Area Health Education Center
Connecting Students To Health Careers – Health Professionals To Communities – Communities To Better Health
About Us
The Big Country Area Health Education Center (BCAHEC), housed within the Community & Economic Development Department of the West Central Texas Council of Governments (WCTCOG), serves a 28-county region focused on strengthening healthcare workforce pathways and improving rural access to care.
As part of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) and the West Texas AHEC system, BCAHEC is both a pipeline builder and a regional connector. Our unique structure integrates healthcare workforce development with WCTCOG’s broader mission of community and economic development.
This community-based approach positions BCAHEC to align local needs with local, state and federal resources, expand opportunities for students and professionals, and help rural communities build long-term capacity and resilience.
- Key Program Focus Areas
Building the healthcare workforce pipeline by engaging high school, higher education, and community college students with rural-focused learning opportunities.
- Junior Scholars & High School Programs: career exploration, job shadowing, health clubs, scrubs support, and annual symposiums that prepare students for next steps in healthcare pathways.
- Higher Education & Community College Engagement: developing and supporting programs that provide early exposure through mentorship, career exploration, and applied learning opportunities, with a focus on connecting students to rural practice.
- Partnerships: collaborations with healthcare providers, higher education institutions, workforce organizations, and community partners to expand opportunities and strengthen the full rural pipeline.
Connecting higher education and community college students to immersive rural training experiences that build clinical skills, prepare them for practice in underserved settings, and foster long-term connections to rural communities.
- AHEC Scholars Program: national initiative combining didactic modules, interdisciplinary training, and 40+ hours of rural rotations, with stipends to support participation.
- Rural Rotations & Field Experiences: placements that immerse students in real-world rural practice settings, strengthening both skills and community connections.
- Mentorship & Pipeline Integration: linking higher education students to high school programs, reinforcing continuity in the rural workforce pipeline.
- Capacity Building for Training Sites: supporting rural hospitals, clinics, and community partners in developing the infrastructure and readiness to host student learners.
Strengthening rural hospitals and healthcare professionals through training, leadership development, and resource alignment.
- Continuing Education (CE) Programs: accredited CE events tailored to rural hospital and clinic staff.
- Rural Hospital & Leadership Support: workforce planning, needs assessments, professional symposiums, and hospital roundtables that address rural-specific challenges.
- Rural Training & Education Opportunities: events designed to build clinical skills, rural competencies, and professional confidence.
- Resource Alignment & Grant Support: connecting partners to local, state and federal resources, providing grant research and technical assistance, and leveraging networks to maximize program impact.
Building stronger rural health systems by supporting community health outreach programs, advancing the Community Health Worker (CHW) model, conducting health planning, and aligning healthcare with broader community development efforts.
- Community Health Worker (CHW) Network & Support: co-developer of the Big Country CHW Network, providing certification, continuing education, advocacy, networking, and an annual CHW summit.
- Community Health Needs Assessments (CHNAs): data-driven insights that help rural hospitals align services to local needs and priorities.
- Cross-Sector Collaboration: linking healthcare with municipalities, schools, workforce, and economic development to address rural challenges holistically.
- Capacity Building for Rural Projects: providing technical assistance, project development, and resource alignment to strengthen long-term rural resilience.
Promoting understanding of rural health challenges and opportunities through education, awareness, and resource sharing.
- Community Education & Awareness: creating resources and hosting sessions to improve rural health literacy and highlight workforce and access needs.
- Training & Capacity Building: equipping students, healthcare professionals, and community partners with tools to better understand rural health systems and priorities.
- Informing Policy & Planning: sharing data, research, and insights that help ensure rural considerations are included in broader community and regional discussions.
- Student & Workforce Development: integrating rural health education into pipeline programs to prepare future healthcare leaders with a strong understanding of rural priorities.
Learn more about how to get involved in rural health by visiting the texasruralhealth.org website.
Rural Health Pathway Programs
NOW LAUNCHING: AHEC Connect: Rural Health Mentorship Initiative
Connecting Students, Colleges, and Healthcare Systems to Grow the Rural Workforce in the Big Country
- Engage students in real-world rural healthcare experiences.
- Integrate mentorship and clinical exposure into existing programs.
- Build capacity to recruit, train, and retain rural healthcare talent.
Interested in Learning More?
College Student Opportunities
AHEC Scholars Program
The West Texas AHEC Scholars Program, part of the National AHEC Organization, provides college students in health professions programs with additional training and clinical experiences in rural and underserved areas. The program aims to recruit a diverse cohort from minority, disadvantaged/rural, and first-generation college students, offering a stipend of up to $1,600 over one to two years. Through the program, students gain insight into their roles in promoting health care equity in underserved communities.
The Scholars Program offers a unique curriculum and students walk away with a much better understanding of their roles as a health professional and the need for health care equity amongst medically underserved and rural areas.
The West Texas AHEC program is broken into two parts:
1st – Online Didactic Education
2nd – 40 hours of Rural/Underserved clinical rotations
- Interprofessional Education (also known as interdisciplinary training)
- Behavioral Health Integration
- Connecting Communities and Supporting Health Professionals
- Virtual Learning and Telehealth
- Social Determinants of Health
- Cultural Competency
- Practice Transformation
- Current and emerging health issues
- You must have an interest in rural or underserved healthcare.
- You must be enrolled in a health professions degree or certificate program.
- Your field of study must be on the AHEC list of Approved Disciplines.
- You must be within the last two years of completing your degree or education program.
- 40 rotation hours in rural/underserved and interprofessional sites. (If you are currently employed in a health care organization, work hours can be used towards rotation hour requirements.)
- completion of self-paced online didactic study.
- Meet all course deadlines agreed upon enrollment, to receive National AHEC Scholars Completion Certificate and Stiped Payment.
- Update program office of any changes in education status, address, and contact information during program duration.
High School Student Opportunities
Junior Scholars Program
The Big Country AHEC Jr. Scholars Program offers specialized initiatives for high school students interested in health career pathways. Tailored to meet the unique workforce needs of the Big Country Region, our programs provide:
PROGRAM BENEFITS
- Health careers presentations & promotions
- Tailored, creative, hands-on curriculum designed for high schools and students
- Collaborative activities, including health career presentations, exploration activities, career fairs, and seminars
- Access to the Health Opportunities in Texas Job Directory
- Health training, job shadowing opportunities, and AHEC-hosted events
- Day health career camps, college, and hospital tours
- Support for purchasing scrubs, equipment, and learning materials
Current Partnerships & Initiatives
We are proud to collaborate with several partners to enhance our Junior Scholars Program through the following initiatives. Click each one to learn more.
- Description:The Scrubs Club is an integral part of the Big Country AHEC Junior Scholars Program, dedicated to equipping high school students with essential scrubs and supportive resources for their journey into health careers. Designed to complement the specialized initiatives of the AHEC program, the Scrubs Club ensures students are professionally prepared and fully equipped for their health career exploration.
- Benefits:
- Professional Scrubs Provision: Participants receive high-quality scrubs, essential for job shadowing, health training, and other hands-on experiences.
- Enhanced Career Preparation: Ensures students are well-prepared with the proper attire and resources, boosting their confidence and readiness for real-world health career scenarios.
- Comprehensive Support: Exclusive access to health career activities, including AHEC-hosted events, career exploration activities and classroom presentations and other opportunities provided by the AHEC Junior Scholars Program.
- Description: Powered by Region 14, this collaboration offers a hybrid CNA certification program and health career exploration pathway, delivering essential tools and resources to regional school districts and high school students preparing students for healthcare careers aimed to increase the growing demand for skilled professionals.
- Benefits: CNA Course & Instructor, Clinical rotations, IBC Opportunity for Students, Health Career Exploration, Student Enrichment Activities & Job Shadowing, Regional Healthcare Resources and Support, and Partnerships with Colleges and Universities.
- Description: The Healthcare Academy is for 9th through 12th grade students interested in learning more about healthcare. Healthcare Academy participants will attend a healthcare expo featuring various healthcare-related job demonstrations, participate in an open lab at Cisco College to experience “a day in the life” of a healthcare student, and job shadow healthcare professionals at Hendrick Health.
- Benefits: Healthcare Events, Lab Days at Cisco College, Job Shadowing Opportunities at Hendrick Health, and more.
- Click here for more information. https://www.hendrickhealth.org/careers/workforce-development/students/
- Description: The Healthcare Pathfinders Program is a collaborative initiative to promote health careers and establish health clubs in rural schools. Through this program, students are exposed to in-demand healthcare careers, interact with industry experts, and participate in monthly enrichment activities designed to spark their interest in pursuing a career in healthcare.
Health Opportunities in Texas Career Catalog
(HOT Jobs Directory)
