Centennial Area Health Education Center

Results: Held annual Nurse Educator Conference in the Rockies conference for 34 years - helping thousands of our nation's nursing instructors through education and networking. Designed and built a mental health exhibit, Be Mindful - It Matters, which was launched in September 2023 in our region and (as of 2025) is traveling around the state to community college campuses. In 2025, we launched our Compassionate Care Dementia Training for healthcare students and professionals which incorporates the Virtual Dementia Tour followed by Dementia Together SPECAL communication training to help healthcare and first responder professionals better care for dementia patients (and lower their work stress at the same time). We anticipate training 200 students/academic year throughout our region and our aim once we prove its success is to ask our national AHEC network to consider adopting the program. Partner with schools to provide healthcare career exploration opportunities for students. Recently, we sent "Healthcare Heroes ABCs" books to 100 elementary schools to expose kids to dozens of healthcare careers. We also launched our "You Are the Cure" campaign aimed at high school students and host the Colorado AHEC HOPE program each month of the school year culminating in a week-long camp at CU Anschutz for many of our participants. Placed thousands of medical students in host homes throughout our region during their clinical rotations. Provided Harm Reduction/Narcan training to thousands of people in our region with free Narcan kits.

Target demographics: build a strong and highly competent healthcare workforce for our region

Direct beneficiaries per year: Over 500 students

Geographic areas served: Healthcare Workforce Development

Programs: You Are the Cure - a healthcare career exploration campaign and tools for anyone interested in a future in healthcare. HOPE Institute - an annual live program held once/month for students to learn from healthcare professionals about various careers and issues; culminating in a FREE week-long HOPE Camp at CU Anschutz for a deeper dive.