Nebraska Area Health Education Center Scholars Program graduates 51 students
The Nebraska Area Health Education Center Scholars Program, based at UNMC, recently graduated 51 students. The two-year program, part of a national initiative, prepares health profession students to serve in rural and urban underserved areas of the state.
The 2023 class of AHEC Scholars includes health professions students in dentistry, nursing, paramedic, pharmacy, physical therapy, physical therapy assistant, physician assistant, medicine, radiologic technology and speech therapy. The graduates represent health profession programs at Central Community College, Northeast Community College, Regional West Medical Center School of Radiologic Technology, Southeast Community College, University of Nebraska at Kearney, UNMC and Western Nebraska Community College.
During the two-year program, students engaged with a variety of health professionals, community leaders and potential employers. They gained insight into health care issues, cultural and environmental factors, and community resources in Nebraska to better understand future patients and communities they will serve.
The AHEC Scholars Program is a part of the Nebraska AHEC Program, which is based in the UNMC Department of Family Medicine. The program is designed to continue working with rural and underserved communities across the state through five AHEC centers that collectively serve all 93 counties. Regional AHEC centers include Nebraska Panhandle AHEC in Scottsbluff, Northern Nebraska AHEC in Norfolk, Central Nebraska AHEC at the University of Nebraska at Kearney, Southeast Nebraska AHEC at Southeast Community College and Omaha AHEC at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
College of Engineering’s NE-Ride no longer in service
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s College of Engineering has discontinued its weekday NE-Ride bus service that connected its programs in Lincoln and Omaha. Lance Pérez, PhD, dean of the college, said the service is being halted due to contracted costs doubling ahead of the 2023-24 academic year.
“We are committed to providing access to our programs and facilities in Lincoln and Omaha for our students, faculty and staff,” Dr. Perez said. “We are working to find other cost-effective ways to accommodate our college of engineering community.”
The free shuttle service began in 2015 to support cross-collaboration in courses, research and cocurricular activities between the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, UNO’s Scott Campus and UNMC. The service was previously reduced from three round trips daily during the academic year to two in response to increased expenses resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.