by Dr Jennifer Scott, Executive Director, Southern Vermont Area Health Education Center (AHEC) October is Health Careers Awareness Month in Vermont, an opportunity to highlight the importance of health careers in our state.
Vermont still has one of the highest shortages in the nation of medical professionals per capita, a fact that not only impacts access to care for Vermonters but increases health disparities in our rural and underserved communities.
Southern Vermont Area Health Education Center (AHEC) knows that a talented, qualified, engaged, and diverse workforce is at the heart of Vermont’s health care infrastructure and is committed to enhancing community efforts to grow and sustain our health workforce.
We offer programs that connect students to careers (MedQuest, HERO, and CSHIP), professionals to communities (homestay housing, Education Loan Repayment), and communities to better health (Power of Dignity, health improvement projects).
Together, with Northern Vermont AHEC and the Office of Primary Care and AHEC Program at the UVM Larner College of Medicine, we make up the Vermont AHEC Network.
There are many health careers to choose from — and multiple pathways to suit individual aspirations and resources. A recent publication by the J. Warren & Lois McClure Foundation, in partnership with the Vermont Department of Labor, listed health careers among the sixty most promising careers in Vermont — with jobs like dental hygienists, LPNs, RNs, and radiologic technologists averaging over $30/hour.
Along with job security, excellent pay and benefits, and opportunities for advancement, health professionals across Vermont make a positive difference, especially in our rural and underserved areas. In these communities, health professionals are practicing where their services are truly needed and in places where they can expand their skills, work with diverse populations, and be deeply appreciated and well-regarded by their patients.
Rural areas also offer less traffic and reduced noise, more open and natural spaces, and a greater sense of community — all contributing to a higher quality of life and lower stress level.
Whether you are a practicing health professional in Vermont or are thinking about becoming one…Southern Vermont AHEC thanks you and stands ready to support you!
Visit svtahec.org and follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
About Southern Vermont Area Health Education Center
Southern Vermont Area Health Education Center (SVTAHEC) is a non-profit, educational organization dedicated to growing and sustaining southern Vermont’s health workforce especially in our rural and underserved communities. We invest our resources in connecting students to health career exploration programs, meaningful college internships, and professional mentoring opportunities that will lead to increased access to primary and preventive care, and healthier communities. Southern Vermont AHEC is one of two independent nonprofit regional AHEC centers funded by federal, state, and community support working in partnership with the University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine’s Office of Primary Care and AHEC Program.