UK HealthCare

AHEC Conference Strengthens Partnerships with Community Faculty

Lexington, Ky. (Jan. 30, 2015) — The number of community health care professionals teaching University of Kentucky students and conducting field research continues to grow every year.

Currently, more than 1,900 providers located in the state of Kentucky and abroad serve as community faculty preceptors for UK students. Most of these clinical training experiences occur in Kentucky and are supported through an Area Health Education Center (AHEC). 

On March 13-14, 2015, preceptors who are currently appointed as community faculty will convene at the New Directions in Health Professions Education and Kentucky Practice-Based Research Networks Collaborative Conference, hosted by the AHEC based at the University of Kentucky. The 21st annual conference will take place at the Marriott Griffin Gate Hotel in Lexington.

The annual interprofessional conference offers educational resources and networking opportunities for community faculty and leaders, educators and researchers within University of Kentucky health colleges. The goal of the conference is to strengthen university-community ties by creating an open forum for dialogue, addressing challenges and opportunities in community based research and education, developing practical preceptor skills, and reinforcing university partnerships aimed to improve overall community health.

The conference provides sessions for community faculty members across disciplines, including those within the College of Medicine, the College of Pharmacy, the College of Dentistry, the College of Nursing and the College of Health Sciences. Sessions will qualify providers for continuing education credits.

The conference and accommodations are free to existing community faculty members. With eight regional centers across Kentucky, the AHEC program aims to encourage careers in health care, provide interprofessional training and cultivate partnerships across communities to improve overall health. For more information about the conference, or to find out more about becoming a community faculty member, contact Emily Chambers at (859) 323-8013 or click here.

Media Contact: Elizabeth Adams, elizabethadams@uky.edu