We provide pathways to career success
Much like our high school programs, the SWVAHEC provides the educational and practical opportunities for higher education students to engage in health care and supporting and professions.
We connect health care professionals, organizations, and educators with current and potential students gaining certification through community and technical colleges, four-year institutions and private educational and training groups. We monitor programs and provide resources and materials for instruction related to our core values and programs.
Exceptional leadership in health care
Rural Community Health Scholars is a program designed with one goal in mind: to enhance your ability to create change and reshape the status quo for health care in your community. Throughout this program, students will engage in clinical, didactic, and community-based activities in rural and underserved areas of WV to build their skill set and positively impact the lives of West Virginians.
Rural Community Health Scholars is a two-year program offered to only 75 of West Virginia’s top health professions students from institutions across the state; this program aims to provide supplemental and interprofessional educational experiences to those interested in practicing in rural or underserved communities.
Rural Immersion is the exploration and participation of students in rural areas in Southern West Virginia
The most recent rural immersion program was on the topic of Social Determinants of Health. Students were educated on social determinants of health and what resources Williamson Health and Wellness Center provides to patients and the community in a rural environment to address those determinants. Participants learned about the history, culture, growth, and barriers throughout the community. Students joined Community Health Workers to visit patient homes to gain a perspective on the rural area, the barriers that patients face, the importance of the CHW, and the teamwork between various providers to deliver quality care. As a result of the time spent during the immersion students gained knowledge of health risks associated with Social Determinants of Health in rural areas of Southern WV. Throughout the immersion students gained awareness of the barriers that various communities in Southern, WV face when seeking health care. Students completed the immersion with various concepts and initiatives to address social determinants of health in a rural or underserved area as health professionals.