Serving Eastern Connecticut as part of the Connecticut Area Health Education Center (AHEC) Network, the Health Education Center has strengthened the health profession pipeline and provided healthcare access to community members in the Windham, New London, and Tolland counties for more than 30 years. Partnering with UConn Pharmacy, HEC Interprofessional Education (IPE) Health Clinics engage students in their professional years, offering hands-on experience in community health through volunteer opportunities.
Medicinal garden outside the School of Pharmacy (UConn Photo)
With one program office at UConn Health and four other regional offices across Connecticut, Eastern AHEC rebranded in 2019 to become the Health Education Center. Leading clinics across the counties it serves, AHEC facilitates experience learning opportunities for students across Connecticut with its health professional pipeline programs. Filling in the medical gap found in rural communities in Eastern Connecticut, The Health Education Center's goal of healthcare accessibility intersects its focus on training the next generation of healthcare professionals.
"We want our local communities to be reflected in their health care providers." – Natalie Crino
Aside from partnering with universities and colleges across the state, The Health Education Center inspires high schoolers through their Youth Health Service Core. Traveling to high schools, this program teaches students the variety of careers found within healthcare and the impact of public health programs on their communities.
Natalie Crino, Health Education Center Director, is especially pleased with UConn's involvement in the IPE clinics, more specifically students of the School. Oftentimes, if a community needs medication education, pharmacy students can help identify the medications and any possible side effects. Seamlessly transitioning into an interdisciplinary team, these students also aid community members in understanding medication management, explaining to them what a refill is, and the importance of creating a medication schedule.
During their time as a Husky, students of the School must complete 2 IPE clinics in their professional years. Additionally, students involved in the Urban Service Track or AHEC Scholars are automatically a part of The Health Education Center. Through these requirements and opportunities, many UConn Pharmacy students are exposed to community health and hands-on learning.
Interacting with community members and understanding their stories, students like third-year pharmacy student Tracy Li, can learn about the determinants of community health and the barriers to accessing health care. At her first HEC Clinic, where she volunteered at the Covenant Soup Kitchen, Li worked in a team with a nursing student and a medical student. Together, they saw patients and used a medical interpreter to best understand the attendees.
"Interacting with the community and talking with members about their experiences was eye-opening for me." – Tracy Li
By helping patients, especially those who don't see a primary care provider regularly, Li developed her skills in working on an interprofessional team to best deliver care to community members. She also believes healthcare is becoming more integrated, so having first-hand experience with integrative teams will help Li in her future career.
Aside from facilitating health measures, like taking blood pressure, student teams are encouraged to talk with community members and ask questions at the clinics. With the goal of solving healthcare access barriers, students work with coordinators in identifying opportunities to bridge these gaps in the healthcare system. Seeing around 10-12 people in each clinic, HEC served 124 community members from October to January. Last fall, HEC worked with UConn Pharmacy and students to lead a flu shot clinic at the Covenant Soup Kitchen.
Facilitating 6 clinics a month, HEC's clinic locations include Covenant Soup Kitchen in Windham, Saint Vincent's de Paul in Norwich, the Homeless Hospitality Center in New London, the Place for Community Well-Being in New London, and Huntington Towers in New London.
The Health Education Center is one of four regional centers in Connecticut, alongside the Southwestern AHEC, National Mental Health Corps, and the Central AHEC. All non-profit organizations, these centers provide resources and facilitate clinics for their respective counties.
For UConn students who want to volunteer at any upcoming HEC clinics, they can reach out to Tracy Li with any questions. They can also learn more through Connecticut Area Health Education Center Network on the UConn Pharmacy website or by visiting The Health Education Center's website. Community members looking for a chance to visit the HEC clinics can find more information through their website and social media.
