GLFHC’s Ashley Hall attended the National Area Health Education Center (AHEC) Biennial Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah last month. Hall is the Center Director of the Merrimack Valley AHEC here at GLFHC, which is one of 300 AHECs across the country.
At the national conference, Hall spoke at one of the breakout sessions, presenting the Health Education and Literacy (HEAL) workshop for Healthcare Professionals to AHEC staff from across the country. Additionally, she is a member of National AHEC’s Diversity Committee. The purpose of the Diversity Committee is to embrace and promote an environment that is inclusive and reflects the diversity of our nation. At the conference, the Diversity Committee held a panel with AHEC Scholars across the country where they were asked about their experiences in health equity as an upcoming healthcare professional. Hall had the pleasure of moderating this panel with her colleague, Wanda Thomas, MD, from LSU.
The mission of AHEC is to enhance access to quality health care, particularly primary and preventive care, by improving the supply and distribution of healthcare professionals via strategic partnerships with academic programs, communities and professional organizations. Here at the Merrimack Valley AHEC, Hall spends most of her time working on health literacy for patients and professionals, teaching AHEC Scholars at Merrimack College in the School of Nursing and Health Sciences, and seeking new opportunities to increase and diversify the healthcare workforce with community partners.
To learn more about the Merrimack Valley AHEC programs, contact Hall at 978-722-2864 or ashley.hall@glfhc.org.