TAHEC was established to increase the number of health care professionals and to improve access to health care in rural and underserved communities in Central Alabama.  TAHECs catchments area includes nineteen (19) counties in Alabama's Black Belt.  TAHEC was incorporated in 1972, as a part of a system of AHEC’s to address the problems related to health resource shortages prevalent in rural areas of Alabama.

 

Tuskegee Area Health Education Center, Inc. (TAHEC) has had a 40 + year history of successful grant management experience.  Since its inception, TAHECs core funding has been derived from the Health Resources and Services Administration Bureau of Health Professions and the State of Alabama.

 

TAHEC also receives funding from numerous grants and contracts.  Among the funding sources with which TAHEC has contracted are: VA Medical Center, WK Kellogg Foundation (Elderly Services), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Alcohol and Tobacco Risk Reduction), the Alabama Family Practice Rural Health Board, the Alabama Department of Public Health, the Morehouse School of Medicine -Model AHEC Project, the University of South Alabama, Black Belt Medical Reserve Corps, Delta Rural Access Program (DRAP), Citizens Corps Councils, REACH US, STEPS to a Healthier Alabama and  the Johns Hopkins Preparedness and Catastrophic Event Response (PACER).

 

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Fundamental to the success enjoyed by the agency is its proficiency in data collection on and evaluation of the educational and health service programs it implements. During fiscal year 2012-2014, TAHECs staff monitored programs for the purpose of responding to the health resource service needs of the residents of its 19-county target area.  Among the most noteworthy of the programs monitored/conducted are:

 

• Medical clerkships for fourth-year medical students
• The Health College Connection program in which rural students who have an interest in health care are paired with a rural health care preceptor for a summer educational experience. (This program is on-going)
• Provide Community Health Fairs and Community Health Education Programs for the lay public.
• Provide Basic Life Support classes for health care providers and the community.  Advanced Cardiac Life Support classes quarterly for health care providers.
• Promote Breast and Cervical Cancer Education that includes the college community
• Basic Trauma Life Support Classes as needed for health care providers and others
• Provide Recruitment and Retention leadership for 19 counties in Alabama's Black Belt
• Provide annual diabetes conference for those living with diabetes, their  care givers and health care professionals
• Provide annual conference designed for Nurse Practitioners
• Partner with local school system to prevent teen pregnancy through its Teen Outreach Project

 

TAHEC provides health education in the areas of diabetes, and hypertension to the community at-large and for the benefit of health care professionals.