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The mission of the Southwest Louisiana Area Health Education Center is to improve health status through access to information, education and health services. SWLAHEC is an independent nonprofit organization and a member of the national network of Area Health Education Centers (AHECs) operating in 46 states. AHECS are administered by the U. S. Health Resources and Services Administration Bureau of Health Professions. The AHEC network was launched in 1972 by federal legislation in response to the Carnegie Report on the workforce which found severe shortages of health professionals existing nationwide. The LSU School of Medicine in New Orleans received a grant from the national AHEC program in 1989 to establish the Louisiana AHEC system. SWLAHEC was formed in 1991 to fill a recognized need for better coordination of regional health and education programs to benefit the residents of southwest Louisiana. The other regions of the state are serviced by the Southeast, Central and North Louisiana AHECs. SWLAHEC has a 17-year history of administering numerous grants and contracts to coordinate, implement, and evaluate community-based health and education programs for target populations. Service programs now include health promotion and wellness education, clinical support services, and medical staff recruitment. In 2004, SWLAHEC was awarded the prestigious Standards of Excellence Certification from the Louisiana Association of Non-profit Organizations. This certification confirms SWLAHEC's role in superior programming and non-profit agency operations. We invite you to visit each of our departments to see what SWLAHEC can do for you or your community. Sincerely, Bootsie Durand Executive Director/ CEO |