The Consortium for Health Education in Appalachia Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ (CHEAO) is the name of our Area Health Education Center. The mission of CHEAO is to improve the health of people in Appalachian Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ by fostering academic and community collaboration, emphasizing primary care and focusing on underserved areas. It is one of seven medical colleges in the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Statewide AHEC program and serves 21 Appalachian counties.
CHEAO is governed by a board representing community health agencies and practicing health care professionals. A major goal of CHEAO is to promote collaboration among students in health care professions and the community. Through this partnership, health professionals and allied health members are better prepared to meet the specific needs of those living in rural underserved areas.
We partner with primary care providers, state agencies, clinics, schools and other key stakeholders to promote and support programs that will enhance the health careers workforce and foster better health for southeast Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ communities.
CHEAO maintains the standards of accreditation established by the and the .
CHEAO supports the mission of the Heritage College by:
CHEAO supports the coordination of clinical training of Heritage College medical students in community sites and service learning activities for first- and second-year medical students. CHEAO offers students the opportunity to volunteer in clinical and other community health-related experiences. Students participate in service learning activities, provide important health-related services to the community, and in the process, learn skills for becoming a better physician.
CHEAO serves the CME office for the college. It supports educational needs of a variety of different health care providers, including the college’s faculty, community physicians in rural and under-served areas of southeast Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ, alumni, preceptors and clinical faculty in our affiliated hospitals and clinics throughout Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ.
The Area Health Education Center (AHEC) serves as an American Heart Association Training Center for health care organizations. Adena Health System in Chillicothe, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵHealth O’Bleness Hospital and HAVAR Inc in Athens, The Sech-Kar Company in Logan and Nelsonville, the Vinton County Health Department in McArthur, and the Applied Health Sciences and Wellness Department in the College of Health Sciences and Professions at Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ University are all satellite agencies that are supported by our AHEC.