North Carolina AHEC Program
summer 2009 newsletter | home
Director's Message
We are pleased to share with you the summer 2009 North Carolina AHEC newsletter. We normally distribute printed newsletters, but in light of the severe budget cuts that we and other programs have experienced this year, we decided to move to an electronic format.
In spite of the severe downturn in the economy and the impact it has had on AHEC and virtually all of the academic and health care institutions with whom we work, there continues to be a wealth of activity going on across the state. AHEC’s work in preparing health professionals to better serve the mental health needs of returning veterans is highlighted in our lead article, and we are excited about the potential for expanding this work in partnership with other AHECs around the country. This issue also contains articles on our efforts to improve health care quality, to foster an integrated approach to primary care and behavioral health care, and several efforts to strengthen the use of technology in delivering educational programs and services.
The current economic climate presents unprecedented challenges to public and private programs at all levels of health care. Although we’ve had to reduce programming in a number of areas, and increase the fees we charge in other areas, the partnerships we rely on with both educational and health care agencies enable the AHEC Program to continue to meet the needs of the communities of North Carolina. Without those partnerships, none of what we do would be possible. Thanks for all you do with us to improve access to quality health care for all North Carolinians.
Thomas J. Bacon, DrPH
Director, North Carolina AHEC Program