Eastern Washington Area Health Education Center (EWAHEC)

Eastern Washington Area Health Education Center (EWAHEC)

The newest program to join the Public Health and Health Administration Department is the Eastern Washington Area Health Education Center (EWAHEC). The EWAHEC opened at EWU in September 2015.  Their work is focused on improving the healthcare workforce, particularly in rural areas of eastern Washington.  The EWAHEC focuses on three key functions:

1. Assisting the UW School of Medicine with the Rural/Underserved Opportunities Program (R/UOP). R/UOP is a four-week immersion program conducted during the summer for students transitioning from their first year to second year of medical school. This program gives medical students exposure to working in rural medicine.
2. Providing continuing education opportunities for healthcare professionals working in eastern Washington. Past offerings have included sessions on diabetes, hypertension, mental health, and emergency medicine.
3. Creating a pipeline of youth from rural areas into healthcare professions. EWAHEC’s youth pipeline programs include:
   1. Super Science Saturday: a day camp for fourth, fifth, and sixth-grade students to be educated and inspired to pursue a career in healthcare.
   2. Project HOPE (Health Occupations Preparatory Experience): a summer internship opportunity for high school juniors and seniors.
   3. Health Science Career Day: a one-day session for high school students to learn more about healthcare programs..
   4. EWAHEC in the Classroom: classroom presentations made available to all schools and grades in eastern Washington.
   5. Lending library: Materials that are available to teachers, completely free of charge, to borrow for a month at a time.