Area Health Education Centers

South Dakota Area Health Education Center: The South Dakota Area Health Education Center (AHEC) collaborates with a network of community, state, healthcare and academic partners committed to meeting the healthcare workforce needs of South Dakota. The SD AHEC is located at the USD Sanford School of Medicine in Sioux Falls, SD.

Northeast South Dakota Area Health Education Center (NESD AHEC): The NESD AHEC provides accredited continuing education and professional support to healthcare professionals practicing in rural and underserved environments and works to improve the supply and distribution of healthcare professionals. The NESD AHEC also provides health education and resources to all South Dakota students, teachers and school counselors, including information about prospective healthcare careers. NESD AHEC provides CNA training, job shadowing, and health education materials/presentations.

Southeast South Dakota Area Health Education Center (SESD AHEC): The SESD serves a 24-county area in southeastern South Dakota. SESD AHEC works with partners to create a sustainable healthcare workforce in our rural South Dakota service area. Some SESD AHEC’s activities include illustrating healthcare career opportunities to young people, offering continuing education opportunities for professionals, and developing venues for interprofessional education for post-secondary students in rural communities.

The West River Area Health Education Center (WR AHEC): The WRAHEC was established in 2019 on the Western Dakota Tech campus located in Rapid City. Our goal is to build a healthcare career pipeline for our region to ensure happy and healthy communities in the future. The West River Collaborative is representative of 16 Counties and 2 Native American Reservations in western SD.