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ºÚ°µ±¬ÁÏÍø Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) students were named Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) Scholars recently, making them among the first in Missouri to participate in the nationally recognized program.

The ºÚ°µ±¬ÁÏÍø CSD graduate students in the Missouri program are Samantha Moore, Alyssa Mendoza, Meghan Porter and Jen Parham, who are also the first CSD students from the West Central Missouri Region to be a part of the initiative. Amanda Broton, occupational therapy, and Stephen Tran, physical therapy, were also chosen as AHEC Scholars from ºÚ°µ±¬ÁÏÍø’s College of Health and Human Sciences.

“ are a part of a national initiative to prepare tomorrow’s health care professionals to become leaders in interprofessional, transformative practice who serve those who need it the most,” said Stephanie Taylor, director of the West Central Missouri AHEC. 

“These students will collaborate with other students representing various health professions programs, including nursing, medical, dental, pharmacy, therapy and allied health fields and position themselves to join or lead a diverse and culturally competent health workforce,” she continued. “We are very excited to include ºÚ°µ±¬ÁÏÍø health professions students in this group.”

The two-year AHEC program enhances student preparation in leadership and expands their work with diverse rural and urban individuals, according to Jennifer Gewin, West Central Missouri AHEC program coordinator.

“The program educates students on important topics like integrated behavioral health, emergent issues, and cultural competency,” Porter said. “There is a heavy emphasis on interprofessional education, and how working collaboratively can improve patient outcomes. I believe this program will help me better serve patients as a whole individual.”

Porter, who is from Kansas City, Missouri, was interested in the AHEC program because of its emphasis on interprofessional education.

“In caring for one of my own children with ongoing medical concerns, I have come to feel very strongly about the benefits of collaborative care, and I believe a collaborative approach improves quality of life for patients,” she said. “I jumped at the opportunity to learn about other professions, share my own profession and learn how we could work together.”

Porter has undergraduate degrees in French, veterinary forensics, and CSD. She will graduate in 2022 with a Master of Science in CSD.

Moore, who comes to ºÚ°µ±¬ÁÏÍø from Olathe, Kansas, chose CSD because her brother attended speech for many years and her grandfather had a stroke at a young age and required speech therapy. She has earned B.S. degrees in communications and family studies & human services and is pursuing a Master of Science in CSD.

The AHEC program appealed to Moore as it offered something extra in her education.

“The ability to work with other professionals and see their point of view will be useful to me in the field as you often work on a team to serve your client,” Moore said. “My goal is to be as well-rounded as possible when I enter the field.”

Mendoza and Tran are among those finding success in the program as their AHEC group made up of four KC-area health care professionals finished second place in a recent national Case Collaborative Competition. Porter’s group won third.

Through AHEC, these ºÚ°µ±¬ÁÏÍø CSD, OT, and PT students will continue to get opportunities to improve the health status and outcomes in their communities through service projects and civic engagement, interdisciplinary training in rural and underserved clinical settings, and through increased awareness of topics such as behavioral and oral health integration, social determinants of health, and practice transformation.