Western Kentucky University serves as our host agency, and the College of Health and Human Services is our academic home. The regional service area includes 22 counties in far western Kentucky: Adair, Allen, Barren, Breckinridge, Clinton, Cumberland, Edmonson, Grayson, Green, Hardin, Hart, Larue, Marion, Meade, Metcalfe, Monroe, Nelson, Russell, Simpson, Taylor, Warren, and Washington. Community partner organizations serve as our local connection to help identify needs, available resources, and potential opportunities for development within the communities we serve. The South Central KY AHEC Advisory Board is comprised of professionals whose area of expertise complements the mission of AHEC. Our board members represent various health care, regional planning and service organizations, and the community at-large. Their support and guidance is invaluable to the South Central KY AHEC Staff.

The Kentucky AHEC System is a collaboration between the University of Louisville Health Sciences Center and the University of Kentucky Medical Center. Eight regional centers and two program offices serve as links between the academic health institutions and communities across the Commonwealth.

Vision: To be a premier academic and community-based collaborative educational program to improve the health of Kentuckians.

Mission: To promote healthy communities through innovative partnerships. This is accomplished by providing educational support services to health professional students and healthcare providers; community health education; programs that encourage health professions as a career choice.

Values: We believe in serving a diverse, multicultural community using respect, creativity, and inclusiveness; cultivating community partnerships that are sustainable and responsive to community people; that accountability, integrity, flexibility, and humor are essential components of our organization.

The National AHEC Organization links the regional and state centers to the nationwide system of AHEC programs, with presence in 48 states across the US. Established in 1972, the program is charged with the responsibility of working to improve the supply, distribution, retention, quality, utilization and efficiency of health professionals to provide primary care services in medically underserved areas. AHECs serve as partners linking the academic resources associated with university-based health professions training to the health services delivery systems in rural, medically underserved areas.