The Michigan Area Health Education Center recently was awarded $823,295 by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration for Fiscal Year 2023-2024, as increase of $102,045 from the previous year’s award.

The funds will be used to continue to strengthen AHEC’s statewide network of five regional centers and provide an unprecedented number of health care career preparation initiatives, clinical experiences and continuing education programs for health care professionals in communities throughout the state.

"Having been with the program since its inception in 2010, I am pleased that HRSA sees the value of our interprofessional leadership and program's past achievements," said Ramona Benkert, co-principal investigator of Michigan AHEC, and professor and associate dean of Academic and Clinical Affairs in the Wayne State University College of Nursing. "These funds help us to continue our statewide efforts to enhance the distribution and diversity of the health care workforce and to support practice transformation in underserved communities."

"This award is great news for the future of health care in Michigan," said Jinping Xu, M.D., co-principal investigator of Michigan AHEC and chair and professor of the Department of Family Medicine and Public Health Sciences. "This grant will allow us to build upon our efforts to improve access to high-quality health care in underserved areas and help us to positively impact the current and future health care workforce throughout Michigan."

HRSA has awarded consecutive yearly grants to Michigan AHEC since 2010. Michigan AHEC is funded by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (Grant # U77HP26582) and Wayne State University. Michigan AHEC also is supported by the following host partners: Health Centers Detroit, Inc., Central Michigan University, Upper Great Lakes Family Health Center and MidMichigan Community Health Services.