MISSION
The mission of the Maryland Area Health Education Center West (AHEC West) is to improve access to and promote quality in health care through education and collaboration.
The AHEC West service area includes Frederick, Washington, Allegany, and Garrett counties in Maryland as well as counties in nearby Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Most of the AHEC West region is designated as a Health Professional Shortage Area.
AHEC West’s activities would not be possible without the support of its many partners and preceptors. AHEC West does not provide health care, but strives to improve health care’s quality and accessibility by working with those who do.
As an agency, AHEC West facilitates and/or provides:
- Clinical education for health professions students
- Experiences for students interested in health careers such as summer programs for high school students, mentorship, and academic assistance with follow-up through college, health professions school, and beyond
- Continuing education programs for regional health professionals
- Geriatric interprofessional experiences for students and continuing education for geriatric providers and caregivers
- Organization of and participation in coalitions and task forces on priority concerns about health care
STAFFStaff Directory
Catie Brenneman
Program Coordinator - Clinical Education
301-777-9150 ext 148 cbrenneman@ahecwest.org
Daniel Carrillo
AHEC West Health Insurance Program – Bilingual Navigator
1-888-202-0212 daniel@wmdhealthconnect.org
Nefertiti Guillaume
AHEC West Health Insurance Program – Program Coordinator
1-888-202-0212 nefertiti@wmdhealthconnect.org
Amanda Heavener
Human Resources Specialist and Executive Assistant
301-777-9150, ext 111 aheavener@ahecwest.org
David Laurencio
AHEC West Health Insurance Program - Operations Assistant
1-888-202-0212 dlaurencio@ahecwest.org
Lisa Lundquist
AHEC West Health Insurance - Outreach Coordinator
301-268-6475 llundquist@ahecwest.org
Christopher McKenzie
AHEC West Health Insurance Program - Navigator
1-888-202-0212 cmckenzie@ahecwest.org
Carol Morgan
AHEC West Health Insurance Program – Lead Navigator
1-888-202-0212 carol@wmdhealthconnect.org
Mijail Salazar
AHEC West Health Insurance Program – Bilingual Navigator
1-888-202-0212 mijail@wmdhealthconnect.org
David Stewart
AHEC West Health Insurance Program – Program Director
1-888-202-0212 david@wmdhealthconnect.org
Joy Taylor
Program Director - AHEC Scholars, Continuing Ed., GGEAR
301-777-9150, ext 141 jtaylor@ahecwest.org
Julie Teter
Regional Oral Health Coordinator/ECHO Program Coordinator
301-777-9150 ext 103 jteter@ahecwest.org
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
- Joe Hoffman – Chairperson
- VACANT – Vice Chairperson
- Margaret Wright – Secretary
- Griffin Detrick – Treasurer
- Thomas Chappell, MD, retired
- Richard Colgan, MD, University of Maryland School of Medicine
- Kathy Condor, BA, Allegany College of Maryland
- Griffin Detrick, CPA, Archway Station
- Maria Friend, BSN, Garrett County Health Department
- Heather Hall, PA-C, Frostburg State University
- Y. Michelle Harman, MEd, NBCT, Garrett County Board of Education
- Joe Hoffman, PhD, Frostburg State University
- Stephanie Hutter-Thomas, PhD, CPH, CCHW, RPS, WVU School of Medicine, Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry
- Diane Martin, PhD, MA, BA, University of Maryland, Baltimore
- Chris Mullet, Burlington United Methodist Family Services
- Diane Romaine, DMD, Romaine and Associates, private practice dentist
- Sara Seitz, MPH, State Office of Rural Health
- Danielle Stahl, BS, Washington County Health Department
- Margaret Wright, RN, BSN, Allegany County Health Department
SERVICE AREA
AHEC West serves Garrett, Allegany, Washington, and Frederick counties in Maryland, with some programs serving clients in nearby Mineral County, West Virginia and Bedford County, Pennsylvania.
Included in the service area are three federally qualified health centers, four dental clinics, and six hospitals, all of which work with AHEC West to meet the healthcare needs of the area’s overall population. Most of the counties served qualify as Medically Underserved Areas and are greatly challenged in the recruitment and retention of healthcare professionals. In more recent years, we’ve begun to serve other counties west of Baltimore.
CIVIL RIGHTSWE DO NOT DISCRIMINATE
Nondiscrimination and Accessibility Requirements Notice
AHEC West and its Western Maryland Health Insurance Connector program complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex. AHEC West does not exclude people or treat them differently, because of race, color, national origin, age, disability or sex.
AHEC West:
● Provides free auxiliary aids and services to people with disabilities to communicate effectively with us, such as qualified sign language interpreters and written information in other formats (large print, audio, accessible electronic formats, other formats)
● Provides free language assistance services to people whose primary language is not English, such as qualified interpreters and information written in other languages
If you need these services, contact us: 301-777-9150
If you believe AHEC West has failed to provide these services or discriminated in another way on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability or sex, you can file a grievance in writing by mail or email with Melissa Clark, Civil Rights Coordinator. If you need help filing a grievance, Ms. Clark is available to help you. Ms. Clark’s contact info is below:
Melissa Clark, Civil Rights Coordinator
Phone: 301-777-9150 x115
Fax: 301-777-2649
Email: civilrights@ahecwest.org
Mail: 39 Baltimore Street, Suite 201, Cumberland, Maryland 21502
You also may file a civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights electronically through the Office for Civil Rights Complaint Portal, available at https://ocrportal.hhs.gov/ocr/
