The Chicago AHEC’s approach to workforce development focuses on preparing Chicago’s youth and emerging health professionals to meet local health challenges – in the clinic, the community and policy circles. Chicago AHEC is uniquely situated in the Health and Medicine Policy Research Group, a policy research, social justice minded organization that carries on the city’s rich and diverse tradition of healthcare advocacy and promotion of health equity. In 1981, as the national political climate shifted to one that put less emphasis on the needs of marginalized populations, Chicago social justice advocate Quentin D. Young, MD with a group of fellow health justice activists, decided to form a health policy think tank to research, educate and convene stakeholders to challenge health disparities. Chicago AHEC carries this perspective into its work. Our participants receive mentorship and inter-professional training to provide them with essential skills and promote best practices in primary care, health promotion, and system reform. The things that we care about and grapple with on a daily basis in our on-the-ground work give our AHEC a distinctive perspective that we bring to our programs
