Illinois Area Health Education Centers - AHEC Network

08/17/2026

Calling all AHEC Scholars alumni! Save the date for a FREE virtual conference on Thursday, November 12, 2026.

Details are in the attached picture. We will share the registration link when it becomes available.

Take advantage of this free virtual conference to network with other AHEC Scholars alumni and add to your professional development!

07/17/2026

Congratulations to our South Central Illinois AHEC at Pinckneyville Community Hospital for their inaugural Healing Hands Summer Camp for middle schoolers! This is a wonderful way to expose middle school students to various healthcare careers! Congratulations South Central IL AHEC and Pinckneyville Community Hospital!

07/07/2026

🎉 Congratulations to Rhonda Mott, 2026 South Central Illinois AHEC Healthcare Mentor of the Year! 🎉

The Illinois AHEC Network is proud to recognize Rhonda Mott, Lead Radiologic Technologist at Memorial Hospital, as the 2026 Healthcare Mentor of the Year for the South Central Illinois AHEC region, one of nine AHEC regions across Illinois.

This award honors healthcare professionals who go above and beyond to mentor, teach, and inspire students during their clinical training. For approximately 35 years, Rhonda has served as a clinical preceptor, helping students build the skills, confidence, and experience needed for successful careers in healthcare. As one of Southwestern Illinois College's longest-serving clinical preceptors, she has helped prepare nearly 100 students for careers in diagnostic imaging.

Known for creating a welcoming, supportive, and hands-on learning environment, Rhonda has made a lasting impact on both her students and the healthcare workforce across Southern Illinois. Her dedication to mentorship exemplifies the vital role clinical educators play in preparing the next generation of healthcare professionals, especially in rural and underserved communities.

The award was presented during a celebration attended by several of Rhonda's family members, Memorial Hospital leadership and administration, members of the radiology department, and a healthcare student—reflecting the many lives and careers she has influenced throughout her remarkable career.

👏 Please join us in congratulating Rhonda on this well-deserved recognition and thanking her for her outstanding commitment to healthcare education, workforce development, and student success!

📸 Pictured left to right: Autumn Gulley, South Central Illinois AHEC Student Intern; Rhonda Mott, R.T. (R) (M) (CT), Lead Radiologic Technologist at Memorial Hospital and 2026 South Central Illinois AHEC Healthcare Mentor of the Year; Gloria Przygoda, South Central Illinois AHEC Director; and Andria Zweigart, Director of Diagnostic Imaging and Health Information Management.

06/04/2026

Family Medicine Opportunities with Carle Health!

Carle Health is seeking an additional BE/BC Family Medicine Physician to join their Primary Care team in Mattoon, Illinois.

Interested residents may feel free to visit their website to learn more/apply: https://careers.carlehealth.org/jobs?categories=Physicians&page=1

Residents who are not yet actively searching but would like to stay connected are also welcome to complete their general contact form if they would like to stay in touch: https://careers.carlehealth.org/providers/talentcommunity/form

Attached is a flyer with more information.

05/28/2026

Our 2026 Six-Week Interprofessional Preceptorship (SWIP) program started this week on Wednesday, May 27, 2026. Our East Central Illinois AHEC host site, Gibson Area Hospital in Gibson City, IL, is overseeing the four students while they complete six weeks of job shadowing, study about rural health and how it is delivered while completing a service-learning project for the community.

The students, from left to right in the pictures, are Caitlyn Barbour (ISU), Jack Gentes (Illinois Wesleyan University), Jimmy Chavez (Lake Forest College), and Elizabeth Giroux (SIU-Carbondale). All are aspiring to become rural health physicians. Not only will they be observing first-hand about how rural healthcare is delivered; they are able to live in a rural community to experience rural life and all it has to offer.

This year's program runs through Thursday, July 2, 2026. Keep an eye out for pictures of the students while they complete their job shadowing and service-learning project in the coming weeks. We will be posting them here!

Many thanks to Gibson Area Hospital and the East Central Illinois AHEC for their continued support of the program. You all are amazing partners in helping to educate and prepare the future Illinois healthcare workforce in rural areas!

For more information about SWIP, please visit this webpage: https://ncrhp.uic.edu/programs/experiences/six-week-summer-preceptorship/

05/28/2026

Earlier this month, the IL AHEC Network convened at the Program Office of the Network, the National Center for Rural Health The National Center for Rural Health Professions!

It was a great opportunity to connect in person about our programs and plan for the next year.

Many thanks to all the IL AHEC Network Directors and Program Coordinators for all that they do to prepare the Illinois healthcare workforce in rural and underserved areas!
West Central Illinois AHEC Central Illinois Area Health Education Center East Central Illinois AHEC Northeast IL AHEC at NIU South Central Illinois AHEC

Recently, the NCRHP welcomed the regional Illinois Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) Directors to the University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford campus for their annual retreat.

Illinois AHEC, a federally funded program of NCRHP, works to improve access to healthcare through workforce development, community partnerships, and educational opportunities across the state. NCRHP proudly serves as the Illinois AHEC Program Office.

The annual retreat provided an opportunity for regional directors from across Illinois to come together for program updates, collaboration, networking, and celebration of another successful year advancing rural and underserved healthcare workforce initiatives.

Thank you to all of our Illinois AHEC partners for your continued dedication to strengthening healthcare access and supporting future health professionals throughout Illinois!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOJMjJVPkKM

04/17/2026

The Northwest IL AHEC is out in the field today in Princeton, IL. The 4th Annual Career Fair is being held in the high school!

We are promoting healthcare careers to as many high school students as possible!

04/13/2026

Last Chance to Register! Registration is available through Wednesday, April 15, 2026!

Do you want to learn about all the opportunities available in rural healthcare? There is still time to register for the Thursday, April 16, 2026 webinar.\

Details are in the picture. Here is the registration link: https://www.ilruralhealth.org/event-6605038

04/08/2026

Do you want to learn about all the opportunities available in rural healthcare? There is still time to register for the Thursday, April 16, 2026 webinar.

Details are in the picture. Here is the registration link: https://www.ilruralhealth.org/event-6605038

Registrations will be accepted through Wednesday, April 15, 2026!

03/26/2026

If you or someone you know is interested in a healthcare career, register to attend a panel discussion on the many different opportunities available in rural areas!

Register at this link: https://www.ilruralhealth.org/event-6605038