extensive network of individual experts and organizations passionate about improving health. With 25 years of health education experience on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, ESAHEC enjoys a reputation for excellent service and as a trustworthy community partner. Just ask one of our many partners who remain connected to us year after year, and they will tell you that Eastern Shore AHEC is their professional and community resource agency for health.
To accomplish our mission, ESAHEC works to recruit and retain health professionals in the medically underserved areas on the Eastern Shore. This includes health care education programs for both health professionals in the service area and students from colleges and universities both in Maryland and surrounding areas.
Program Snapshot
Clinical Education
Our Clinical Education Program is central to the mission of the AHEC to increase access to care in our region. On average, the Eastern Shore Area Health Education Center has provided housing and preceptorships to a total of 2,820 students with mixed disciplines, providing 451,200 community hours. The Eastern Shore AHEC maintains six apartments for use by students who are doing their rural rotation on the Eastern Shore.
Health Careers
Our Health Careers Program works to expand Maryland’s Eastern Shore healthcare workforce through programs designed for high school students. AHEC is committed to connecting students to health careers. The ESAHEC’s Health Careers Program has made contact with more than 71,000 students from grades K-12, targeting grades 9-12 over the last 10 years.
Geriatric Assessment Interdisciplinary Team (GAIT)
Geriatric Assessment Interdisciplinary Team (GAIT) training workshops emphasize the value of an interdisciplinary team approach to the assessment and treatment of older adults. Students participate in one- or two-day workshops at selected facilities on the Eastern Shore. This program has held 100 sessions with 1,784 students in attendance.
Geriatrics and Gerontology Education and Research Program (GGEAR)
GGEAR supports collaborative implementation of interprofessional geriatrics continuing education, as well as education and resources for care providers serving older adults.
Continuing Education
The Continuing Education Program strives to provide quality, diverse, affordable educational opportunities for Health Care Professionals in the region. Continuing Education requirements vary for each health discipline based on program content and the number of hours required. Over the last 20 years, the program has held 581 events with more than 23,000 participants.
More about Continuing Education
Oral Health
The Eastern Shore AHEC’s Jeanie Holtz, RDH (a.k.a. Tooth Fairy’s Helper), has been educating children on the Eastern Shore for more than 10 years. Through the ESAHEC’s Oral Health Program, more than 59,000 children have been educated and given dental hygiene kits by Ms. Holtz.
Aging Sensitivity Simulation Training (ASST)
ASST is based on the success of the GAIT (Geriatric Assessment Interdisciplinary Team) model. The ASST program is a hands-on workshop utilizing props, individual and group activities, and discussions to promote understanding, empathy, and sensitivity to the sensory losses of the elderly. Over the past 17 years, this program has offered more than 90 sessions with 1,869 participants trained.
Community Health Worker Training (CHW)
The Eastern Shore Area Health Education Center (ESAHEC) offers a comprehensive 160-hour curriculum designed to equip CHWs with the practical skills, knowledge and tools to access health information, conduct health education and promotion, assist with disease prevention and chronic disease management, make referrals, coordinate services, and navigate the health care system for their clients and communities in a culturally responsive manner.
More about Community Health Worker Training
National AHEC Organization/Human Papilloma Virus Project (HPV)
Selected AHEC entities in all 50 states will work to increase awareness as well as train health professionals about the HPV vaccine. Each state entity will tailor their approach to clinician training based on needs in their states.
Maryland Health Connection
ESAHEC, with Seedco, Inc., and the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange, work to implement the Affordable Care Act on Maryland’s Eastern Shore with the goal of making health coverage affordable and more accessible for Marylanders, giving citizens the opportunity to access health insurance care for themselves and their families.
ESAHEC works with the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Maryland Insurance Administration, Department of Human Resources and various partners to reach the citizens of Kent, Caroline, Talbot, Queen Anne’s and Dorchester Counties, assisting them to enroll or maintain their healthcare coverage.