Pacific Welcomes 51 New AHEC Scholars

The Oregon Healthcare Workforce Institute (OHWI) at Pacific University is excited to welcome the sixth cohort of health professions students to join the Oregon AHEC Scholars program. The Scholars program is part of a national initiative through the federal area health education center (AHEC) program, preparing future health professionals to become leaders in interprofessional and transformative practices serving Oregon’s most vulnerable community members. This competitive program is open to students in participating programs across a range of Oregon’s universities, including dentistry, medicine (DO/MD/PA), nursing, occupational therapy, pharmacy, and physical therapy, who possess a strong drive to provide care to urban and rural underserved Oregonians.

In addition to the standard coursework, Oregon AHEC scholars complete didactic and experiential training opportunities designed to better prepare them for an underserved practice setting throughout the two-year program. Completing the Scholars program is a prerequisite to eligibility for Oregon’s Primary Care Loan Forgiveness (PCLF) program managed by the Oregon Office of Rural Health.

Over the past six years, Pacific University’s scholars from the schools of Physician Assistant Studies, Pharmacy, and Occupational Therapy, represent 40% of the 515 participants. OHWI and the larger Oregon AHEC network have supported our scholars, but this work would not be possible without the dedication shown by faculty members serving as the program’s faculty liaisons like Pacific’s Shawna Cozens, MMS, PA-C; Kim Lovato, PA-C, MS; Eddie Saito, PharmD, RPh BCACP; John Begert, PharmD, RPh BCACP; and Alisa Sheth, PhD, OTR/L. The Oregon Healthcare Workforce Institute at Pacific University is proud of the strong commitment that Oregon AHEC scholars and associated faculty demonstrate to providing high-quality care where it is needed most.

For more information about the Oregon AHEC Scholars program, contact Kate Hubbard.