Southwestern Colorado Area Health Education Center (SWCAHEC) is a non-profit organization that strives to improve rural health in the eight SW counties of Colorado. SWCAHEC has a strong emphasis on supporting rural primary care, community health, and on developing a pipeline of students who will eventually be our region’s health professionals.

SWCAHEC’s Focus: Accessibility of Health-Related Education • Developing Pipeline Programs • Shaping Careers • Improving Lives

Pre-Career Prep, Post Secondary Education and Health Professional Support Programs

Career Exploration

Calling all high school students! This is a free monthly health career exploration program that can be attended virtually.

Health Careers Institute

Students explore the many fields of the healthcare industry, engaging in hands-on activities and meeting professionals from a variety of health occupations.

AHEC Scholars Program

Are you in your last two years of your nursing, public health, or Master’s of Social Work program? Do you want to boost your chances of getting a job after graduation? Apply here.

AHEC Scholars Hub

Explore our resource hub for all new and existing Southwest AHEC Scholars. Learn more about the AHEC Scholars program, expectations, events, and so much more!

Rural Clinical Rotations

Interested in a clinical rotation? For health professions students completing rural rotations from the University of Colorado Anschutz medical campus, SWCAHEC will coordinate this for you.

Native American Nursing Pipeline

The SWCAHEC Native American Nursing Pipeline project works to increase the number of Native American nurses who deliver health care services.

Healthcare Career Pathway

Interested in learning about a healthcare career? We share pipeline programs introducing students to healthcare career options.

Indigenous Food

SWCAHEC works toward improving rural community health as a healthcare capacity building organization. Our Indigenous food page has resources that connect food, culture, and health.

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