About

Blue Ridge AHEC is a non-profit regional health education center based in Rome, Georgia. The mission of Blue Ridge AHEC is to increase the supply, distribution and education of the healthcare workforce across northwest Georgia by recruiting, training, and retaining quality health professionals in our 20-county region.

We accomplish this mission by “Growing Our Own” health professionals.  Studies have shown that students are more likely to practice in the communities where they were trained. This involves creating a “pipeline” of students interested in health care careers, providing them with information about careers in health, and counseling them throughout their school years.  Blue Ridge AHEC also assists students in training for health careers through our Preceptor Coordination department, and provides continuing education programs for existing health professionals through our RN Re-entry/CE Coordinator.  We pride ourselves on establishing community-based clinical training sites, identifying resources and developing networks, and developing strategies for retention and continuing education of health care professionals.

Rural Student = Rural Health Professionals

Beginning in elementary school, Blue Ridge AHEC’s Health Education Coordinator helps students explore health careers in fun, hands-on ways.  In middle school, students are encouraged to explore a variety of healthcare careers and the high school preparation needed to be successful in that pathway.  Finally, in high school, students are provided more detailed information about salary expectations, job projections, college requirements, and financial aid resources.  We also provide students with opportunities to attend our summer Healthcare Discovery Camp (MS) and Healthcare Exploration Camp (HS).  For more info on these camps, visit our Facebook or Instagram pages @blueridgeahec .

For students who pursue advanced degrees in medicine, nursing, pharmacy, physical therapy and many other fields, Blue Ridge AHEC assists those students by supporting their community-based clinical training.

We pride ourselves on:

• Establishing community-based clinical training sites.
• Identifying resources and developing networks.
• Developing strategies for retention and continuing education of health care professionals.