Get Involved

Through our strong partnerships with community organizations Capital AHEC has utilized resources available in the Austin area to improve healthcare opportunities in our communities.  These relationships are vital to the AHEC mission and help us to distribute our message.  We encourage community leaders to become involved by joining a committee, attending a conference, or volunteering with an organization.

Upcoming Events

Texas Rural Health Association’s (TRHA) Annual Conference
TRHA is a member-driven organization that provides leadership on rural health issues through network building, information sharing, and education. The primary forum for the exchange of information and ideas is the annual conference.  For anyone involved in rural health care in Texas, the conference is a must-attend event that brings together hundreds of rural health care professionals from across the state, along with leaders from local communities, businesses, state agencies, academia and nonprofit organizations……all focused on one mission:  improving the lives of rural Texans.

Binational Health Conference
In the greater Austin community, some enjoy a very privileged life while others at the other end of the continuum go to bed hungry – and the foods that they do eat are often not nutritious. Our ultimate goal for these conferences is that everyone will one day have a medical home and that they have the resources and knowledge to be proactive in their physical and emotional health.

Health Workforce Diversity Conference
The East Texas AHEC, West Texas AHEC and the Center for South Texas Programs have been awarded a Minority Health Research grant from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to sponsor six regional conferences to promote diversity in health workforce education by positively impacting the work of increasing the number of students from under represented groups.  If you are concerned about the lack of health workforce diversity these conferences are for you.

Summer Camp
Each year Capital AHEC hosts a week long summer camp specifically for high school students.  During the camp attendees experience as many different health careers as possible through tours, shadowing, panel discussions, and medical procedures.

Join a Committee

School Health Advisory Councils (SHAC)
Capital AHEC works with schools in our service area to implement Texas Senate Bill 19 and 1357 to develop SHACs. We offer training to SHAC coordinators to develop their council from the ground up.

Austin Suicide Prevention Coalition
Travis County has the highest suicide rate among Texas metropolitan areas, according to a report released by the Austin Suicide Prevention Coalition in fall 2006. Because of this Capital AHEC joined the Austin Suicide Prevention Coalition, and attend a monthly meeting. Each meeting includes a program along with networking and updates on the coalition’s efforts. 

Capital AHEC
We utilize community leaders to help shape our organization and direct us towards improving the healthcare workforce now and in the future. Our board consists of 9 members from our region but we are always looking for additional members who have a strong interest in healthcare.  Let us know if you are interested in joining our team.

Health Industry Steering Committee (HISC)
The Health Industry Steering Committee (HISC) is an industry-led and community-sponsored group that exists to collectively address the workforce needs of the healthcare industry in the Greater Austin community. HISC utilizes a collaborative approach to close the gap between employer demand for a diverse, trained healthcare workforce and the workforce in need of training and preparation to enter healthcare fields.

To find out more information or to volunteer, contact Lynn Heimerl at lheimerl@capitalahec.org.